Valentia Island, Place Of Oaks

Valentia Island was separated from the mainland by a narrow strait from Portmagee but now there is a bridge that links the island to the rest of Kerry, although no longer an island she is still called Valentia Island.

The island is a strange place of tame hills and a domesticated patchwork of walled fields and fuchsias hedges. Valentia is only 11km long and 3km wide, but it doesn’t feel like an island, especially if you come by road. It needs at least a day’s trip to appreciate this remote timeless crop of land.

If you decide to stay overnight, you can enjoy some excellent traditional music and dancing here.

Valentia is popular as a resort and deep-sea fishing is available. There is an excellent harbour at Kingstown, the capital of the island, named after the former proprietor the Knight of Kerry.

Bray Head Cliffs, at the extreme west end of the island open up a splendid view of The Dingle Peninsula and to the north The Blaskets trail out from the peninsula.

The whole of The Iveragh Peninsula extends south with pinnacles of the Skelligs far out to sea.

There are a variety of early Christian sites on the island and a delightful trip by boat can be made from Knightstown to Church Island, east of Beginish Island, where there are the remains of ancient oratory and some beehive huts.

Valentia was chosen as the site for the first transatlantic telegraph cable, and when the connection was made in 1858it put Cahirciveen in direct contact with New York even though it had no contact with Dublin.

Also don’t forget this is the island that is the home of the great Kerry footballer Mick O’Connell.

If you have any info on Valentia please email me and I will include it on this page (good B&B`s, Bars, anything), thanks.