Castlegregory...

Castlegregory is located on the northern half of the Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry, half way between Tralee and Dingle. The town gets it name from the local castle that was built by Gregory Hoare, but the castle has not survived to today.

The Castlegregory has lots of opportunities for walking. Glanteenassig is a 450 hectare area of woodland, mountain, lake and peatland makes a great area for walking. In September is held the Castlegregory Walking Festival. It offers an opportunity to explore this most beautiful of areas on foot, in the company of experienced guides.

Other festivals include the Castlegregory Summer Festival, a family orientated festival which is one of the oldest in the country. On the 15th of August Pattern Day takes place where it is custom to eat traditional mutton pie washed down by lots of Guinness. Féile Lúnasa in nearby Brandon takes place at the end of July

On your Kerry tour you will have lots of opportunities to listen to Irish music. During the summer months the town is buzzing with traditional Irish music streaming out of pubs. The is also a wide variety of places to eat from pubs to cafés and restaurants, with seafood a speciality.

 

 

Castlegregory has a wide range of quality accommodation to suit all budgets, ranging from hotels and bed & breakfasts to hostels and self catering accommodation. Castlegregory has a nice variety of pubs which are well worth a visit on a warm summers evening or a cold winters one!.

For diners there are a selection of restaurants

The Maharees is a tombolo; an island connected to the mainland by a land bridge. Famous for its beaches, the longest beach in Ireland over 12 miles in length is to be found here. To the north of the Maharees lie the Magharee Islands. The largest of these islands has the remnants of a monastic settlement thought to have been founded by St. Senan. The monastic site is thought to be 7th century AD in date. You can take a boat out to the islands from Scraggane Pier, these boats also offer angling trips. For boating enthusiasts at nearby Fenit is a marina and sheltered harbour. Local regattas are held on the peninsula, beginning with Maharees Regatta in early July. Currach racing takes place each Sunday during the summer and currach rowing can be seen in Scraggane Bay on most summer evenings.

The Maharees offer shelter from the rough Athlantic, so its ideal for diving with a dive school in the area. On the other side of the Maharees is open to the Atlantic and often has ideal conditions for surfing and windsurfing, indeed world surfing championships have been held here. There are two watersports schools in the area and you can avail of lessons and equipment hire for kitesurfing. At the base of the Magarees is a nine hole golf links, or there is pony trekking on the beaches. The Magarees are dotted with campgrounds and caravan parks, there are also B&Bs and self-catering cottages in the area, and a hostel.

On the shores of Lough Gill and along the Maharees lives the Natterjack toad which are rare in Ireland and have a distinctive mating call. On a fine summer night, the natterjack can be heard for miles.

If you are interested in finding out more about the history of the area, visit the standing stones at Aughacasla and Ceannduimhche, the old fort of Cú Raoi Mac Daire on Caherconree mountain, or St Brendan's oratory on Brandon mountain.