Slea Head Drive

The Slea Head Drive is a 47 km loop around the western end of the Dingle Peninsula and one of the great coastal drives of Europe. From Dingle town it heads west via Ventry beach, past Dunbeg promontory fort, the beehive huts at Fahan, and out to Slea Head itself — where on a clear day the seven Blasket Islands lie in dark silhouette out to sea.

The route continues north past Dunquin pier (the famous zigzag jetty to the Blasket ferry), the Great Blasket Heritage Centre at Dún Chaoin, and the small churches at Kilmalkedar and Gallarus before turning back to Dingle. The road is narrow and signposted as one-way clockwise — follow the local convention or you will spend half the day reversing for tour coaches. Allow three hours for the loop, longer if you stop properly.

things to do sight
A story
The 1970 David Lean film *Ryan's Daughter* was shot largely along the Slea Head road; the village of Kirrary was built and dismantled on the cliffs above Dunquin and traces of its foundations are visible from the road. The shoot was so disruptive — three years, vast crews, weather delays — that Dingle's economy was essentially rebuilt around the tourism it generated afterward.

Other places in Things to Do