Ventry to Slea head, Dingle

• Jan van Soest
• Kerry
• Shirley Teskey
• Walking

Ventry to Slea head walk from Paudi O Shea’ pub, by  Ventry beach,  Old cattle paths,  Dingle stone walls, with Panoramic views of Dingle Bay, Skellig Islands, Iveragh Peninsula, Blasket Islands. We see Beehive huts, Clocháns, Dunbeg fort, multi coloured sheep, finishing at slea head,  with Ryans daughter memorial.

We start our Ventry to Slea head walk at Paudi O’Shea’s statue, outside his pub, and walk down the little road to the half moon shaped Ventry beach. The walk first follows the beach, then turns off through the adjacent marshlands. We continue zigzagging small country roads, before turning of onto old cattle paths between high ditches covered with wild flowers.

After a short stretch following the main road, we turn right, up the hill through fields, always just staying above one of the main Dingle stone walls which traverse the lower slopes of Mount Eagle. From this vantage point we can appreciate views of Castlemaine Harbour, and the Iveragh Peninsula, before the spectacular Dunbeg Fort comes into view below us on the outer edge of the Dingle Bay rocks. On this part of the walk we see lots of different size clocháns or stone beehive huts, built in this area in this way for thousands of years, some with larger round stone enclosures for shelter and defence.

Walking between flocks of sheep, first the Skellig, and then the Blasket – islands that evoke the essence of Kerry – come into view. We then cross the Abhainn an Ghleanna mountain stream, just below a waterfall, the same stream that cars have to ford on the main Slea Head road. We again ascend to see the full magnificent vista of the Great Blasket Island, and the other Blasket Islands, before making the descent to the parking place at Slea Head itself, overlooking Coumeenole Beach and Bay, where we complete our Ventry to Slea head walk.

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