Iveragh Peninsula facts for kids
The Iveragh Peninsula (called Uíbh Ráthach in Irish) is a large piece of land sticking out into the sea in County Kerry, Ireland. It's the biggest peninsula in the southwest of the country. In the middle of the peninsula, you'll find the MacGillycuddy's Reeks mountain range. Carrauntoohil, the tallest mountain in this range, is also the highest peak in all of Ireland!
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Exploring the Iveragh Peninsula
The Iveragh Peninsula is a fantastic place to visit, with lots of interesting towns and natural wonders.
Towns and Famous Trails
You'll find several towns on the peninsula, including Killorglin, Cahersiveen, Ballinskelligs, Portmagee, Waterville, Caherdaniel, Sneem, and Kenmare.
A very popular route for visitors is the Ring of Kerry. This scenic road goes all around the coast of the peninsula. There's also the Skellig Ring, which offers even more amazing views. Both trails usually start and end near Killarney, just east of the peninsula.
Islands and Ancient Sites
Valentia Island is located just off the northwest tip of the peninsula. You can reach it by a bridge from Portmagee village. There's also a ferry that takes you between Renard Point on the mainland and Knightstown on the island.
About 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) off the west coast are the Skellig Islands. These islands are famous for their old monastic buildings and many different kinds of birds. Since 2015, these islands have become even more popular because parts of the Star Wars movies were filmed there!
Geological Wonders
The Iveragh Peninsula is home to the Kerry Geopark. This project helps people learn about the area's amazing geology. You can see things like Kenmare Bay, which is a valley that was flooded by the sea. You can also find signs of ancient glaciers and volcanoes. Plus, there are even 400-million-year-old fossilized tracks of early land animals!
The peninsula also has some very old structures. Cloghanecarhan is a ringfort with a special stone called an ogham stone. Leacanabuaile and Loher Cashel are also stone ringforts. These are all protected as National Monuments.
Since 2014, the Iveragh Peninsula has been part of the Kerry International Dark-Sky Reserve. This means the area has very little light pollution, making it a perfect spot for stargazing!
The Iveragh Gaeltacht
The Iveragh Gaeltacht (or Gaeltacht Uíbh Ráthaigh) is one of the smaller Gaeltacht areas in Ireland. A Gaeltacht is a region where the Irish language is still spoken every day by many people.
Irish Language in the Region
The main town in this Gaeltacht is Baile an Sceilg. Other smaller villages include Dún Géagáin, Cíllin Liath, Lóthar, and Cuan an Chaisleáin. Not many people live here, and in 2016, only a small number of people said they spoke Irish daily outside of school.
Long ago, the Iveragh Gaeltacht was one of the strongest in Ireland. In the 1850s, over 93% of people spoke only Irish! The whole peninsula was even named a Gaeltacht in the 1920s. By the 1980s, about 60% of people in the official Gaeltacht area could speak Irish, and it has stayed around that level.
Challenges and Community Efforts
The number of daily Irish speakers and the population have been decreasing. Between 1956 and 2011, the population of the Iveragh Gaeltacht dropped by 41%. This is a big change, especially since Ireland's population grew a lot during the same time. Many areas in the middle of the peninsula are now empty. One reason for this decline is the lack of basic services, which makes it hard for people to live there. Not having many Irish-speaking schools (Gaelscoileanna) in the area might also be a reason for the decline of the Irish language.
"Comhchoiste Ghaeltacht Uíbh Ráthaigh" is a community group that started in 1998. Their goal is to help develop the five Gaeltacht areas on the Iveragh Peninsula. They work to promote the Irish language and create projects for the community.
Ancient Rock Art
The Iveragh Peninsula has one of the largest collections of ancient Atlantic rock art in Ireland. This art is spread across the peninsula, but you'll find most of it in two main areas.
One important area is near Sneem, in the townlands of Derrynablaha and Derreeny. This art became famous in the 1960s when experts studied it. The second area with lots of rock art is near Glenbeigh, in the townlands of Coomasaharn, Kealduff Upper, and Letter West. Hundreds of examples of this ancient art have been found here, and archaeologists are still discovering new ones regularly!
Local Residents
- Pádraig Ó hÉigeartaigh, an Irish language poet, lived from 1871 to 1936.
See also
In Spanish: Península de Iveragh para niños
- Beara Peninsula
- Coom Wedge Tomb
- Corcu Duibne
- Dingle Peninsula
- Kerry Way
- Valentia Harbour railway station
