7 Amazing Things To Do In Dingle, Ireland In 48 Hours

Things to do in Dingle, Ireland

Spending an amazing 48 hours in Dingle was next on the plan after Kilkenny on our Ireland adventure in November. I know that the advice is mixed as to how much time to spend in Dingle. I really suggest two nights and here’s why.

While a small town, Dingle is big on personality. It’s become quite popular with tourists and for good reason. Dingle is a fun little town full of cute storefronts and even cuter pubs. There’s seafood everywhere and an abundance of great places to stay.

Lets look at a one night itinerary

So, if you just pick one day, by the time you arrive either afternoon or early evening perhaps you have time to check out pub life and hear some trad music. That can eat up your night right there.

The next day will be taken up with your Slea Head drive and trust me by the time you get back, you will only want to have a luscious seafood dinner and retreat for the night. That really won’t give you much time to explore the quaint Dingle Town. We had two nights and even that was skimpy especially considering it was November and the sun went down quite early. There is so much more to do! See what I mean by staying two nights!

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Although I like to pack in lots of things when I am traveling, my middle-aged body just can’t go like it used to. No chugging down that pint of Guinness and hurry to the next pub! Dingle is a place to savor.

Let’s take a look at my suggestions for things to do in Dingle, Ireland.

For a fabulous place to rest your weary Ireland traveling bones stay at the Castlewood House.

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My 7 amazing things to do in Dingle Ireland

1) The Slea Head drive

The 30-mile Slea Head loop along the Dingle Penninsula is a blog post in itself. I highly suggest picking up a copy of Rick Steves Ireland guide because he goes into detail about the highlights on this drive and he breaks it down to mileage points so you can’t miss anything along the way. One thing he does not cover in his guide, which I highly recommend, is stopping at Coumeenoole Beach (thank you Ireland Family Vacations). It’s a steep drive down, but very much worth it. On the November day, we were there, it was easy to park at the bottom. I would suspect that during high season, you may need to park at the top and walk down. Hearing the crashing waves soothes the soul. It’s one of the filming locations from Ryan’s Daughter and you also have a wonderful view of the Blasket Islands.

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There is an abundance of other highlights along this drive. There are two groups of Bee Hive Huts along the drive. These groups of stone structures were built into the hills as shelters of early religious settlements.

The Gallarus Oratory is a tiny stone church which is dated back 1,000 years. Amazingly this church looks as if it was built only 10 years ago. Given the harsh weather conditions of the area, the structure stands tall today and is a great shelter to get out of the wind and rain if you happen to visit during a downpour.

There are many other highlights on this drive. It’s scenic and the perfect way to spend an afternoon. Take your time!

2) Look for Fungie on a dolphin tour

You could say that Fungie, is the local Dingle celebrity. Enchanting children and adults alike, this resident dolphin has a lot of fans. There are a handful of boat tours out of Dingle to spot Fungie and other sea-dwelling animals.

3) Murphy’s Ice Cream

Dingle is home to the very famous Murphy’s Ice Cream. Even on a cold November day, a stop here is something you need to do. Open since 2000, the mission at Murphy’s is to make the best ice cream in the world. Now I’ve had some pretty famous ice cream, and I have to say, this is one of the best. All their ingredients are fresh, natural, and hand-made right here in Dingle! Yummy!! Pssst…try the Dingle Sea Salt!!! Fun fact-their sea salt is made from seawater right here in Dingle.

4) Eat some seafood

This is the west coast of Ireland for heaven’s sake. Seafood is the number one food choice. There are several places you can get the catch of the day. Our choice was a nice dinner at the seafood-only Out Of The Blue. I had delicious seafood chowder and Renee had the gluten-free fish and chips. The perfect dinner after a day driving the Slea Head Loop.

5) Dingle Distillery

Located just outside Dingle town, the Dingle Distillery started crafting its brand of whiskey in 2012. Three years and one day later their first cask was released. They have found their place within the biggest whiskey makers in Ireland. You can tour the distillery. This would make a great stop on your Slea Head Loop tour.

6) Visit a pub or two or three…

It’s no secret that the pub in Ireland is the center of social life in any town. It’s a place where families gather and have a bite to eat while the adults enjoy a Guinness or a beverage of their choice while they chat with fellow locals.  Since we had long adventure-filled days, Renee and I had a hard time staying awake much past 10 pm. We had not been in any pub long enough to listen to any traditional Irish music. On our first night in Dingle, I was determined to catch some trad music. Per suggestion from Brian, our host at Castlewood House, we stopped at John Benny’s for a bite to eat and hopefully catch some music. We walked to the pub on Strand Street from Castlewood and took our place at the mostly quiet John Benny’s at around 7 pm. We ordered our food and found out that the music was scheduled to start around 9:30. Would we make it? We were pretty tired from the drive to Dingle from Kilkenny.

We enjoyed a nice dinner of stew and dessert. We had a long wait for the music, but the owner made us feel welcome and even showed me how to pull a Guinness like a professional (not really, it was all staged for a photo op) 🙂

Soon the pub began filling up with patrons wanting to catch the night’s entertainment. It was nearly 10 pm before the music began. By this time we were both incredibly tired (Definitely can’t party as we used to), but we stayed to hear a few songs. It was great fun and I only wished we could have stayed longer! Next time I will try to take a nap in the afternoon!

7) Stop in at the Dingle Record Shop

Taking home some Irish music was high on my list of souvenirs. During our walk in Dingle, we came upon the Dingle Record Shop. Located across from Saint Mary’s Church on Green Street, this little shop is known as the tiniest and best record shop in Ireland and possibly the world. Walking in, I was amazed at how tiny this shop actually was, but don’t let its size deter you from stepping inside. Go on in and introduce yourself to Mazz and ask for recommendations for Irish music to take home. It is the place to pick up some local favorites as Mazz is big on promoting Dingle talent. If you go check out their website, you can find podcasts that feature musicians who stop by known as “Sessions From The Shop” These sessions take place right in the shop!

Check out this little video featuring Mazz and the shop

While looking around the shop, I spotted This newspaper clipping which of course piqued my interest.

So you know I had to ask. I found out that Bono was attending a wedding across the street at Saint Mary’s and stopped in to meet Mazz and check out the shop! Of course that started a whole different conversation about Bono and U2!

I purchased the suggested CD for my introduction to traditional Irish music and we said our goodbyes. What a treat that was!!

So that does it for my suggestions on things to do in Dingle, Ireland in 48 hours. As with any destination I visit, the main thing is to take some time and have a little chat with the locals. Ireland is a very easy place to do this. I’ll say it again…the people you come across in Ireland are amazing! Always helpful, friendly, and ready to have a little chat with you. To me, that is the charm of this beautiful country. Course the scenery helps too!

Dingle is a great stop along a tour of Ireland. Sure it’s no longer a secret place and you will come across many tourists, but you still can get an authentic experience!

And isn’t that what a trip to Ireland is all about anyway?

Thanks for taking the time to read my post. I’d love for you to subscribe to my blog to get my posts directly to your inbox.

xxoo

Lori

Enjoy some more pictures of Dingle!

Just some of the colorful buildings in Dingle

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