Iveragh Peninsula
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The Iveragh Peninsula (Irish: Uíbh Ráthach) is located in County Kerry in Ireland. It is the largest peninsula in southwestern Ireland. A mountain range, the MacGillycuddy's Reeks, lies in the centre of the peninsula. Carrauntoohil, its highest mountain, is also the highest peak in Ireland.
Towns on the peninsula include Killorglin, Cahersiveen, Ballinskelligs, Portmagee, Waterville, Caherdaniel, Sneem and Kenmare.
The Ring of Kerry, a popular tourist trail, circles the coastlines as well as the Skellig Ring, beginning and ending at Killarney, just east of the peninsula.
Valentia Island lies off the northwestern tip of the peninsula. It is connected with the peninsula by a bridge at Portmagee village, but it can also be reached by ferry crossing between Renard Point on the mainland and Knightstown on the island.
The Skellig Islands lie about 12 kilometres (7.5 statute miles or 6.4 nautical miles) off the west coast and are known for their monastic buildings and bird life.
Kerry Geopark is a community initiative on the Iveragh Peninsula which aims to promote geotourism in this area of high geological importance. Some of the interest features are Kenmare Bay (a drowned river valley or ria), signs of past glaciation and volcanic activity and 400-million-year-old fossilised tetrapod tracks.
Cloghanecarhan, a ringfort with ogham stone, is a National Monument; as is Leacanabuaile, a stone ringfort (cashel).
Loher Cashel, a stone ringfort (caiseal) is located at the western edge of Iveragh.
Gaeltacht
There are five Irish speaking areas in Iveragh and collectively they are known as the Iveragh Gaeltacht. The main town is Baile an Sceilg.
The Iveragh Gaeltacht is one of the smallest of the Gaeltachts. According to the 2011 Census, there were 1,795 people living in the Iveragh Gaeltacht. Since 1956 the population has been decreasing at a rate of 41%.41% of what interval?[clarification needed] Although the population of the country as a whole and the Gaeltacht areas have increased, between 1991 & 2002 the population of Iveragh Gaeltacht decreased by 9.14%.[1]
See also
Further reading
- John Crowley and John Sheehan. The Iveragh Peninsula: A Cultural Atlas of the Ring of Kerry, 2009. Cork University Press. ISBN 978-1-85918-430-1.
Sources
References
External links
- Iveragh Peninsula guide from Frommer's
- Information about the Ring of Kerry
- Iveragh Peninsula at Birdlife International
51°53′46″N 10°01′44″W / 51.89611°N 10.02889°W
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