We were up early this morning and somehow managed to get everything packed back into the car. After a week in one place, that was an accomplishment in itself!
Before leaving, we put out some extra food and treats for our little kitty and said our goodbyes to the sweet boy. ❤️ We’re definitely going to miss seeing him outside the cottage every day.
Then it was time to say goodbye to Ballinskelligs and hit the road for Dingle.
First on our list was Kells Bay Gardens, and what a great stop!
The gardens overlook Dingle Bay and have actually been around in one form or another since the 1800s. The property was purchased by the Blennerhassett family in 1837, and the walled garden dates back to the 1870s. Today it’s filled with unusual plants from places like Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America—which explains why parts of it look more like a tropical rainforest than Ireland.
One of the coolest areas is called the Primeval Forest, and that name fits it perfectly. Hundreds of giant tree ferns grew from spores scattered by one original “Mother” tree fern, eventually creating what is now considered the largest tree-fern forest in the Northern Hemisphere.
We spent about an hour meandering along the trails through huge ferns, palms, flowers, bamboo and waterfalls.
And then there were the dinosaurs.
Yup. Dinosaurs.
You’re walking through this lush, prehistoric-looking forest and suddenly there are dinosaurs hiding among the plants—including a pterodactyl hanging out over one of the ponds. Think Jurassic Park, Irish style.
Who knew we were going to get a botany and dinosaur lesson on our way to Dingle?
Well… I WILL have pictures to prove it if I can ever get them to load on the blog!
I’m trying!!
Kells Bay was definitely a great stop and one we’re glad we made.
Next up was Inch Beach.
What a beautiful spot.
Despite the name, Inch Beach—or Inch Strand—is definitely NOT an inch long. It stretches for miles along Dingle Bay, with this huge expanse of sand surrounded by mountains and beautiful views in just about every direction.
And here’s something we’re definitely not used to at home—you can drive your car right onto the beach.
So, of course, we did.
There were cars parked right on the sand, people walking along the beach and surfers out in the Atlantic. Inch is a popular surfing spot, and looking at those waves, you can certainly see why.
The scenery here has also made it onto the big screen. Parts of the 1970 movie Ryan’s Daughter were filmed around Inch and the Dingle Peninsula.
But forget the movies. Forget the surfers. Forget the mountains.
The highlight for me?
There was a cat.
This little kitty was strolling around like he owned the entire beach.
And maybe he does.
King of Inch Beach!
After our quick stop at the beach, we continued toward Dingle.
The farther we drove onto the Dingle Peninsula, the more we realized how much history is packed into this relatively small area. People have been living on the peninsula for around 6,000 years, and there are ancient stone structures and archaeological sites scattered all over it.
Dingle itself is a colorful little harbor town full of shops, restaurants and, naturally, pubs. Fishing has long been an important part of life here, and the harbor is still very much a working harbor.
We found our hotel and were able to check in, although we had to leave the car parked around the block.
The luggage could wait.
We had exploring to do.
And possibly an Irish coffee to find.
You know… to warm our bones.
It really wasn’t that cold, but we needed an excuse.
Our first stop was Dick Mack’s, and this place turned out to be much more than just another Irish pub.
Dick Mack’s has been serving drinks since 1899, and the same family still owns it. The really quirky part is that it’s both a pub AND a leather shop.
Beer and whiskey on one side.
Leather goods on the other.
Apparently the original owner, Tom Mac Donnell, was the stationmaster at Dingle’s old light railway station. He noticed people leaving town carrying all kinds of supplies and decided there might be a business opportunity. So he opened a bar and shop selling beer, whiskey and leather goods and even offered shoemaking.
More than 125 years later, you can still get a drink and a leather belt in the same place.
The original pub is tiny, with little rooms and snugs, but there’s now a large beer garden and brewhouse out back.
Unfortunately for us, there was no Irish coffee.
So we were forced to drink whiskey.
Imagine that.
After our beverages, we wandered around town, checked out some shops and picked up a few goodies before heading toward the harbor to visit probably the most famous resident Dingle has ever had.
And he wasn’t even human.
Fungie the Dolphin.
Fungie was a wild bottlenose dolphin who showed up at the mouth of Dingle Harbour in the early 1980s and then simply… stayed.
For almost four decades!
He became famous for swimming alongside the local boats and interacting with visitors. People eventually started coming to Dingle specifically to see him, and Fungie became such a part of the town that an entire dolphin-watching industry grew up around him.
In October 2020, Fungie suddenly disappeared. Searches were carried out, but he was never found. After nearly 40 years of seeing him regularly in the harbor, his disappearance was a huge loss to the town.
His statue still sits near the harbor, so naturally we had to stop and get a picture with him.
By this point…
Hmm.
Thirsty again.
And since we feel it’s our responsibility as visitors to support the local economy, we stopped at James Long Pub for another cocktail.
We’re very generous that way.
A couple more pints and whiskeys later—yes, we’re noticing a theme here too—it was time for dinner at Out of the Blue.
And we couldn’t have picked a more appropriate restaurant for our night in Dingle.
Out of the Blue started in 2001 as a little fresh-fish and seafood shop right on the harbor. It’s still completely devoted to seafood, and their menu changes according to whatever has been caught that day.
In fact, their philosophy is pretty simple:
If the fishermen don’t bring in fish that’s good enough, they don’t open.
No frozen backup plan. No meat dishes. Just fresh seafood.
The fish is landed practically across the street from the restaurant, which probably explains why everything tasted so good.
And our meals were fantastic. The seafood was delicious, everyone was happy, and by the time dinner was over we were more than ready to call it a night.
We found the car, managed to get a parking space closer to the hotel, retrieved our luggage and finally settled in.
Well… Kelly and I settled in.
Apparently the boys weren’t quite finished yet.
They decided they needed a nightcap and headed to the pub next door while Kelly and I stayed back at the hotel.
Now, Johnny has been wearing his Dutton Ranch hat on this trip. Somewhere along the way that evening, the boys managed to convince some of the locals that Johnny had actually worked as a stuntman on a few episodes of Yellowstone.
And apparently they bought it.
Before long, our very own Dutton Ranch stuntman was posing for pictures with his newfound fans.
The paparazzi were everywhere!
Hey, we’re in Ireland—a country filled with stories, legends and mythical creatures.
What’s one more?
I’m not sure what was in those nightcaps, but clearly the boys enjoyed themselves.
Tomorrow we’re leaving Dingle and heading somewhere I’ve really been looking forward to.
We’re staying in a castle! 🏰
Time to get some rack time.
See you down the road!
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