THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN, NOVEMBER 10-11, 2018 18 TRAVEL + INDULGENCE theaustralian.com.au/travel

THE PERFECT 10 DINGLE PENINSULA, IRELAND Take the coast roads

On a ramble near Dingle, left; Slea Head Drive, above; Blasket Islands, right; Gallarus Oratory, below

Wander in a wild and Slea Head Famine Cottages takes you into Check out John Bennys on Strand Street, den, made with seasonal herbs. Grab a the lives of farmers during the tragedy of the O’Flaherty’s on Bridge Street and An Droi- creamy cone and stroll along the waterfront; wonderful region Great Famine in the 1840s. Behind these mea- chead Beag on Main Street. Many bars are murphysicecream.ie. MARIAN McGUINNESS gre cottages is a beehive hut, one of many uniquely different to the norm, such as J. Cur- built in the 12th century when the Normans ran’s 1870s old-style hardware shop and bar, Another maritime opportunity settled in Ireland and drove families off their where you can buy a pair of wellington boots is to join the shenanigans of With the Wild Atlantic Way’s five lands; dingle-peninsula.ie. and a pint of stout, or Dick Mack’s pub, where Dingle’s resident bottlenose scenic southwest peninsulas wait- patrons drink on one side of the room and 09 dolphin, Fungie. He is often ing to be explored, make time to A 15-minute drive east from have their shoes repaired on the other. Music seen fishing around the harbour entrance as 01 stay in the town of Dingle on the Dingle will take you to Annas- starts about 9.30pm. No matter which pub well as escorting the town’s fishing boats to northernmost craggy finger. With its emerald caul and its blue and white you choose, get there early, pull up a stool and and from port. The now famous dolphin made hills, ancient ruins and wandering black- 04 South Pole Inn. It was the settle in for the craic with a dewy Guinness; his sea change to Dingle Harbour in 1984. faced sheep, it’s a photogenic fragment of house-turned-pub of Antarctic explorer Tom dingle-peninsula.ie/food-drink/. Soon after, the local Marine Ministry of- County Kerry. Take the Slea Head Drive, a Crean. Stop for lunch in the rooms of stone ficially recorded Fungie as a permanent resi- 48km return loop from Dingle. A white stone and timber, surrounded by memorabilia and Dining in Dingle is a challeng- dent of the entrance channel and self- crucifixion scene marks Slea Head with its ceilings swirled with a timeline of Crean’s life. ing choice. Should you go for the appointed Pilot of the Fleet. Dingle Dolphin dramatic views to the now-abandoned Blas- He was a hero of the Shackleton and Scott ex- fresh fish, shellfish, lobster and Boat Tours has departures from the pier on ket Islands. The Interpretative Centre is peditions and dragged an ill companion 80km 07 crab straight off the trawlers; the the hour every day. Passengers can watch the around the headland at Dunquin. Heading on on a sled in dire conditions. He was finest quality beef and lamb raised and wild, free Fungie cavorting for his human through villages with neat rows of houses, cir- one of the six men who made the grazed on the Blasket Islands or audience with jumps and loops. He is immort- cle back across Brandon Creek, the legendary 1300km voyage in the open vegetables and fruit from the alised in bronze on Main Street, opposite the starting point of St Brendan’s voyage to boat James Caird from El- lush agricultural land sur- harbour; dingledolphin.com/fungie. America, centuries before Columbus. Con- ephant Island to the rounding the town? tinue around the base of Mount Brandon, the South Georgia whal- Don’t get me started second-highest mountain in Ireland, before ing station, seeking on the accompany- ending back in Dingle; dingle-peninsula.ie. help for their ing soda bread BEST BEDS stranded crew; made with Guin- Visitors love driving the Wild annascaul-vil- ness. With more Acknowledged as one of the Atlantic Way, but navigating lage.com. than 50 eateries best places to stay in Ireland, the Wild Atlantic Ocean gives a offering heavenly Heaton’s Guesthouse, with 02 different perspective. The Blas- The locations, divine 10 its elongated cream, white ket Islands, 2km off the coast are the last out- wild cuisines and sinful and grey exterior, is at the edge of Dingle posts of Europe. Rug up and hunker down for beau- desserts, Dingle’s Bay and a five-minute flat walk from the a boat trip from Dingle, sailing past red sand- 05 ty of restaurants have town. As the tide ebbs and flows, you can stone cliffs and the crumbling-into-the-sea Dingle inspires the won many interna- watch its shimmering ripples from ruins of Dunbeg Castle where stone fences work of many of its ar- tional foodie awards. Heaton’s elegant sitting room. All form a latticework up the hillside to white- tisans, from the iconic Try The Boat Yard Res- guestrooms are stylishly decorated and washed cottages. The islands have been in- beehive huts fashioned in taurant overlooking the breakfast in the dining room, complete habited from 2000BC until just recently. John Weldon’s jewellery, to harbour; the nautical-themed with magnificent water views, is nothing Interestingly, many Irish literary classics the symbols of ancient Ogham Doyle’s Seafood Restaurant or short of a feast, serving porridge with a have been written in the isolation of these Stones crafted in goldsmith Brian De the Chart House. And note that crab shot of Cointreau, brown sugar and outposts, including Tomas O’Crohan’s Island- Staic’s stunning offerings. Stoneware and ex- claws are called crab toes and take a bit of cream. To follow, there’s a traditional Irish man, Maurice O’Sullivan’s Twenty Years a- quisite porcelain from Ireland’s pre-eminent working out; theboatyardrestaurant.ie; selection with black and white pudding; Growing, and Peig Sayers’ autobiography potter Louis Mulcahy can be found alongside doylesofdingle.ie; thecharthousedingle.com. local smoked salmon and scrambled Peig. Hop on a fast ferry from Dingle and Lisbeth Mulcahy’s stylishly woven designs at eggs; and Dingle Bay kippers. Preserves wander the abandoned main island or take a The Weaver’s Shop in Green Street. Crystal There always seems to be a and bread are homemade. It’s enough to three-hour eco tour, observing seals, dolphins artisan Sean Daly, who became a master queue outside the cobalt blue warm your cockles and set you up for a and comical puffins; craftsman with Waterford Crystal, creates and white shop of Murphy’s Ice day of exploration; heatonsdingle.com. dingleboat tours.com. and handcuts his Celtic-design giftware using 08 Cream. Legendary for its pre- ireland.com ■ the inspiration of his surrounds, the Gaelic mium products, every step is hand crafted With more than 2000 archaeo- culture and its archaeological history. Dingle using highest-quality local ingredients. The logical sites, the Dingle penin- Crystal is also on Green Street or see Sean in superior milk comes from indigenous Kerry sula is an open-air ancient action in his workshop on the edge of town; cows. Everything is farm-fresh, from the or- 03 history museum. Ogham lisbethmulcahy.com; dinglecrystal.ie. ganic free-range eggs to local cream. Mur- Stones, scribed along their length with the phy’s even makes its own sea salt from Dingle parallel strokes of ancient Irish language, are With such a musical name, Din- sea water and distils Dingle rain for the dairy- found in their dozens. The 7th-century Gal- gle is deemed the Capital of free sorbets. As well as the staples of Kerry larus Oratory is a tiny dry stone chapel Craic. With a bar situated about cream vanilla and handmade chocolate chip, shaped like an upturned boat. It remains as it 06 every 10m, it has one of the curious flavour combinations include choc was built and has never been repaired, such highest pub-per-person ratios in Ireland and whiskey, caramelised brown bread, Dingle were the skills of the craftsmen. A visit to the an abundance of traditional music venues. gin (from the local distillery) and Irish Gar-

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