Dingle, as amended 28 May 2023

 

In celebration of Fungi - the maker of Dingle.
There is also a small bust of Charlie Haughey who apparently siphoned a lot of
support Dingle’s way (not only Dingle’s way!)

Our plan was to go for a walk from Dingle to somewhere - so we set off for Eask Tower on top of the hill on the south side of Dingle Bay and overlooking the town.  We only got a short way out of town when we were thwarted by the busy, fairly narrow road with no pavement.  We had to come back, and could not find an alternative. Dingle is geared up for eaters, drinkers and boat trips, but it is not geared up for people on foot wanting some exercise. 

We went into town for lunch and a look at the shops.

At the west edge of town is the Dingle Distillery - making whiskey, but not open
to the public due to renovation work.  We don’t know what the whiskey
is like but the buildings certainly need renovation.

Another landmark is the Dingle Union Workhouse and Hospital - now a doer-upper, this was originally opened in 1852 to give relief to the destitute.  It was a workhouse, fever hospital, school and dispensary, becoming the St Elizabeth’s Hospital in 1922 under the care of the Sisters of Mercy.  It closed in 2010 when a new hospital was built in Dingle. It will hopefully become a new project for someone before too long.

Dingle Historical Society have a number of plaques throughout the town - very useful on a slow news day.
Apparently on 24 June 1793, 14 people were killed in the area of Goat Street.
They had been demonstrating against the raising of a militia,
and the burden of tithes, rents and other exactions.

Another plaque, on a house on our route through the town, announces that one James Louis Rice, an Irish officer in the Habsburg Imperial Service, during the French Revolution, organised an escape for Queen Marie Antoinette from Paris to the house (James’s family home). However, the queen refused to leave Louis XVI and their children, and so didn’t visit this house. So there is a plaque celebrating what didn’t happen - quite Irish really. It’s a wonder every house doesn’t have a similar plaque.

The Dingle Bar - possibly the tackiest bar in Ireland.
 I suppose the Americans might like it.

Filling time in Dingle until the pubs open!

The Dingle bird list has just 27 species on it.

Our route: 
Lots of blue squiggles where the shops are.
(blue - slow, red - less slow)

So, the amendment is the addition of our visit to Dick Mack’s and a superb take away fish dinner. 

Dick Mack’s is (was) a bar on one side and shoe/boot shop on the other.  
Now it is brilliant for whiskeys, not so good for boots.


It is a honeypot for attracting Americans, and tourists, and us.  
Well worth the visit.

Two doors up is The Fish Box - a quite fantastic take away and sit-in fish restaurant - many, many of the Dick Mack’s customers, including us, were buying a take away and eating it at their tables in Dick Mack’s.  Really good food.

The take away bag, The Fishbox,
 crispy chilli monkfish, Thai prawn and monkfish curry
Highly recommended.




























































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