Ards Peninsula
Located in County Down, the Ards Peninsula creates a beautiful vista with Strangford Lough shaping an almost semi-circular peninsula looking out at the Irish Sea. It is without doubt the most unusual shaped peninsula on the island of Ireland, most of whom are more sharply fjord-like defined. The Ards Peninsula is well populated with busy town of Newtownards to the north of it being the largest settlement. Portaferry is a lovely village to the south where there is a car ferry to allow you cross to the County Down mainland. Another very attractive village located there is Portavogie and the peninsula is a good base for sea fishing in the Irish Sea and the Strangford Lough itself. Newtownards has a wide variety of accommodation whilst further south hotel accommodation is lacking but more than compensated by the many guesthouse and B&Bs that provide a warm welcome and give the visitor. Sights to see include Grey Abbey, which is the ruins of an old 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 visited peninsula in Ireland, the Dingle Peninsula is located in the heartland of tourism in Ireland, County Kerry. There so many attractions on this stretch of coastline that they merit a book in its own right. Foremost is the beautiful town of Dingle, a town of about 2,000 people that swells to about two million, it appears, in the summer months. The town offers so many attractions and is a perfect base for exploration of the general Kerry area. Lively pubs, a welter of accommodation from hostels to the five-star Dingle Skelligs Hotel, a vast range of restaurants to rival Kinsale in neighbouring Cork as gourmet capital of Ireland make Dingle a compulsory stop on any holiday in the area.
One of the driving highlights of the Dingle Peninsula is negotiating the Conor Pass, the highest mountain pass in Ireland, across the top of Mount Brandon at almost 1,000 metres. On a good ay the views are stunning although good days are hard to come by as fog at the peak is a frequent occurrence. Off the coast lie the Blasket Islands (see our Islands of Ireland section). The Dingle Peninsula is perfect for walking, hiking, climbing, fishing, golfing, sailing – you name it and it will be probably in existence on the Dingle Peninsula.
There are some really quaint character villages on the Dingle Peninsula. Ventry is the home of famous footballer Paidi O’Se whose Ventry Inn pub is a must see. Inch, with its vast strand, was the location of the film Ryan’s Daughter, whilst Annascaul, Ballyferriter and Ballydavid offer stunning vistas and traditional pubs and shops from a bygone era. One of the great drives in Ireland, the Dingle Peninsula will leave you with only one desire – to return.
The Beara Peninsula
The Beara Peninsula lies in the South West of Ireland, to the south of the Dingle Peninsula. Part of the land mass lies in County Kerry and the other larger part in County Cork. Kenmare Bay creates the northern boundary and Bantry Bay the southern perimeter. Down the centre of the peninsula lie two mountain ranges, the Caha Mountains and the Slive Miskish Mountains. The terrain is quite rough and scattered with the Gulf Stream enabling foliage and fauna unknown in the rest of Ireland to thrive in the benign air. It is good walking territory but rutted and wild and for seasoned trekkers only. There is a wonderful driving route through it that starts in Kenmare and winds its way around in an oval shape through the Healy Pass, Castletownbere and ending in the magnificent scenic town of Glengariff in County Cork. Castletownbere is a busy deep sea fishing port and of the side effects of this is the presence on very narrow roads of large articulated fridges taking fish for export or the Dublin markets. The drivers of these awesome machines don’t take prisoners- just give way when you see one! This driving route is known as the Ring of Beara and not be missed. Both ends of it are great stopping points. Kenmare is a jewel in the Kerry crown; a sophisticated intimate town, giving off an aura of opulence. Fine hotels, spas and designer boutiques abound, whilst the restaurant and pub scene are above average in quality. Glengariff is much smaller but all the more beautiful for it and the spectacular landscape reminds one 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 beguiling.
Inishowen Peninsula
The Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal is the largest peninsula by land mass in Ireland at 884 square kilometres. It is formed by Lough Swilly to the west and Lough Foyle to the east in County Derry. There is a vast variety of attractions, towns and villages in the peninsula. Buncrana (population about 5,000) and Carndonagh(population 2,000) are the two largest towns with other towns dotted around the perimeter such as Moville, Newtowncunningham and the fishing port of Greencastle. The magnificent vista that is Malin Head is at the tip of the peninsula.
There is excellent accommodation available all across Inishowen but Derry City is also a good location at the neck of Inishowen Peninsula. Golfers are catered by the magnificent links courses at Ballyliffin, one of which was designed by Nick Faldo.
Cooley Peninsula
Located in North County Louth, the Cooley Peninsula winds its way east from Dundalk to Greenore and back west to Newry City via Carlingford and Omeath. The Tain Trail is a popular walking trail that incorporates locations from the famous legends of Fionn Mc Cumhaill 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 busy port handling container and open cargo including livestock. The beautiful medieval heritage village of Carlingford, with its narrow streets and the magnificent St John’s Castle are a compelling reason to stop a few days and base yourself here. The Cooley Mountains provide great walking and hiking trails and at Carlingford Marina, boat hire is available.
Accommodation is good as well as the many guesthouses that are available. Omeath is a small village on the road to Newry with access to Carlingford Lough. Passenger ferries run to Warrenpoint on the north side of the lough and there is speculation that a bridge may connect the two in the future. Greenore Golf Club and Ballymacscanlon Hotel and Golf Club provide excellent opportunities to hit the small white ball and there are a number of equestrian centres in the peninsula area. Most of the views are quite stunning and the area is dubbed “Killarney of the North”. For a spectacular drive, take the journey from Omeath across the Cooley Mountains back to Dundalk.