Dunquin


Dunquin, meaning "Caon's stronghold", is a Gaeltacht village in west County Kerry, Ireland. Dunquin lies at the most westerly tip of the Dingle Peninsula, overlooking the Blasket Islands. At 10°27'16"W, it is the most westerly settlement of Ireland. Nearby Dunmore Head is the most westerly point of mainland Ireland. The town is linked to Dingle via the R559 regional road.
There is dramatic cliff scenery, with a view of the Blasket Islands, where Peig Sayers lived. A museum in the village tells the story of the Blaskets and the lives of the people who lived there including the well-known writers of the island, which includes Sayers, Tomás Ó Criomhthain, and Muiris Ó Súilleabháin. In 1588, when the Spanish Armada returned via Ireland many ships sought shelter in the Blasket Sound — the area between Dún Chaoin and the Islands — and some were wrecked there. A memorial stands on the cliffs overlooking the site. Dunquin is located on the Dingle Way, which is a 179km circular walking trail which takes in much of the Dingle peninsula.

Ryan's Daughter

Scenes from the 1970 film Ryan's Daughter, directed by David Lean, were shot at Coumineole Beach and Ceathrú in Dunquin. The town's then-struggling economy was largely revived by the production of this film and subsequent tourism. Its marginal condition beforehand had been documented in the 1968 ethnographic film "The Village" by Mark McCarty and Paul Hockings.

Scoil Dhún Chaoin

During the 1970s Scoil Dhún Chaoin was the subject of a countywide and national campaign which featured protest marches, sit-ins and arrests. A government decision to close the school was strongly opposed by the local community and following almost three years of closure, the school was reopened in 1973.

CAMRA

It was in Kruger's bar in Dunquin that CAMRA was founded in 1971.

People

Dunquin is famous as the place of birth of the Irish language author and seanchaí, Peig Sayers and also Cáit Feiritéar. It is also the birthplace of folklorist Seosamh Ó Dálaigh.