Coumeenoole Beach

Coumeenoole is a small cove at the very western end of the Dingle peninsula, enclosed by steep grass-topped cliffs and looking straight out at the Blasket Islands across the sound. A steep path drops from a small roadside car park to the sand. Ryan's Daughter was filmed here in 1969 and the storm sequence was shot on this beach. It is one of the most photographed spots on the Slea Head Drive and one of the most hazardous to enter the water at: the cove funnels the Atlantic swell and there is a strong, persistent rip running out through the middle of it, with no lifeguard at any time of year. Drownings have happened. It is a beach for standing on rather than swimming from, and in any swell the waves break heavily right onto the sand. Parking is a handful of spaces on a narrow road with coach traffic.

What you actually see

• The enclosed cove - steep cliffs on three sides, sand below.
• The Blasket view - straight out to the islands across the sound.
• The film location - the Ryan's Daughter storm scenes were shot here.
• The swell - Atlantic waves funnelling into a narrow inlet.

When to go

May to September for the light and the access path. Any season for the view from above. Big swell makes the beach itself unsafe to be on, let alone in.

Honest expectations

There is a strong rip and no lifeguard - people have drowned here, and swimming is not advised. The path down is steep and slippery. Parking is a few spaces on a narrow road shared with coaches.

Nearby

Dunquin pier and the Blasket ferry are north; Slea Head continues around the point.