Days 7-8 // Dingle

dingle, ireland // a thousand threads
I grew up in a small town on the coast of Oregon that, according to family lore, my great grandfather chose to settle down in because it reminded him of home.

Technically home was County Cork — so I can’t account for the logic here — but even just looking at these pictures, Dingle makes me long for my own. Maybe it’s because in many ways, Dingle is more like my most perfect, utopian vision of home, with picturesque fishing boats in the harbor and beautiful windy beaches at the shore.

In reality, Coos Bay is perhaps a little more depressed, suffering from a downturn in shipping activity, with too many hard-working loggers and fishermen struggling to make ends meet. Though Ireland’s economy has seen its share of sadness in recent years, Dingle is a thriving town with a bounty of delicious food, beautiful sights, and one famous dolphin that keep the visitors coming back for more.

Perfect little cheese shops, bustling bars, and the nicest people — I dare say the nicest even in Ireland, where the competition is fierce — are just a few of the many things that make Dingle one of my favorite places in the world.

Maybe in another life, if I’d been the one to stow away on a ship (as my great grandfather did) and sail off to Ireland I might have chosen Dingle as the perfect place to settle down.

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WHAT TO SEE

Pax House
The best view in town and the nicest host ever. If you can, definitely stay at this beautiful B&B. And enjoy the incredible breakfast!

Out of the Blue
Fresh, delicious seafood down by the water — and they’re serious about it. As evidenced by their “no chips” policy.

The Little Cheese Shop
Every tasty cheese imaginable.

Reel Dingle Fish
Huge portions, a choice of fish, and the most ridiculously tasty fish & chips around.

Dingle’s bars at night
The town lights up at night with performances in almost every bar.

The Dingle Peninsula
Of course.

Inch Beach
Amazing.

Murphy’s Ice Cream
Murphy’s is everywhere in Ireland, but it’s based in Dingle… and with flavors like “toasted Irish oats,” it’s so so good.

Dingle Gin
Also everywhere, and awesome.

WHAT TO SKIP

Tourist traps on the Dingle Peninsula
As you head out on your drive, you’ll see some opportunities to go up and look at a series of beehive huts for something like three euros… there are more just down the way for free.

… just enjoy the beauty all around you.

dingle, ireland // a thousand threadsdingle, ireland // a thousand threads

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