Dingle Town - My Favourites
Have you already checked out my blog posts about the Slea Head Drive (including Dunquin Pier and the Blasket Islands) ? You might think that’s all you should see on the Dingle Peninsula - but no no! There are also pretty nice things to do in downtown Dingle.
I love wandering around downtown Dingle and Dingle Harbour. The shops and colourful houses are beautiful and you can spend hours there. Watch the fishing boats come and go, take pictures with the statue of Fungie or get lost in as many of the amazing little shops as you can.
Fungie
As sad as the sudden disappearance of Fungie in 2020 is, he’ll always have a special place in my heart. Also known as the Dingle Dolphin, Fungie was first seen in Dingle harbour in 1983 and continued to seek out human contact for years. He was known to be very playful.
I can still remember seeing him for the first time in the early 1990s. I still have a small toy dolphin that Maura, a friend of my mother’s, gave me as a present back then. I took it with me everywhere and it had it’s own little box, so nothing would happen to it. I always wanted to go back to the harbour, where (from my memories) Fungie could be seen swimming around even more playful than today. My Dad and I used to watch him from the surrounding cliffs. Already as a child I felt deeply connected to him and dolphins in general. He probably is the reason I’ve always been so dolphin-addicted.
Dingle Sea Safari
This is fun! The Dingle Sea Safari cruise takes you all around Dingle Bay, Slea Head Drive (a completely different experience compared to driving it), Great Blasket Island and the other islands like Inishvickillane and Inishnabro. You can watch the seals of Great Blasket Island, the puffins flying around and might even see some dolphins (or if you’re really lucky, whales). The tour guide has all the (local) information and it’s great fun. Wrap up warm if you’re heading out as it can be pretty cold out at the sea. They will provide you with warm jackets, safety vests etc. though but a warm hat or scarf might be a good idea.
You can find Peer’s video about it >> here << .
Pubs
You wouldn’t want to miss them wherever you are, would you? Pubs are a fantastic place to feel that Irish magic when it comes to people. It’s the perfect place to connect with locals or other travellers and it’s true that pubs are usually the social center of every village or town. Try some of the delicious traditional Irish food on the menu (ask for veggie/vegan options, the staff usually are very helpful), enjoy a cup of tea and/or a pint of the Black Stuff. I love a good cider and many pubs even serve gluten free beer. If you’re lucky (especially in the summer months), you’ll find a pub with live music - enjoy the craic!
If you’re staying in Dingle, you’re really lucky as this little gorgeous town has A LOT of pubs! We heard there are about 40 pubs there and although we didn’t count them, we don’t doubt it. The quality of the Irish live music is outstanding and if there’s one thing you should definitely do when you’re in Dingle - that’s it! We can’t describe it properly as it has to be experienced but the happy atmosphere, music and crowd coming together is simply amazing and one of the best things about Ireland.
Dick Mack’s Pub - Being probably one of the most famous pubs in Dingle, Dick Mack’s Pub is the place to be for a fine whiskey or a pint of the good stuff. The pub itself is very traditional and beautiful and it’s the perfect place to experience a unique Irish pub.
Food
Dingle has some great local foods. I’ll just name a few personal recommendations (all of them unpaid ads), but I’ll keep this blog post up to date and add new places from time to time.
Talking great local foods - if you’re in Dingle in October, you don’t want to miss this. Trust us. It takes place in October every year (before C) and is organised by a group of local people on a non profit making basis. Highlights are cookery demonstrations, over 50 market stalls, workshops, street entertainment, tastings and some good craic.
What I absolutely love: they are aiming to make the food festival waste free by 2020. I was already amazed by their actions in 2019 and can’t wait for this year’s festival to begin.
Not only was Dingle Original Gin awarded World’s Best Gin in 2019, but the folks at Dingle Distillery can be really proud about what they’ve achieved over the past years. They produce gin and vodka and we highly recommend booking a tour through the Distillery. (The tours are currently not wheelchair accessible.)
For all of you who are not used to licenses (for selling alcohol) in Ireland: as of our experience in 2019, the distillery itself doesn’t sell any Gin or Vodka but several supermarkets and shops in Dingle and around have Dingle Original Gin on stock (e.g. Garvey’s SuperValu in Dingle). This might change in the future but as I’ve heard visitors complain about it, but I just wanted to add this information for you.
Murphy’s Ice Cream
You’re going to find the shops in seconds: the distinctive blue colour pops right into your eyes. The shops are found throughout Ireland, including Dingle (handmade here), and the flavours are incredible (I love raspberry and mango). And yes, they have a Dingle Gin Flavour.
Bean in Dingle
A lovely litte family run coffee shop. They not only have outstanding coffee but also serve a variety of drinks and locally produced artisan foods.
My Boy Blue
A beautiful café serving a huge variety of yummy looking breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes. They also serve the popular 3FE coffee. Ask for veggie, vegan or gluten free options.
Bácús Bakery Dingle
One of the places where I wish I wasn’t coeliacs, honestly. Look at their instagram feed - those sourdough breads! They produce a range of traditional Irish and European breads from scratch and you’ll also find something for the sweet tooth.
Kingdom Food Tours - Dingle Food Tour
Some time ago I stumbled over @kingdomfoodtours on instagram. I haven’t tried one of the tours yet but it sounds amazing. So I had to add it in case you’re visiting Dingle sometime soon and love food.
Enjoy Dingle!
Etta
