Euro 2025 ~The Black Valley and The Dingle Peninsula ...

Today I had another adventurous Irish outing to The Dingle Peninsula, which I got to via The Black Valley ...

Some locals joke about the Black Valley getting its name from remaining in the dark so long without electricity. It was not until 1976 that the Valley was finally connected to the National Grid, making it one of the last outposts in Ireland. The stunning valley is located at the southern tip of the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks Mountains, just south of the Gap of Dunloe and north of Moll’s Gap.

The driving here was incredibly challenging, with very narrow single track roads and only the occasional passing place. I have driven on many similar type of mountain roads in Scotland, but the Black Valley exceeds anything I have seen or done before ~ I even had a horse stubbornly block the road …

The Dingle Peninsula or in Irish Gaelic “Corca Dhuibhne”, stretches 30 miles (48Km) into the Atlantic Ocean, located just above The Ring of Kerry. The peninsula is dominated by the range of mountains that form its spine, running from the Slieve Mish range to the Conor Pass and Mount Brandon, Ireland’s second highest peak. The magnificent coastline consists of steep sea-cliffs such as Slea Head, dramatic headlands broken by sandy beaches, with the award-winning beach at Inch in the south and the tombolo of Maharees to the north.

My whole day could easily be spent in the town of Dingle, which is famed for its Hardware Pubs, where you can buy a pint and new wellies on the same receipt ~ wonderful.

My route within The Dingle Peninsula was deliberately done in a figure eight, so that I could drive the Conor Pass. The road here is a single lane mountain-pass, which twists and turns relentlessly from Brandon Bay to Dingle town. At the summit of the pass, where I touched the clouds, I was treated to stunning views of the whole peninsula and its terrain of rust-coloured mountains, sweeping green valley and lakes.

While on the peninsula, I stopped at a couple of location where in 1969, the David Lean movie Ryan’s Daughter with Robert Mitchum, John Mills, Trevor Howard and Sarah Miles was filmed.

Conor Pass, where I got to touched the clouds ...

Dingle town, where you can buy new wellies while supping on a pint. I had great Fish & Chips while listening to a donkey sing (I really love Ireland) ...

Other pictures from the Slea Head Drive on the Dingle Peninsula ...

Coumeenole Beach, where the storm scene in Ryan’s Daughter was filmed …

Some very friendly buddies ....

Tomorrow I leave my wonderful accommodation “Cnoc Sí” in Kilgarvan and beautiful County Kerry to head a little further north …