BALLYDAVID & FEOHANAGH

Baile na nGall & An Fheothanach

This material is excerpted from "The Dingle Peninsula: History, Folklore, Archaeology" by Steve MacDonough, copyright 1993, published by Brandon Book Publishers, Ltd., Dingle, Co. Kerry, Ireland. Each of its 260 pages is packed with information on the communities of the Dingle Peninsula, and in its entirety, it makes very interesting reading. The book is widely available for purchase throughout the Peninsula.

Massive cliffs in the northwestern corner of the Dingle Peninsula are rocky bulwarks against the power of the Atlantic seas. A roughly triangular area between Murreagh, Ballinloghig and Tiduff can be explored along narrow roads that describe a loop through wild, open landscape between Mount Brandon and the ocean. The coast is encountered intermittently, and for part of the route Ballydavid Head rears up between the road and sea. Towering cliffs are within easy reach of the walker.

From Murreagh a road leads to Ballydavid, a small fishing community with two pubs. This is the place to be at sunset and to walk along the coast beyond the village. Many an hour can be whiled away in conversation in the pubs, and with a bit of luck you might arrive one night when music is being played.

The name of Ballydavid can cause some confusion, because it is also called Baile na nGall or Ballynagall, which means in English the townland of the foreigner. It is likely that the foreigners referred to were the Vikings, for Smerwick Harbour was a Viking settlement from which butter was shipped to Limerick. The name Smerwick comes from two Norse words, smoer and wik, meaning butter and harbour.

From Murreagh the main road leads north to Feohanagh through Carrig, Ballylusky and Ardamore. At the junction of the road to Kilcooly is a church and a little further on is Teach Siamsa, a large white thatched building which is one of the halls of Siamsa Tíre, a folk drama organisation which provides training for local young people in dance, drama, music and song, as well giving performances. Visitors should enquire at the Dingle Tourist Office or locally about details for any events scheduled.

The name Feohanagh comes from an old Irish word for a windy place, and when a gale is blowing the wind sweeps with tremendous force across the flatlands. A large, deep bog covered much of the land to the east, and turf from the bog provided the main fuel for the fires of Dingle until the end of the last century. In earlier centuries the area enjoyed a remarkable reputation. Less evidence remains here of early Christian settlements than between Reask and Kilmalkedar, but literary sources suggest that it was a famous monastic centre and even some kind of Garden of Eden.

The area north of the Feohanagh River does appear to have possessed major early Christian sites, but little of them survives. Tradition asserts that St. Brendan's main settlement in the area was here at the foot of Mount Brandon. Near Ballynavenooragh is Shanakeel, or Seana Cill, usually translated as "the old church"; and at the western foot of Masatiompan a remarkable site clinging to steep cliffs is called Faiche na Manach or Fothar na Manaigh, the green fields of the monks.

The road opposite the pub in Feohanagh is signposted to Brandon Creek; after crossing the bridge it turns right. A short distance further on a bohareen leads to the left beside a house with scallop shells on its gatepost. This is the start of an exhilirating walk along the cliffs to Brandon Creek. Follow the bohareen until it fades out, then strike uphill towards the tower. One of a number along the coast, Ballydavid Tower was built at the beginning of the 19th Century as a lookout and signal tower against an expected French invasion. The smaller building was the garrison house. Continuing the walk with its dramatic views to the north, after about half a mile there is a clifftop path which leads to Brandon Creek.

Those driving from Feohanagh should continue along the road through the clusters of houses that make up Ballynabuck, Ballyroe and Ballycurrane until they reach Brandon Creek.

Brandon Creek, Cuas an Bhodaigh, or Coosavuddig, is the place from which St. Brendan is said to have set sail for the "Heavenly Isles" and perhaps for America. In 1977, in a successful attempt to establish the feasibility of such a voyage, a craft made of hides with a crew captained by Tim Severin set out for North America from Brandon Creek.

The account of the voyage of Brendan, the Navigatio, attained enormous fame in medieval Europe and is one of the classic adventure stories of all time, with rich elements of magic and fantasy. Whether the tale was mainly an imaginative creation or not, its physical details correspond quite well to what would be encountered on a sea route to North America. The modern explorer and navigator, Tim Severin, has certainly given added credibility in his book, The Brendan Voyage, to the notion that St. Brendan did, in fact, discover America.

From Brandon Creek the traveller is recommended to take the road south to a crossroads, turn left and left again to Tiduff. From Tiduff a straight turf-track runs northeast to Masatiompan, and it is a good route for a walk in rising, open countryside with views back along the coastline which are sometimes quite spectacular.

The area south of Tiduff is rich in clocháin and cahers. It has been suggested that these were built to provide accommodation for pilgrims waiting for clear weather to make the ascent of Mount Brandon. Less numerous than those at the unique Fahan settlement in the southwest of the peninsula, they still make up a significant concentration.

From Ballinloghig the main road to Dingle continues south through a low pass, leaving behind the northwestern triangle of the peninsula.