Ireland’s most famous peninsulas

Ards Peninsula

Located in County Down, the Ards Peninsula creates a beautiful view with Strangford Lough forming an almost semi-circular peninsula overlooking the Irish Sea. It is without doubt the most unusual shaped peninsula on the island of Ireland, most of which have a more marked definition as a fjord. The Ards Peninsula is well populated with the busy town of Newtownards to the north being the largest settlement. Portaferry is a charming town to the south where there is a car ferry that allows you to cross to the mainland of County Down. Another very attractive town there is Portavogie and the peninsula is a good base for fishing in the Irish Sea and on Strangford Lough itself. Newtownards has a wide variety of accommodations, while further south hotel accommodations are lacking, but this is more than made up for by the many guesthouses and B & Bs that warmly welcome and entertain the visitor. Places of interest to see include Gray Abbey, which are 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

The most famous and most visited peninsula in Ireland, the Dingle Peninsula is at 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 people that, it seems, increases to about two million in the summer months. The city offers many attractions and is a perfect base for exploring the general Kerry area. Lively pubs, an abundance 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-see on any day. partying in the area.

One of the highlights of the Dingle Peninsula is crossing the Conor Pass, Ireland’s highest mountain pass, through the top of Mount Brandon at almost 1,000 meters. On a good day the views are breathtaking, although good days are hard to come by as fog at the top is a frequent occurrence. Off the coast are the Blasket Islands (see our Islands of Ireland section). The Dingle Peninsula is perfect for walking, hiking, climbing, fishing, golfing, sailing, whatever and it probably exists on the Dingle Peninsula.

There are some really colorful character towns on the Dingle Peninsula. Ventry is home to the famous footballer Paidi O’Se, whose Ventry Inn pub is a must-see. Inch, with its vast strand, was the location for the movie Ryan’s Daughter, while Annascaul, Ballyferriter and Ballydavid offer stunning views and traditional pubs and shops from a bygone era. One of the best tours in Ireland, the Dingle Peninsula will leave you with only one wish: to return.

The Beara peninsula

The Beara Peninsula is located in the southwest of Ireland, south of the Dingle Peninsula. Part of the land mass is in County Kerry and the other larger part in County Cork. Kenmare Bay creates the northern boundary and Bantry Bay the southern perimeter. In the center of the peninsula are two mountain ranges, the Caha Mountains and the Slive Miskish Mountains. The terrain is quite rugged and dotted with the Gulf Stream, allowing foliage and fauna unknown to the rest of Ireland to thrive in the benign air. It’s good walking territory, but bumpy and wild, and for seasoned hikers only. There is a wonderful driving route that begins in Kenmare and winds in an oval shape through Healy Pass, Castletownbere and ends in the magnificent picturesque town of Glengariff in County Cork. Castletownbere is a busy offshore fishing port and one of the side effects of this is the presence on very narrow roads of large articulated meatloaders carrying fish for export or to Dublin markets. The drivers of these incredible machines take no prisoners, they only give way when they see one! This driving route is known as the Ring of Beara and should not be missed. Both extremes are excellent stopping points. Kenmare is a jewel in Kerry’s crown; an intimate and sophisticated city, which gives off an aura of opulence. Good hotels, spas and designer boutiques abound, while the restaurant and pub scene is above average in quality. Glengariff is much smaller but even more beautiful because of it and the spectacular scenery is reminiscent of the hills surrounding 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 kilometers. It is made up of Lough Swilly to the west and Lough Foyle to the east in County Derry. There is a great variety of attractions, towns and villages on the peninsula. Buncrana (with a population of around 5,000) and Carndonagh (with a population of 2,000) are the two largest cities with other cities scattered around the perimeter, such as Moville, Newtowncunningham, and the fishing port of Greencastle. The magnificent view that is Malin Head is located at the tip of the peninsula.

There is excellent accommodation available throughout Inishowen, but the city of Derry is also a good location at the neck of the Inishowen peninsula. Golfers are served by the magnificent Ballyliffin golf courses, one of which was designed by Nick Faldo.

Cooley Peninsula

Located in northern County Louth, the Cooley Peninsula winds east from Dundalk to Greenore and returns west to Newry City via Carlingford and Omeath. The Tain Trail is a popular walking trail that incorporates locations from the famous Fionn Mc Cumhaill legends and the Brown Bull of Cooley mythology.

In between are the stunning Cooley Mountains from which there are views across Carlingford Bay to their counterparts, the Mournes, in County Down. Greenore is a very active port handling containers and open cargo, including livestock. The beautiful medieval town of Carlingford, with its narrow streets and magnificent St John’s Castle, are a compelling reason to stop for a few days and settle here. The Cooley Mountains offer excellent hiking trails and boat rentals are available at Carlingford Marina.

The accommodation is good as well as 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 it is speculated that a bridge could connect them 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, set out on the journey from Omeath through the Cooley Mountains back to Dundalk.