A Sense of Place - Historical Tours with Dr. Eoin O'Neill
A Sense of Place
A Sense of Place offers bespoke historical tours in Valentia and elsewhere in South Kerry. Our intention is to help you discover the hidden heritage and real history of this amazing area. Megalithic tombs, iron age walls, ring forts, ogham stones, Early Christian sites, Norse and Gaelic settlements, castles, towers, abbeys, and Cromwellian forts: South Kerry has an amazing history. Let us help you discover this!
The tours are given by Eoin O’Neill, a native of Dublin, who spent many summers in Kerry (his mother is from Glenbeigh), and who has been living in Valentia for several years. Passionate about history, he did his doctorate on the Nine Years War (and his currently writing a book on this). Since moving to Valentia he has set about exploring the area’s heritage and its history (and running the Foras Feasa: Exploring Irish History YouTube channel, a great way to get a sample of the history of South Kerry). He is also involved in Heritage Iveragh, the Dark Sky Festival, and the Skellig Coast Archaeology Festival
In addition to the walks below we do other walks in South Kerry. We also do individualised walks. Please contact us for greater details. Finally, remember to bring appropriate footwear and clothing on all walks.
Tours can be arranged directly with Eoin for during your stay.
Contact Details:
Phone/WhatsApp: 085 878 2775
Email: asenseofplacekerry@gmail.com
Facebook: A Sense of Place – Kerry
valentiaisland.ie/get_active/a-sense-of-place-walking-tours
Valentia Walks
Knightstown-Kilmore Cemetery Walking Tour
Starting at the Clock Tower in Knightstown, this walk will first explore the planned town of Knightstown, passing the Cable Building, the Catholic Church, the Lighthouse Keeper’s cottages, the Heritage Centre and Kilmore Protestant Church (where Maud Delapp is buried), amongst other historic buildings in the village. After this we go up to Kilmore Cemetery, where there is a ruined medieval church and graveyard, which contains many fascinating items, such as holed stones, notched stones, and carved stones,
2 Hours
St Brendan’s Well Walk
Explore the wilder side of the island. This walk starts with St Brendan’s Well, still in use today, and the ancient stone crosses nearby. Here find out about Valentia in the Neolithic, Bronze, and Iron ages, such as: a stone trackway found under the bog; a bronze age sword also found in the bog; fulacht fiadh; and enclosures. Afterwards, the walk continues along the coastline of Valentia, passing the remnants of ancient iron age walls and other echoes of the past.
2 Hours
Bray Head Walk
Discover how this part of Valentia has changed over history by visiting a series of sites from different times in Irish history. All with amazing view of the Skelligs, the Atlantic, Portmagee, and the entrance to Valentia Harbour (Beal Inse). The walk starts in the carpark, looking onto Foilhomurrun Bay, where the transatlantic cable first came ashore – and also the site of a Cromwellian fort. After this it follows the track up Bray head. Discover standing stones, the unique ruins of Crompeol Gaelic village, monastic huts with stone carvings, ancient field enclosures, and finally the signal tower.
Please note that this involves some steep slopes and passing through boggy areas, especially to reach the monastic huts.
You will walk from the Car Park to the top and Bray Head and discover the history of this part of Valentia from the neolithic period to modern time. All with amazing view of the Skelligs, the Atlantic, Portmagee, and the entrance to Valentia Harbour. The walk starts in the carpark, looking onto Foilhomurrun Bay. This is where the first transatlantic cable came ashore and is also the site of a Cromwellian fort. After this you will follow the track up Bray head. Along the way you will see standing stones, ancient field enclosures, the unique ruins of Crompeol village, monastic huts with stone carvings, and finally the signal tower from the Napoleonic period. A walk through thousands of years of history in some of the most beautiful landscape in Ireland.
2-3 hours
Other Walks
Megalithic Monuments and Mythology
This walk starts in Waterville and will visit some of the megalithic monuments nearby which are related to Gaelic mythology and the Song of Amergin (the origin myth of the Gaelic Irish).
2-3 Hours
MacCarthy Mór Walk
South Kerry used to be part of the MacCarthy Mór lordship. Evidence of this can be seen in Ballycarberry Castle, Ballinskelligs, and Muckross Abbey. In this walk we look at this lordship from a different perspective and follow the Old Butter Road to the probable inauguration place of the last MacCarthy Mór in 1600 in the mountains overlooking Mountain Stage. Looking down on the Ring of Kerry road and the old train track, with absolutely breath-taking views of Dingle Bay, the Blaskets, and Iveragh (from Valentia back towards Glenbeigh), this walk is a photographer's dream. In addition to the Inauguration place, we will also visit an ogham stone, used as a penitential station during penal times, and discover some of the history of the Butter Road itself, and even the Irish Civil War.
3-4 Hours
Ballinskelligs Castle and Abbey walk
Visit the MacCarthy Castle and Ballinskelligs Abbey and learn about Gaelic lordships (notably the MacCarthys) as well as the role the Abbey played in the area and its connection with Skellig Michael.
2 Hours
Derrynane Beach Walk
Walking along the beach in Derrynane and learn about Irish history. An ogham stone, a mass stone from penal times, a cashel, and the medieval abbey, as well as hearing about the Red Monk, the mass trail, and Bronze Age copper mining. All in the beautiful surrounds of Derrynane beach.
2 Hours
In addition to the above, bespoke tours can be arranged for small groups.