Dingle Way

The Dingle Way begins and ends near the Kerry County Museum in Tralee. We begin then, going towards Princes Street and then continuing by turning immediately left through Princes Quay. At this point follow the track immediately to the right for 2km to Blennerville, reaching a bridge on the opposite side of the mill. Now continue across the canal and into the small town. The road then follows the main N86 road in the direction of Dingle for a short distance, and then, after crossing the canal, turns the second left and begins to climb along side roads on the flanks of the Slieve Mish mountain range. Once you travel approximately 3 km from this point, you arrive in Tonavane, pass through sometimes swampy areas and also the entrances to many valleys. Then you go down a stone path and again along a valley, cross the Finglas River, and make a short uphill stretch until you meet a road. At this point turn right and continue for about 1 km to Camp.

Returning to the Finglas Crossing Trail, the path continues straight for about 2 km up the valley to an elevation of 235 m, having crossed a saddle between the peaks of Corrin and Knockbrack. Now continue on passing between the mountainous ridge of Moanlaur and Knockmore and on the other side the main Tralee-Dingle road and start downhill again to a small conifer plantation. The Dingle Way continues following this road until it crosses the Emlagh River, after which it comes out on a gently sloping rough path. The trail then starts climbing again behind a row of houses and proceeds inland on small roads and through a field. The last 2 km of this stage will finally lead directly to the town of Annascaul.

You start from Annascaul and begin by skirting the Tralee-Dingle road for a short distance until you come to a side road, which you follow for a little more than 4 km until you reach sea level, next to the ruins of Minard Castle. Leaving this wonderful beach, we continue along a steep and narrow slope, continuing to follow the trail for about 6 km. Special attention should be paid to the map and directions in this part of the trail, as more than a few people get confused with the road signs for the Tom Crean Trail. You then cross the main N86 road and head north in the direction of Croaghskearda Mountain. Continuing for about 2 km you have to cross farmland and climb the mountain slopes. After traveling a few kilometers, you will come to the Garfinny River, where you must cross the bridge that spans it to head toward the town of Dingle. The trail now crosses the famous paved road through Conor’s Pass, heading north and continues downhill for 4 km until it reaches the destination of this day.

It begins by heading west along the harbor and crossing the bridge over the Milltown River. At this point you have to follow the main road for one kilometer and then take a secondary road, which you have to follow for about 3 km. We then join the “Pilgrims Route for a few hundred meters before turning off the road for 1.5 km and continuing in a northwesterly direction. At this point the trail passes a saddle at Mám an Óraigh. and then descends to a side road in the direction of Ventry. Then you cross a beach, walking on sand for about 2.5 km, then return to the harder terrain and continue along secondary roads and tracks for another 2 km. Continue along the detour that follows the “Slea Head Road” for just over 1 km and later return to the Dingle Way trail via a right turn. Then, for another 7 kilometers you follow the trail until you return to the main road for the last few kilometers and arrive in Dunquin.

This stage begins uphill to the north and soon turns into a gravel path, which after bypassing the village of An Ghráig descends and rejoins the main road. Then the Dingle Way crosses some grasslands and passes Clogher Beach, then skirts some breathtaking cliffs. Resuming the paved road to the northeast, you come to a T-junction, where you turn right and then immediately left to climb the east side of the golf course. At this point you cross Smerwick Harbor and travel about 6 km of beach until you reach Murreagh and Ballydavid. After passing Ballydavid you continue for 3 km along the cliffs and then, after passing through the Feohangh area you find yourself on back roads through a landscape dominated by mountains and cliffs.

Starting at Feohanagh, the path soon leaves the paved road and heads along an ancient trail that points in the direction of Cnoc na mBristi. We then continue along a strenuous ascent to Mount Brandon, at the peak of which an ancient rock with a cross can be found. When facing the descent from this mountain, it is wise to pay attention to the ground conditions, which could be extremely dangerous after heavy rains, given the high gradient and friability of the terrain. For this reason, it is recommended to use trekking poles for the descent. Next we leave the trail for a dirt road, which continues downhill, but along a less steep and more gradual descent of about 4 km towards the valley. After the descent you can walk a wonderful loop to Brandon Village, then leave the town’s dock and head southwest for a little more than 4 miles to Cloghane.

The walk resumes from Cloghane via a quiet road that heads inland, skirting Drom Hill and offering the chance to enjoy breathtaking views all around. It then continues for about 3.5 km before passing the towns of Drom and Farrendalouge and arriving in Fermoyle. Then the trail comes to the longest beach in Ireland (11 km) and continues on the sand for most of its course. This leads to the small town of Fahamore, from which the trail resumes and descends along another stretch of beach about 2.5 km. The very last part of the stage is on a paved road, taking walkers to Castelgregory, the day’s destination.

This last leg of the Dingle Way begins by heading southeast through a flat, marshy area, but after about 3.5 km the trail joins the main road from Camp to Castlegregoty for 200 meters. Once off the main road, the path returns along the coast, allowing walkers to travel 7 km by the sea. In high tide situations, sometimes some parts of the beach are not passable, so a small detour along the cliff tops will have to be undertaken. After passing Camp Village, the trail comes off the beach and crosses the “Tralee – Dingle Road,” heading toward the lower slopes of the Slieve Mish chain. We then continue along the route already taken on the first leg, but in the opposite direction, for about 9 km, until we reach a quiet back road, which then reaches the larger Dingle Road. Once through Blennerville we continue along the last few miles of the Dingle Way, which follow the canal to downtown Tralee.