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Five great beaches in the Cork/Kerry region

Some of the finest beaches in the world can be found in Ireland

IrishCentral.com Staff

Published Sunday, August 16, 2009, 2:49 PM

Updated Sunday, August 16, 2009, 3:04 PM

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Read more: Ireland, West Cork, Tralee, Beaches, Culture and Lifestyle, Travel and Tourism, Travel Destinations, County Cork, Dingle (County Kerry), IrishCentral.com

Inch Strand

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Considering we are an island nation, the one thing we are not short of is coastline, and Ireland boasts some outstanding beaches.

Have a swim, soak up some rays (fingers crossed!) or just watch the world go by. Not a bad way to spend a summer’s day in Ireland. So if you are in the Cork/Kerry region on vacation, here are some IrishCentral picks for beaches to toast your bun this summer.

Inch Strand

Inch Strand, a few miles outside Dingle, is one of the most beautiful beaches on earth. Its name is an utter paradox, as it is actually the longest beach in Ireland. It stretches as far as the eye can see, and the view is untouched for centuries. Craggy mountains, pounding surf, and beautiful landscapes all add up to an extraordinary vista.

There is also incredible local history. Some of "Ryan's Daughter" was filmed here. It was on this beach that former Bishop Eamon Casey, whose Bishop's palace was nearby, first struck up a relationship with Annie Murphy, a young visiting American, which led to one of the great clerical scandals of all time.The palace later became a coffee shop where you could sample the local confectionery and stare out over one of the most romantic views on earth. Little wonder the bishop fell in love. Inch is also close to Killarney and other astounding beauty spots.

Ballybunion beach

Split by a cliff with old castle ruins, Ballybunion beach was historically divided into men's and women's sections. In the old Ireland the men were confined to one beach while the women swam on the other.

Those days are long gone and nowadays the beach is a busy hub of families and kids having fun during the summer. A busy town with plenty of pubs and eateries, Ballybunion is a vibrant summer town with one of the most famous golf courses in the world (Bill Clinton's favorite- check out the story - Click here).

Fenit Beach

Fenit Beach is located not too far from the pretty fishing village that bears the same name in a designated natural heritage area that is renowned for its flora and fauna .

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One possible itinerary for an Ireland vacation is a trip along the Causeway coast from Belfast to Londonderry. Start off in Belfast, where you can visit the new entertainment complex, Waterfront Hall, as well as the Cathedral Quarter featuring St. Anne’s Cathedral. Want a little history in your Ireland vacation? When you leave Belfast, you can stop at Newtownabbey’s Loughshore Park, which is where the Titanic first sailed from the shipyards of Harland & Wolff. On an Ireland vacation, you can see sights almost a millennium old. Carrickfergus has a 12th-century Norman Castle. If you would like your Ireland vacation to have a literary theme, head to Kilroot, where Jonathan Swift, who would go on to write Gulliver’s Travels, worked as a minister. At the Glens of Antrim. Admire the waterfalls and be sure to take the Antrim Coast Road. If you are looking for some culture during your Ireland vacation, the village of Glenarm has both a castle and traditional folk music sessions. Cushendall features the red sandstone Curfew Tower, which is four stories high. The Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge spans a 24-meter chasm. Some Ireland vacations revolve around pubs. But on this itinerary, you get to go to the village of Bushmills, which is home to the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery. One of the most spectacular sights on your Ireland vacation will be the famous Giant’s Causeway, which is outside of Bushmills. Ireland vacations may also include history from other countries. Ships from the Spanish Armada sank along the rough coastline near the Giant’s Causeway. At Port na Spaniagh, divers recovered treasure from the Girona, one of the galleons of the Armada. The Mussenden Temple may have been inspired by Rome’s Temple of Vesta. Downhill, Benone and Magilligan Beaches are so long that you may find yourself alone on these dramatic beaches. Finish your Ireland vacation in Londonderry, which is the only completely walled city in the British Isles. The walls date from the 17th century.

Five great beaches in the Cork/Kerry region

Some of the finest beaches in the world can be found in Ireland

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