Day 9—The Dingle Loop and……..Rain

The Dingle Peninsula is the westernmost tip of Ireland, and Europe, for that matter.  This area is known as the “real” Ireland.  Signs are more likely to be in Irish only, although everyone speaks English, the government actually subsidizes the survival of the Irish language and culture in this part of Ireland.  The Potato Famine hit this area in a huge way.  In the mid 1840’s there were over 40,000 people here.  After the plague ran its course, the peninsula was basically abandoned.  Now, over 170 years later, the population is 10,000 and you can still see on the surrounding hills abandoned terraces where potatoes haven’t been replanted.

Our day consisted of driving the “Dingle Loop”.  Kinda a must do, (like the Ring of Kerry tomorrow), if you come to southwestern Ireland.  Recorded history starts in 800AD when Charlemagne gave the task of keeping European literacy alive to the Irish monks during the Dark Ages laborously copying the Bible on sheep skins.  Also, legend/history records St. Brendan sailed to the New World in the 7th century, beating Columbus by a thousand years.  Further, this is where the first transatlantic cable originated in 1855 as it was laid west to Newfoundland, and finally, this is the first land sited by Lindbergh when he crossed the Atlantic in 1927. 

Now, what does the Dingle Peninsula look like.  Well, it was kinda rainy today.  Really the first consistent rain and clouds we have had all vacation.  A few breaks, but more clouds than sun.  So, not a lot of great pictures, hence more history.

Dingle Town

    

With a gazillion sheep everywhere, we can’t help take lots of pictures of them.  This the the width of many of the secondary roads in Ireland.  This one is unique in that it is lines with fuschias.  A pest from China, but beautiful none the less.

These are shrink-wrapped hay bales.  They are everywhere.  4-5 feet in diameter.  Keeps out the moisture for winter feeding of all the above mentioned sheep.

Another of the roads, this in the “mountains” on the Dingle Loop.  Bad thing is you meet a car, someone has to back up to the rare wide spots.  Good news is the roads are too narrow for the tour busses!