The most famous peninsulas in Ireland
ards peninsula
Located in County Down, the Ards Peninsula creates a fine sight with Strangford Lough forming an almost semi-circular peninsula looking out over the Irish Sea. It is without a doubt the most unusual shaped peninsula on the island of Ireland, most of which have a more definite definition as that of a fjord. The Ards Peninsula is well populated with the busy town of Newtownards to the north being the largest settlement. Portaferry is a lovely village to the south where there is a car ferry that takes you across to mainland County Down. Another very attractive village located there is Portavogie and the peninsula is a good base for sea fishing in the Irish Sea and in Strangford Lough itself. Newtownards has a wide variety of accommodation, while further south hotel accommodation is lacking, but this is more than made up for by the many guest houses and B&Bs that provide a warm welcome to the visitor. Places of interest include Gray Abbey, which is the ruins of a former Cistercian monastery, and Mount Stewart, which is an 18th century mansion and gardens open to the public in the summer period.
Dingle Peninsula
Ireland’s most famous and most visited peninsula, the Dingle Peninsula, is located in the heart of tourism in Ireland, County Kerry. There are so many attractions on this stretch of coast that they deserve a book in their own right. The most important is the beautiful city of Dingle, a city of about 2,000 inhabitants that swells to about two million, it seems, in the summer months. The city offers many attractions and is a perfect base for exploring the general Kerry area. Lively pubs, a huge range of accommodation from hostels to the five-star Dingle Skelligs Hotel, a wide range of restaurants that rival Kinsale in neighboring Cork as Ireland’s gourmet capital, make Dingle a must-stop on any holiday in the area.
One of the driving highlights of the Dingle Peninsula is negotiating Conor’s Pass, the highest mountain pass in Ireland, across the top of Mount Brandon at nearly 1,000 metres. On a good day the views are stunning, although good days are hard to come by as fog at the top is frequent. Off the coast are the Blasket Islands (see our Islands of Ireland section). The Dingle Peninsula is perfect for walking, walking, climbing, fishing, golfing, sailing – you name it and probably will exist on the Dingle Peninsula.
There are some really picturesque character towns on the Dingle Peninsula. Ventry is home to the famous footballer Paidi O’Se, whose Ventry Inn pub is a must-visit. Inch, with its sprawl, was the setting for the film Ryan’s Daughter, while Annascaul, Ballyferriter and Ballydavid offer stunning views and traditional pubs and shops from a bygone era. One of the great drives in Ireland, the Dingle Peninsula will leave you with only one wish: to return.
Beara Peninsula
The Beara Peninsula is located in the south-west of Ireland, south of the Dingle Peninsula. Part of the land mass is in County Kerry and the other, larger part is in County Cork. Kenmare Bay creates the northern boundary and Bantry Bay the southern perimeter. In the center of the peninsula lie two mountain ranges, the Caha Mountains and the Slive Miskish Mountains. The terrain is quite rugged and is punctuated by the Gulf Stream, allowing foliage and fauna unknown in the rest of Ireland to thrive in the mild air. It is good walking territory but bumpy and wild and only for experienced hikers. There is a wonderful driving route that starts in Kenmare and winds in an oval through Healy Pass, Castletownbere and ends in the magnificent and picturesque town of Glengariff in County Cork. Castletownbere is a busy deep-sea fishing port and one of the side effects of this is the presence on very narrow roads of large articulated reefers carrying fish for export or Dublin markets. The drivers of these amazing machines take no prisoners, they just give way when they see one! This driving route is known as the Ring of Beara and is not to be missed. Both ends are excellent stopping points. Kenmare is a jewel in Kerry’s crown; a sophisticated and intimate town, giving off an aura of opulence. Fine hotels, spas and designer boutiques abound, while the restaurant and pub scene is above average in quality. Glengariff is much smaller but all the more beautiful for it and the spectacular scenery is reminiscent of the hills around Monte Carlo. The Beara Peninsula may be less well known than its Dingle counterpart, but it is no less spectacular and alluring.
Inishowen Peninsula
The Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal is the largest peninsula by land mass in Ireland at 884 square kilometres. It is formed by Lough Swilly to the west and Lough Foyle to the east in County Derry. There is a wide variety of attractions, towns and villages on the peninsula. Buncrana (population around 5,000) and Carndonagh (population 2,000) are the two largest towns with other towns spread around the perimeter including Moville, Newtowncunningham and the fishing port of Greencastle. The magnificent sight that is Malin Head is at the very tip of the peninsula.
There are great accommodations available all over Inishowen, but Derry City is also a good location on the neck of the Inishowen Peninsula. Golfers are catered for by the magnificent golf courses at Ballyliffin, one of which was designed by Nick Faldo.
cooley peninsula
Located in the north of County Louth, the Cooley Peninsula meanders east from Dundalk to Greenore and back west to the town of Newry via Carlingford and Omeath. The Tain Trail is a popular walking trail incorporating locations from the famous legends of Fionn Mc Cumhaill and the Brown Bull of Cooley mythology.
In between are the impressive Cooley Mountains, from which there are views across Carlingford Bay to their counterparts, the Mournes, in County Down. Greenore is a busy port handling containers and open cargo, including livestock. The beautiful medieval town of Carlingford, with its narrow streets and the magnificent Castle of San Juan, are a compelling reason to stop for a few days and stay here. The Cooley Mountains offer excellent walking and hiking trails and at Carlingford Marina, boats are available for hire.
Accommodation is good, as are the many guest houses available. Omeath is a small town on the road to Newry with access to Carlingford Lough. Passenger ferries go to Warrenpoint on the north side of the lake and there is speculation that a bridge may connect the two in the future. Greenore Golf Club and Ballymacscanlon Hotel and Golf Club provide excellent opportunities to hit the little white ball and there are several equestrian centers in the peninsula area. Most of the views are breathtaking and the area is known as ‘Killarney of the North’. For a spectacular journey, take the journey from Omeath through the Cooley Mountains back to Dundalk.
