MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL CENTRES on the Dingle Peninsula

As a small rural and peripheral destination it is no surprise that the Dingle Peninsula does not have many museums and art galleries typical of large international cities.What you will find instread is a thriving creative, cultural and historical life which exists and is honoured in a variety of smaller and more unusual spaces. Some would say the whole area is a museum and cultural centre.

Discover the ancient and modern history and geology of the Dingle Peninsula in the wonderful Músaem Chorca Dhuibhne in the village of Ballyferriter. Explore an island community’s struggle for existence, their language, culture, and extraordinary literary legacy at the Blasket Island Interpretive Centre in Dunquin which perches on the edge of the Atlantic. View the treasured 12 stained glass windows created by one of Ireland’s foremost stained glass artists ‘Harry Clarke’, in the convent chapel of  An Díseart Institute in Dingle.

Artists and craftspeople exhibit their work in small workshops, galleries and studios around the Peninsula, often opening their home to the visitor. Follow our Arts and Crafts Trail on a guided route to discover these talented residents and their work. Cultural, artistic and historical events utilise all available spaces including bars, restaurants and the streets to create a lively series of exhibitions and things to do. History lectures take place in various venues or in the form of guided walks. You may find paintings above your head in a restaurant, live music in a bar or church or an impromptu performance on the street, all part of the Dingle Peninsula experience.
 
See our Calendar of Festival and Events or our Arts and Crafts Trail for more information.

Músaem Chorca Dhuibhne -Dingle Peninsula Museum Ballyferriter

This much treasured local museum is situated in the old schoolhouse (built in 1875 - a monument in itself) in Baile an Fheirtéaraigh. Músaem Chorca Dhuibhne collects, safeguards, holds in trust, displays and interprets a variety of objects and data relating to the rich natural and cultural heritage of the Dingle Peninsula, and endeavours to educate, entertain and enlighten all visitors, from the local student to the scholar, as well as our many summer visitors, from home and abroad.
Visitors can learn about the geology, archaeology, heritage and history of the area. Some of the artefacts on display are on loan from the National Museum of Ireland and there is a small cafe and shop on site.

Blasket Island Centre - Ionad an Bhlascaoid Mhóir

With stunning views of the wild Atlantic coast and islands at the halfway point of the Slea Head Drive, the Blasket Centre is a fascinating heritage and cultural centre/ museum, honouring the unique community who lived on the remote Blasket Islands until their evacuation in 1953.

The Blasket Centre tells the story of island life, subsistence fishing and farming, traditional life including modes of work and transport, home life, housing and entertainment. The Centre details the community’s struggle for existence, their language and culture, and the extraordinary literary legacy they left behind- classics such as The Islandman, Twenty Years A-Growing, and Peig.  Their story is told using a variety of means – exhibitions, interactive displays, artefacts, audio visual presentations and artworks. Visible from the Centre is Great Blasket Island. Tours of the deserted village on the island are also available.

An Diseart - Harry Clarke Chapel Windows

An Díseart is a quirky and interesting building to visit in the centre of Dingle Town.The neo-gothic former Presentation Order convent, designed by JJ McCarthy, is home to a beautifully proportioned chapel with twelve lancet windows created in 1924 by renowned stained glass artist, Harry Clarke. The windows, along with the tranquil walled gardens, first laid out in 1849, have become a popular attraction for visitors in Dingle.The gardens are in three parts and include a community Tree of Life Garden to a plan by Mary Reynolds. The chapel, the Diseart building and the gardens are open to the public.

Museums and Cultural Centres