The Dingle Peninsula (Irish: Corca Dhuibhne) is located in County Kerry and is the most westerly point of the Republic of Ireland. The peninsula is named after the town of Dingle and is the location of numerous prehistoric and early medieval remains, for example the St. Gallarus Oratory. The peninsula exists because of the band of granite rock that forms the Macgillicuddy's Reeks mountain range. One of Ireland's highest hills, Mount Brandon, at just over 1000m, is on the north coast of the peninsula.
The Conor Pass going from Dingle on the southern end of the peninsula towards Brandon Bay and Castlegregory in the North is the highest mountain pass in Ireland
The Blasket Islands lie off the west coast. They are famous for the literary and linguistic heritage of the former inhabitants. However, these remote islands have been uninhabited since the 1950's following a government rehousing plan.
The western end of the peninsula is a Gaeltacht area that has produced a number of regionally notable authors and poets. See Ó Siochfhradha, and Peig Sayers, among others.
