Dingle Peninsula - Ireland 2014 - page 342

tate from Dublin. Dingle has become so wealthy from the tourist trade that it sees
its famous name as a trademark, and doesn't want to become “the cute tourist
town with the unpronounceable name, formerly known as Dingle.” While official
road signs identify the town only as An Daingean, you'll notice that many have
been modified by a crude, white DINGLE stenciled by stubborn locals. In town,
most businesses, all tourist information, and nearly all people—locals and tourists
alike—refer to it as Dingle.
For the sake of clarity, in this topic I follow the local convention: Dingle instead
of “An Daingean,” Great Blasket Island instead of “An Blascoad Mór,” and so on.
But for ease of navigation, I've also included the place's Irish name in parentheses.
For a list of these bilingual place names, see the sidebar on here .
Dingle Hillwalking Club: This informal, visitor-friendly hiking group is a great way
to connect with fun, active locals (free, Sun at 10:00, meets in front of SuperValu,
www.dinglehillwalkingclub.com ).
Travel Agency: Maurice O'Connor at Galvin's Travel Agency can book plane tickets, as
well as ferry rides to Britain (Mon-Fri 9:30-18:00, Sat 9:30-14:00, closed Sun, John
Street, tel. [phone]).
Farmers Market: Frommid-Apriltomid-OctoberonFridaysfrom9:00to15:00,farmers
gather to sell their fresh produce, homemade marmalade, and homespun crafts (across
the street from SuperValu grocery store in a small parking lot).
Tours in Dingle
Here are several options for touring the peninsula.
▲▲▲ Sciuird Archaeology Tours
Sciuird (SCEW-erd, Irish for “excursion”) tours are offered by a father-son team with
Dingle history—and a knack for sharing it—in their blood. Gentleman Tim Collins, a re-
tired Dingle police officer, and son Michael give serious 2.5-hour minibus tours (€20, de-
parting at 10:30 and 14:00, depending upon demand). Drop by the recommended Eileen
Collins Kirrary B&B (at Dykegate and Grey's Lane), or call 066/915-1606 to put your
name on the list. Call early; tours fill quickly in summer. Off-season (Oct-April), you may
have to call back to see if the necessary five people have signed up to make a 14-seat bus
worthtakingout.Skippingthefolklegends,yourguidewillshowyouthehighlightswhile
driving down tiny farm roads (the Gaelic word for small road literally means “cow path”),
over hedges, and up ridges to hidden Celtic forts, mysterious stone tombs, and forgotten
castles with sweeping seaside views. The running commentary gives an intimate peek into