The Dingle Peninsula’s Wild Atlantic Way
“We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch, we are going back from whence we came.” -John F. Kennedy
A Place Where Rugged Rules
At the very edge of Europe, the newest odyssey, the Wild Atlantic Way, extends for 1,600 miles along Ireland’s western seaboard. It is the world’s longest, most culturally rich coast that stretches from Malin Head The Wild Atlantic Way is as close to exploring an open-air museum as you’ll get – exceptional landscapes, stunning flora and fauna – and packed with history and adventure, as I was about to find out.
Catch and Cook
In Dingle Harbor, County Kerry, the Atlantic offers an abundance of fish. Although I’d never before held a fishing rod, it seemed simple enough as Tom, the boatman, baited and gently placed my rod overboard. I asked how I’d know if I had a bite. “Oh, you’ll know,” was all he said as he walked away. He was right! I felt a strong tug on the line, began reeling and, suddenly, flopping before me – a large Ling fish. (When I returned home and told this tale, I predictably fell into that time-honored tradition of stretching my hands wide and saying “this big!”). Although my Ling would win no awards in a fish beauty contest, once cooked, it was yummy.
Don’t Let It Be Forgot
At the very edge of Europe, off the Dingle Peninsula lie the mystical Blasket Islands, a small archipelago renowned for its storytellers. A tiny population of traditional culture lived here, remaining strong in an isolated and rugged community and living simply from the land and sea. Visiting the Blasket Center with its galleries of artifacts and portraits of inhabitants, I felt the toil of their hard lives and had a keen appreciation for these long-ago people. Due to a declining population, the islands were abandoned in 1953. As its numbers dwindled, native author Tomas O'Crohan wrote the book The Islandman in part “so that some record of us might live after, for the likes of us will never be again.”
Someone once said “I believe one has to escape oneself to discover oneself.” Why? Because it’s easy to get lost in this fast-moving world and forget the lash of a salty sea breeze or the roar of waves. It’s easy to forget that somewhere brilliant sun is falling behind a historic relic or that lighthouses are still keeping watch over the sea. Easy to forget. But, if you want to remember, just think of the Wild Atlantic Way and go west!
