Summary

The author passionately describes their love for the Irish village of Dingle, detailing their multiple visits and the culinary delights experienced there, despite challenging weather during one trip.

Abstract

The article "The A to Z of My Favourite Travel Destinations" features Dingle as a standout location among the author's preferred 'D' destinations in Ireland. The author has visited Dingle three times, each time enjoying the local hospitality and food, particularly at the Half Door Restaurant. Despite a harrowing third visit marked by gale-force winds and heavy rain, the author's fondness for Dingle remains strong, citing the friendly locals, rich history, and exceptional cuisine as reasons for its enduring appeal. The piece includes personal anecdotes, photographs, and recommendations, painting a vivid picture of Dingle's charm and the memorable experiences it offers.

Opinions

The author has a clear affection for Dingle, considering it their favorite Irish village.
The Half Door Restaurant is highly recommended, with the author having dined there on each visit to Dingle.
The weather in Dingle can be extreme, yet it does not deter the author's enthusiasm for the village.
The author values the combination of beautiful scenery, friendly locals, and excellent food as key factors in their travel experiences.
The article suggests that Dingle's beehive huts are a fascinating historical attraction worth visiting.
The author appreciates the helpfulness of the local tourist bureau and the overall welcoming nature of the Irish people.
Despite the inclement weather, the author found the experience of visiting Dingle during a music festival and enjoying a three-course meal at a reasonable price to be a highlight.
The author implies that Dingle is a must-visit location in Ireland, even advising that poor weather should not discourage potential travelers.

TRAVEL ALPHABET

The A to Z of My Favourite Travel Destinations

D is for Dublin, Derry, Downhill Demesne and my favourite Irish village, Dingle

Dingle in summer. It’s not like this in autumn. Photo from Wikipedia

I didn’t have any trouble choosing places I loved that started with A, B or C but when I arrived at D, I admit I was stumped. Sam Millichap had written about the Daintree forest, so that was out, and all I could think of was Denmark. It wasn’t until Anne Bonfert suggested opening googlemaps and looking at all the places I had visited to find one I loved starting with D. I looked and looked for an hour. It wasn’t until I “flew” over Ireland that I found not one, but four!

One of them was my favourite Irish village, Dingle. I’ve written about my second trip to Dingle. Believe it or not — I’ve visited Dingle three times and eaten at the Half-Door Restaurant three times too! The first time was with my sister and niece, the second trip was with my sister and niece again plus my brother-in-law, my nephew and my youngest daughter, Keeley. We stayed in the same B&B as our first trip 5 years previously.

Emlagh Lodge on Dingle Bay Photo by author

The view from our B&B Photo by Keeley Schroder

The view across Dingle Bay from Emlagh Lodge photo by Keeley Schroder

After my second trip to Dingle, I decided it was my favourite Irish village with a beautiful ocean view, friendly locals, brilliant food and interesting history or should I say pre-history — those beehive huts were fascinating.

One of the beehive huts 10,000 years old Photo by Kiryn Taylor

But my third trip was a nightmare!

After precariously clinging to the cliffs along the Wild Atlantic Way, we drove our campervan into the little fishing village of Dingle, and were greeted by gale-force winds and sheets of horizontal rain. We parked in the harbour car park and went in search of lunch. My friend had a hankering for an Irish stew, which he located at Murphy’s Pub. I ordered the scrumptious seafood chowder washed down with a pint of Bulmers cider.

On the way back to the van, we called into the tourist bureau just as it was shutting up for the day. No one in his right mind would be visiting Dingle on a day like today (except us!) Actually, there was another Australian family from Tasmania having lunch in the pub. The lady in the information centre was extremely helpful, as people have been all over Ireland, and told us not only was the Half Door Restaurant open tonight but gave us the phone number, as well as several other recommendations in case the Half Door was booked out. Unbelievably, there was a music festival in town tonight, so the restaurants would all be busy.

I rang and booked an early bird sitting as I knew this was a half-price deal. We drove around the village looking for a spot to spend the night. We spotted a couple of likely spots only to see signs that read ”no overnight parking” so figured we weren’t the only ones who thought they were good spots! Eventually, we found a spot with a lovely view overlooking Dingle Bay and settled down for an afternoon siesta.

The campervan was being knocked around the wind and I secretly wondered if the van could stand up to such a beating. I watched a steel pole bend in the wind, so we decided to look for a more protected spot. I breathed a huge sigh of relief!

We parked in a large carpark behind the pub, across the road from the Half Door Restaurant, and right beside another larger motorhome which we hoped would offer some protection.

We walked across the road for dinner at 5.30 pm. I should say we were blown across, arriving a little wet and bedraggled, but hungry. €30.95 for a three-course banquet! The price has only increased by €1 in 4 years! I swear the menu is identical though! If you do something well, don’t change it, I suppose, and they do dinner extremely well.

I ordered the gratinated mushrooms in brandy sauce for entrée while my friend had the lobster bisque. For mains, I couldn’t go past the salmon while he ordered a pork belly dish. Dessert was the most difficult choice. I loved everything! Tiramisu, pannacotta, bread and butter pudding, pavlova with berries, baileys cheesecake, or Irish coffee to name a few of my favourites. I chose pannacotta with an orange sauce. Good choice! My friend chose tiramisu, which was homemade and very tasty too. We decided to make this a celebratory dinner (celebrating us just getting here!) and ordered a bottle of Italian Pinot Grigio. My friend had one glass and I enjoyed the rest. I did not leave one precious drop!

Back in our cosy camper, we were in bed and asleep by 8 pm. We woke at 2 am, and decided to get going. Dingle wasn’t going to be much fun in this sort of weather. The wind has died down but it was still raining cats and dogs!

I have only one photo of this third visit to Dingle and that is the lunch at Murphy’s Pub!

Why is Dingle still my favourite Irish village? Two reasons — the friendliness of the people and the deliciousness of the food. If you've visited Ireland and haven't been to Dingle, you've missed out on a wonderful experience, even if the weather is shite, as the Irish say!