The Dingle Peninsula stretches out in the southwest of Ireland, ending in the westernmost tip of Europe, with the Blasket Islands flung farther out into the sea. It is a land of spectacular landscapes, sweeping beaches at the feet of cloud-touched mountains, cliffs above seas coloured milky jade to deepest blue. Waterfalls ribbon the slopes. Weather arriving across the North Atlantic creates clouds in constant motion, sunlight and rainbows in swift alteration. A calligraphy of stone walls marks the hillsides, the mountaintops are rich with heather and gorse. Fuchsia and foxglove, woodbine and bramble line the summer lanes, lanes that in winter are a tangle of russets and browns.

‘Sí Corca Dhuibhne an leithinis is faide siar san Eoraip. Tá sí ar imeall na hEorpa agus amach óna cósta tá oileáin na mBlascaod. Tá radharcanna mealltacha ar fud na leithinise, tránna geala, sléibhte loma, gleannta glasa agus failltreacha arda atá á síor-creimeadh ag na farraigí thíos fúthu. Tá draíocht i gCorca Dhuibhne lena bhfuil baint ag an radharcra agus an solas a chuireann ar do chumas, nach mór, Meiriceá a fheiscint. Dá thoradh sin, is rogha áite é ag lucht ealaíon ar mhian leo dul i ngleic leis an dúshlán gabháil a dhéanamh ar fharraige, dreach tíre agus an tsolas a athraíonn orthu agus eatarthu.

This is a storied landscape, whose stories reside in the land. The Battle of Ventry, the exploits of Diarmait and Gráinne, the doings of the Goddess Mór, all are associated with places here. Beehive huts inhabited by pilgrims and hermits, stone forts whose origins are unknown dot the hillsides. Oratories, Norman towers, Romanesque ruins, a cross-inscribed stone in a field of sheep. All are found in places hardly marked by signage, often only located by word of mouth, or a study of dinnseanchas, the lore of place, a lore that is particularly rich in this area.

Tá lámh na staire le feiscint ar fud na dúthaí. Seo an ceantar in Éirinn is flúirsí le Clocha Oghaim. Tá seantraidisiún scothcheardaíochta cloch anseo, mar is léir ós na clocháin coirceogacha, aireagail, fothraigh Hiberno-Rómhánúla agus na caisleáin Normannacha. Chun iarsmaí staire a aimsiú, is minic, in éagmais comharthaíochta, gur gá eolas áitiúil nú eolas ar an dinnseanchas atá fíorshaibhir sa cheantar. Tá a stair féin ag gach áit anseo agus d’fhéadfadh go spreagfadh camchuairt cuntais ar Chath Fionntrá, Tóraíocht Dhiarmada agus Gráinne nú taiscéalaíocht(Navigatio) Naomh Bhréanainn atá luaite le háiteanna ar leith anseo.

A land made for walkers, this peninsula offers a variety of terrains for every skill and interest. The Dingle Way circumnavigates the entire peninsula. The Saints’ and the Pilgrims’ Ways mark ancient movements. The less public ways hold their own enchantments, walks deep into valleys scored into the mountains, beside cliff tops with drops to the sea, along beaches rich with fossils. Each place offer its own discoveries to the attentive eye and ear.

Tá rianta siúlóide seanbhunaithe sa cheantar agus toisc an éagsúlacht tír-raoin, oireann an leithinis seo don uile shaghas saoire siúlóide. Ciorclaíonn Slí an Daingin an leithinis ar fad. Is seanbhealaí do choisithe iad Cosán na Naomh nú Cosán na nOilithreach atá fós in úsáid. Is inspéise leis bheith ag siúl nú ag fánaíocht ar na bealaí neamhmharcáilte inar féidir siúl trí ghleannta nó ardáin atá saibhir le séadchomharthaí staire agus dúlra go dtugtar dóibh aitheantas idirnaisiúnta.

Danny Sheehy is born, raised and lives in Corca Dhuine, the Irish name for the Dingle Peninsula. A poet, a farmer, an author, a fisherman, a man at home on sea or land, he is a storyteller of some renown and a fine walker. Eloquent in English, his first language is Irish. He has been leading walks for a dozen years, and this year he will lead customised walks on the Dingle Peninsula, walks tailored to the interests of groups no larger than five. Half days or full days, or days in succession, Danny will offer his knowledge of the country and its stories, leading walkers along paths old and new. Dawn walks, night walks, fasting walks, silent walks. Story walks, history walks, walks in any weather. All are available. With consultation, the walk you take will be your very own.

Is file, feirmeoir, fear fionnachtain agus údar é Danny/Domhnall Mac Síthigh a rugadh agus a tógadh i gCorca Dhuibhne agus is ann a mhaireann sé. An Ghaeilge a chéadteanga agus tá an Béarla ar a thoil aige chomh maith. Is iomaí turas farraige i bhfad is i gcéin atá déanta aige i mbáid traidisiúnta agus tá an-eolas aige ar chóstaí Chorca Dhuibhne. Le dhá bhliain déag tá turasanna siúlóide á n-eagrú aige agus i mbliana beidh sé ag stiúrú siúlóidí a bheidh in oiriúint do ghrúpaí móra, beaga agus ana bheag. Cuireann Domhnall a eolas saoil ar ghnéithe aiceanta, stair agus béaloideas an cheantair ar fáil i dturas lae nó leathlae nó ar laethanta i ndiaidh a chéile. Tá rogha fairsing siúlóidí ar fáil idir shiúlóidí staire, siúlóidí seanchais, siúlóidí le breacadh an lae nó istoíche, siúlóidí tostacha nú ar lorg na naomh.