Tiny Bridge: This pedestrian bridge was part of the original train line coming into Dingle (the westernmost train station in all of Europe from 1891 to 1953). The train once picked up fish in Dingle; its operators boasted that the cargo would be in London markets within 24 hours. The narrow-gauge tracks ran right along the harborfront.
All the land beyond the old buildings you see today has been reclaimed from the sea. Looking inland, we find the building on the left with the slate siding (the back wall of O’Flaherty’s pub), facing the worst storms coming in from the sea. This was the typical design for 19th-century weatherproofing. The radio tower marks the sky-blue police station.
The Mall: Two stuffy red-brick pillars mark the entry to the police station. These pillars are all that remain of the 19th century British Constabulary, which afforded a kind of Green Zone for British troops when they tried to subdue the local insurgents here. It was burned down in 1922, during the Civil War; the present building dates from 1938. Today, in a small, peaceful town like Dingle, the police department is virtually unarmed.
The big white crucifix is a memorial to heroes who died in the 1916 Rising. Note that it says in the people’s language, “For honor and glory of Ireland, 1916 to 19__.” The date is unfinished until Ireland is united and free. The names listed are of local patriots who died fighting the British, and one (Thomas Ashe) who died while on a hunger strike.
This marks the site of a former Celtic holy well, a sacred spot for people here 2,000 years ago.
The Distribution center for Guinness, with its rusty, red, corrugated second floor, serves pubs throughout the peninsula with their kegs of beer.
A century ago, all these buildings were just shades of black and white. Their exteriors were originally exposed stonework. Then in the 1920s came the plaster, and in the 1970s, cheery pastels.
Main Street: Fiadh Handwoven Design Shop Fiadh (pronounced Fia) Durham creates locally inspired contemporary designs with local wool at her loom and welcomes curious visitors.
Benner’s Hotel was Dingle’s first hotel, where the old Tralee stagecoach route ended. Note the surviving Georgian façade and door.
St. James Church: Since the 13th century, a church has stood here. Today, its Anglican on Sundays and filled with great traditional music several nights a week. In 2003, a midwinter concert series sprang up at the church, featuring internationally known artists seeking an intimate venue. It became known as the “Other Voices” series and grew to become an annual event.
Traditional drinking holes – Curran’s and Foxy John’s: These pubs are throwbacks to the humble day when a single hole-in-the-wall address would do double duty: commercial shop by day, pub by night.
James Curran runs Curran’s Pub out of what was once his grandma’s general store. On the last Saturday of every month – when farm families were in town for the market – the wives would pick up their basics here, ordering butter, tea, sugar, jams and salted meat though the little window. Just about everything else they consumed was homegrown.
The same shelves grandma used for jams and socks today stock beer and whiskey. Notice the “snug” in front. Until the 1950s, women weren’t really welcome to drink in Irish pubs, but they could discreetly nurse a sherry in the “snug” while their men enjoyed the main room. The great photos all around give you a sense for the old days. Buy a beer and chat with Mr. Curran.
Foxy John’s Pub is still a working hardware store. Any time of day, you can order a bag of nails with your pint. Notice the back room; while pubs historically have had a legal “last call” at 11:30, the action would often migrate to the back room after the front door was locked.
Temperance Hall: Dating back to a 19th century church-promoted movement that attempted to cut down the consumption of alcohol. To this day Ireland has a serious alcohol problem behind the happy veneer of all this pub fun. You’ll see picked old-timers who spend every morning of their last years on the same barstool. Today the Temperance hall is a meeting place for AA groups, youth clubs, scouts, and other various social and support groups.
This small plaque marked a safe house prepared during the French Revolution for the French Queen, Marie Antoinette. But the queen refused to leave France and the safe house was never used.
Green Street: – Green Street is a reminder that 16th-century Dingle traded with Spain and was a port of embarkation for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela.
Carol Cronin Gallery – an art gallery that clearly loves the sea. Many find her seascape paintings absolutely mesmerizing.
St. Mary’s Church – is modern but old looking. The former convent behind it shows off its delightful Harry Clarke stained-glass windows – the single most important cultural sight in Dingle. Once done, wander in the backyard to check out the tranquil nuns’ cemetery, with its white-painted iron crosses huddling peacefully together under a big copper beech tree. Beyond the cemetery, a path leads to additional leafy, tranquil gardens.
Dick Mack’s Pub – another traditional pub worth a peek. This was once a tiny leather shop that expanded into a pub at night. The pub was established in 1899 by great-grandpa Mack (master of the westernmost train station in Europe), whose mission was to provide “liquid replenishment” to travelers. Today, Dick Mack retains its old leather-shop ambience. In fact it’s popular for handcrafted belts. The latest Mack, Finn, has changed the focus to whiskey – very trendy in Ireland – and is also starting up a microbrewing operation in the back lot. Finn has no menu – guests just ask him their options. Exploring the pub, you’ll see a classic snug by the window, wonderful photos of generations past, and Hollywood-style stars on the sidewalk outside that recall famous visitors.
The Harbor and the Fungie Statue: The harbor was built in 1992 on reclaimed land. The string of old stone shops facing the harbor was the loading station for the railway that hauled the fish from Dingle until 1953. Dingle’s fishing industry survives, but it’s an international endeavor. Most fishing boats that now ply these waters are Spanish, French, and Basque. Rather than going home with their catch, they offload their fish (mackerel, tuna, cod, herring, and prawns) onto trucks that lumber directly to their homelands. (European Union member countries can fish in other countries’ waters, which can leave a little country like Ireland at the mercy of other nations that have many times the people, appetite, and purchasing power).
In the old days, sailors would hang out at the Marina Inn Pub. But today they barely get off their boats. The trucks that haul their catch home return to Ireland loaded with provisions for their fisherman, a situation that does very little to bolster Dingle’s economy. But don’t be too sad for Dingle. The parking lot is often filled with tour buses, as Dingle is on the big-bus route from Killarney to Slea Head. In season, thousands stop here daily for a few hours.
Enjoy the kid-friendly scene around the bronze statue of the beloved bottlenose dolphin, Fungie (FOON-ghee), who moved into Dingle Harbor in 1983 and was a fixture for 37 years. Seeming to revel in human attention, Fungie became a local celebrity. He served as a training buddy for local swimmers, a companion to fishermen, and greeter to boats in Dingle’s bay. His gregarious personality made him the darling of the town’s tourist trade. Hardly little boat tours thrived by offering passengers a chance of seeing Fungie up close. Sadly, Fungie was last seen in October 2020. Dingle’s resident dolphin is gone, but he’s definitely not forgotten.