West Kerry Live - Corca Dhuibhne Beo - News Sports Features and Entertainment on the Dingle Peninsula

, and one is never very far away from such relics of our ancient past, even if one is in the heart of a town or city.  The first group of monuments to be taken into state care were those on the Rock of Cashel in Co. Tipperary, and this happened as long ago as 1874!  Today there are over 1000 monuments in either state ownership or state guardianship (where a monument is not owned by the state, but the state is responsible for its maintenance and upkeep), with a good selection to be found on the Dingle Peninsula, as well as elsewhere in County Kerry.
In this new series of articles (to be continued during the summer months) I propose to give some information on several of these monuments.  Quite a number will be very well-known to many, but others might be less well so, and will sometimes be a little more ‘off the beaten track’.  Where the access is owned by the state this will be noted, but in many cases one would need to get the landowner’s permission first before crossing land to visit these sites.  Due to the uneven nature of the land in many areas, if visiting a site it is always be advisable to wear sturdy walking shoes or boots.  Some of the sites are in or near places that might be considered dangerous, e.g. very close to or on cliff edges, or in fields in which cattle or a bull might be kept – and due care should always be taken when visiting such places, assuming permission to cross the land has first been granted.
In some cases, even though a monument belongs to the state, there may be reasons why it is not at present accessible, for safety, perhaps, or due to on-going site works, or because it is on an off-shore island, maybe, in private ownership!  This will also be noted, if known.  Several monuments in Corca Dhuibhne, although in state care, are on private property with the landowners taking an active part in controlling the visitor numbers to the sites.  These places can be visited sometimes by paying a small charge to the landowners, who maintain the access routes, car parking spaces and other facilities at the sites, making one’s visit a safe and enjoyable experience.
A full list of the sites in state care in Co. Kerry can be found at http://www.archaeology.ie/media/archeologyie/PDFS/FileDownload,301,en.pdf, as well as further information about state ownership and guardianship.  Indeed, the entire website of the National Monuments Service, part of the Departments of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, www.archaeology.ie, contains a wealth of information about all aspects of archaeology in the country.  You can look at maps of your own local area and see what monuments are near you through their Archaeological Survey of Ireland database (accessed from the home page), as well as learning about all of the monuments in state care in every part of the country, and that is just for starters!
Further background about the archaeology of the Dingle Peninsula, and a lot more besides, can be found in Músaem Chorca Dhuibhne, Baile an Fheirtéaraigh, www.westkerrymuseum.com.  The museum is open 10.00 am – 5.00 pm from Easter Sunday until Saturday 6 April inclusive, and again from June until September, otherwise by appointment.  Tel: 066-9156333 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  €2.50 for adults, €1.50 concessions, €7.00 families.  Group rates available.  There is also a café with fresh baking daily and a bookshop, and free Wi-Fi for customers!