Location

Situated on the northern side of the Dingle Peninsula, tucked in at the base of Mount Brandon and washed by the sparkling surf of Brandon Bay, the Cloghane-Brandon region is surely one of the great beauty spots of the world. Here an exhilirating blend of mountain, sea and sky entic the visitor to linger, often longer than planned. All around are links with an eventful past; beehive huts, Bronze Age field systems, ring forts, cross slabs and rock art, enigmatic designs picked out on boulders and megaliths.

Fermoyle Strand

Walking

A fine selection of waymarked trails through the Cloghane-Brandon hills has made the area a favourite destination for hillwalkers. Walks range from short shorline strolls to the high level Brandon Ridge Walk. The local Walking Guide Book and the No. 70 O.S. map are the ideal companions for all who wish to experience our special blend of hills, valleys and Atlantic coastline.

Mount Brandon Ridge Walk

Fishing

In Cloghane-Brandon, there is a choice between shore angling at Cappagh and Fermoyle strands or casting for trout and salmon in the magnificent Owenmore River Valley below the famed Conor Pass.

Owenmore River

Flora

In Cloghane-Brandon, the close proximity of mountains, sea and moorland makes for an interesting mix of wild flowers, ranging from seaside plants like Sea Pink to Alpine Saxifrages. In between are the heathland, meadow and roadside plants. In Summer, scarlet fuchsia, purple foxglove and loosestrife, yellow flag and orange-red montbretia combine with other flowers such as the deep violet, great butterwort, bright yellow asphodel and heath-spotted orchid of the bogland to provide a memorable blaze of colour.

Flora Native to the Area

Blanket Bog

A striking feature of the Cloghane-Brandon hillsides and river valleys, is the thick covering of peat encasing and preserving the field walls and other structures of early settlers. Ireland has the best examples of blanket bog in the world and the Cloghane-Brandon bogland is set in spectacular surroundings. Peat is 90% moisture when cut with a special implement called a slean, and the drying sods form geometric patterns on the long turf banks over the Summer months. Turf is formed from decayed vegetable matter, including sphagnum mosses which thrive on the damp, acidic, bogland conditions. From Spring to Autumn, this unique terrain is enhanced by a beautiful selection of flowers which also thrive under these conditions - purple heathers complement the yellows of tormentil, asphodel and gorse, while the snowy nodding heads of bog cotton reflecting in little water filled hollows or massing in white, rippling blankets are, for many, the characteristic and most memorable image taken away from this remarkable landscape.

Bog Cotton

Turf Cutting

Loch a'Dúin - The Lake of the Fort

For those interested in nature, the bogland flora and archaeology, Loch a'Dúin Archaeological and Nature Trail provides a fascinating mix of great physical beauty and ancient monuments including ritual enclosures, Bronze Age cooking sites and partially exposed pre-bog field systems, powerfully evoking a much earlier era when the first farmers of Cloghane and Brandon lived and worked here and carried out mysterious ceremonies linked to the mountain, the last part of Europe to be touched by the setting sun.

Loch a'Dúin

Bird Watching

The tidal estuary of Cloghane Creek is a favourite haunt of curlews, oystercatchers, herons and many other waders. Cormorants, razorbills and guillemots find it a rich fishing ground. Fulmars nest at Brandon Point, off which majestic gannets wheel and plummet in their spectacular quest for food. Another impressive aerial performer, the red-billed chough may also be observed at Brandon Point, soaring in the updraught, or feeding on the close-cropped hillside. The Cloghane-Brandon area with saltwater estuary, river systems, bogland, meadow and hillside is home to a rich and varied birdlife.

Heron at Cloghane Creek

Beatha Award

In 1997, Cloghane-Brandon was one of the recipients of the first ever Beatha Environmental Quality Mark. The network of walks, a waste management plan including recycling and home composting and the raising of local environmental awareness are all the ingredients in the project which aims to make the region a more attractive environment and resource for the local community as well as visitors.

Beatha Environmental Quality Mark