A Day in Dingle and Kenmare: And No, I Didn’t See “Fungie”

When I studied abroad in Galway, Ireland about four years ago, my parents came over to visit me for a week. During that time they rented a car so that we could travel around a bit. My mom really wanted to go to Dingle, so we planned a weekend trip from Galway to the Cliffs of Moher (since my parents hadn’t been), down to Dingle for a night, then to to Killarney with a stop in Kenmare, and then through Limerick back to Galway. This was a 3 day trip, but I am going to spare you from the first day which was essentially just visiting the cliffs which I wrote about when I visited with friends. From there we stopped for lunch in Doolin and then traveled to Dingle, but by the time we got there it was late. Well, maybe not late, but the sun had set, so all we could do was check into our B&B before going to the only pub nearby for dinner where it was so obvious that we weren’t from around there, but at least the food was amazing. See, that didn’t need to be a post. Now lets pick this up the next day when we actually got to see Dingle town.

This weekend trip is when I learned how much I had grown while being in Ireland, even though I had only been there for a couple months. I got so used to living with friends and doing stuff with them all the time. That is not something I had in high school or even my first year of college due to Covid. I finally was somewhere that I thrived and belonged. Throwing my parents into that mix was an adjustment. Suddenly I know longer felt like someone who lived there, but a tourist. My parents give me grief about not wanting to be a tourist because they are totally ok with appearing as tourists, but what they didn’t understand is how right that felt for me to not be a tourist here. Yeah, I was exploring Ireland as much as I could while I was there, but I was doing it completely open minded. I wanted to experience the real Ireland, not the one that we have in our heads as Americans, so that is why the tourist mindset was tough for me. I had gotten so used to what Ireland had become for me as a college student in Galway that I struggled with being a tourist with them. That is why I got so embarrassed that first morning at the B&B when my parents engaged in a talk about American politics with some Irish men at breakfast.

One of the things they tell you when you are studying abroad in Ireland is that people will be interested in talking about American politics with you, but you don’t have to talk to them about it. I tried telling my parents that, but they said they were more than ok talking about it because they were interested. Alright I guess.

We then spent the morning exploring Dingle. As it turns out there is not a whole lot to do in Dingle other than go to a pub to get something to eat. We tried to follow what Rick Steves said to do in my Ireland guidebook, but the rain made it pretty miserable. I am a bit bummed with how the weather turned out in Dingle because it is supposed to be this happy little seaside town, but I suppose the downside of being a seaside town is being victim to sea’s weather changes. We tried out best to endure as we did go into a few shops and I got my picture next to the Flannery’s Seafood Bar per my mom’s request since she did give me the middle name Flannery. The thing I really wanted to do was to see the dolphin that lived around Dingle, Fungie, but sadly he disappeared the year before and hasn’t been seen since. I had to settle with getting my picture taken with the statue in his honor.

Eventually we walked what could have been the entirety of the small town and we were freezing so we stopped in somewhere for an Irish coffee. Is it really to early too drink when you are on holiday? Actually holiday or not, I have had Irish coffees before noon.

Then we were back on the road and on our way towards Killarney. It was only about an hours drive from Dingle to Killarney, so it was about lunch time. We parked the car and waslked to the nice restaurant we had picked out for lunch. I am sorry to say, but I had a salad there. See what I mean about not being a tourist? While my parents were trying all these Irish foods (which I already have tried), I was trying to make healthy habits abroad with a Caesar salad.

That afternoon we made the decision to get back in the car to check out a nearby town called Kenmare, which I think was the best thing we could have ever made. I loved Kenmare. It instantly felt like what I imagined Halloween in Ireland to be like (excuse me I mean Samhain). The green and rocky hills and blue windy sea had been replaced with a dark sky and earth-toned buildings. Don’t get me wrong, it was still cute and Irish, but it was definitely a different side of Ireland, maybe the more spooky and magical side.

We were now officially in the Ring of Kerry which is a popular route through southern to Kerry to see some of Ireland’s top sights and most breathtaking views. Kenmare is one of the recommend stops on this route. Here we saw the Kenmare Stone Circle. I think this is what made my parents want to make the stop. This is one of the biggest stone circles in the area. Stone Circles trace back to Ireland’s pagan and Celtic roots. They were used for ceremonial practices during special holidays. Today they make great tourist attractions for those wanting to connect with Ireland’s old culture and traditions. Maybe that is why Kenmare felt more magical. Maybe there are fairies?

We walked around the town as well. It was a small town so there was mostly the main street where we peeked through the windows into pubs and stopped into some gift shops. We had parked across this main street next to a church and this was basically downtown. After we walked through these streets we headed all the way down to the right where we could walk through a park and see what we could find.

The thing I loved most about the town was the nature. It was one of the most beautiful walks I have been on in Ireland. It didn’t even seem like fall when you got off the beaten path and explore the parks. It was so green and the rain just added that much more of an effect to the magical feeling. One of the things we saw on the walk that I fell in love with was Cromwell’s Bridge. Knowing what I know now I wish I didn’t let myself fall in love with it. At this time I was taking Irish history classes and discovered who Oliver Cromwell was. I never thought much of the name Cromwell. There is even a town named Cromwell near me back home in Minnesota. Now all I feel is disdain when I here the name Cromwell. Lets just say he wasn’t a good guy in Irish history. It is thought that the bridge’s name is actually a translation of the Irish word for mustache but was interpreted to be named after thee Cromwell, so I can justify liking it with this logic whether that is true or not. It really is pretty being in the middle of the woods located over a little creek though.

It was really raining so we decided our time in Kenmare was up and it was time to head back to Killarney for the evening. This I will tell you about this in another post where I can also tell you about Killarney National Park too! If you need some more Ireland content before then, please check out my Irish page!