Siúlóid Cholmáin Ventry

Looped walk on bothareens (small local roads) and beach. Historical sites include Colman’s Oratory and Rathinane Castle. (There is no access to these sites as they are on private land but they can be viewed from the walking route.)

This 7km trail is waymarked with red arrows on a green background and starts in Ventry Village/CeannTrá. Most of the walk is on small quiet country road and beach with fantastic views of Ventry beach and harbour. The route passes the ruins of an early Christian Monastery founded by Saint Colmán and Rathinane Castle, built in the 15th Century by the Fitzgerald family.

Start the walk in Ventry Village. Head uphill past the post office and school, and turn left at the first junction to Mám an Óraigh and take in the fantastic views of Ventry Beach & Harbour and Dingle Bay. This section has 3 different walking markers for different routes therefore keep your eyes peeled for the Green & Red signs. A large circular enclosure is visible in a field below the road. This is Cill Cholmáin, the ruins of an Early Christian Monastery founded by Saint Colmán. Further along is Rathinane Castle, built in the 15th Century by the Fitzgerald family. The castle is perched in a ring fort. Turn left at the junction at Rathinane. The walk is for a short distance on the busy Ventry to Ballyferriter road,therefore be careful! At the bottom of the hill turn right and walk west along a quiet back road for approx one mile and turn left at the first crossroad. Arriving at Ard a’ Bhóthair, the route passes Páidí’s pub and heads down to Ventry Beach. The route brings us back across the beach along the same route as the Dingle Way to Ventry.