Ceann Trá (Ventry)

The next town after An Daingean along the coast, Ceann Trá has a small outcrop of pubs and small grocery stores (useful, since west of Dingle Town you'll find few shops of any kind), and a long sandy beach with safe swimming and ponies for rent. Between Ventry and Dún Chaoin (Dunquin) are several interesting archaeological sites on the spectacular cliff-top road along Ceann Sleibne (Slea Head).

Continuing west along the coast road beyond Dunbeg, you can see signs for prehistoric beehive huts, called clocháns (pronounced cluck-awns) in Irish. Built of drystone on the southern slopes of Mt. Eagle, these cells were used by hermit monks in the early Christian period; some 414 exist between Ceann Sliebne and Dún Chaoin. Some local farmers, on whose land these monuments stand, charge a "trespass fee" of EUR 1 to EUR 2.