Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and
Foxy John's
(on the left, both recommended). Like many Irish pubs, these two throw-
backs were originally shops by day and pubs by night. Decades ago, small-town pubs of-
ten also served as the town morgue (because they had the only large refrigerated space in
town)—where you could literally drink until you dropped.
At the first intersection, take a left on Green Street. Pop into the beautiful, modern St.
Mary'sChurch.Theconventbehinditshowsoffitsdelightful
Díseart windows
(described
later, under “Sights in Dingle”). Wander in the backyard to check out the tranquil nuns'
cemetery, with its white-painted iron crosses huddling peacefully together under a big cop-
per beech tree. Across from St. Mary's is the recommended
Dick Mack's Pub,
another
traditional pub well worth a peek, even for non-drinkers.
Green Street leads past lots of inviting boutiques, estate agents (showing the current
priceofhouseshere),andthelibrary.The
library,
agiftfromtheCarnegieFoundation,has
a shelf of tourist-information books and a small exhibit (in the foyer and upstairs) about
local patriot Thomas Ashe and the Blasket Island writers. The best historic photos you'll
find in town decorate the library's walls with images of 19th-century Dingle. Green Street
continues to the Strand, where a right turn takes you to the harbor.
The
harbor
was built on land reclaimed (with imported Dutch expertise) in 1992. The
string of old stone shops facing the harbor was the loading station for the railway that
hauled the fish from Dingle until 1953. Walk out to the end of the breakwater—recently