Ballybunnion is a town on the north-west coast of Kerry, with picturesque cliff views of where the Shannon Estuary meets the Atlantic Ocean.
The beautiful cliff walk takes you along the natural habitat of countless birds, past rugged cliffs, a sea arch known as “the Virgin Rock”, a sea stack, a blowhole known as “the Nine Daughters Hole”, and a view of the Castle Green across the beach.
The Nine Daughters Hole is so-called after the legend of a local chieftain throwing his nine daughters into the blowhole after hearing of their plans to leave with his Viking adversaries.
The two main beaches are known as the Ladies Beach and the Men’s Beach, harking back to when both sexes swam on separate beaches on the orders of the local Catholic priest.
The two Blue Flag beaches are popular swimming and surfing destinations, while the Estuary is home to the only known resident group of dolphins in Ireland.
Ballybunion Golf Club, founded in 1893, is home to one of the finest links courses in Ireland. The two courses, Old Course and Cashen Course, overlook the beach, with the former hosting the Irish Open in 2000.
There is also a statue of Bill Clinton in the town commemorating his golfing visit while President of the United States in 1998.
In 1914, a Marconi telegraphic station was established in Ballybunion, with the first Marconi telephonic broadcast being made from Ballybunion across the Atlantic to Nova Scotia, Canada in March 1919.
During the Irish Civil War, the Station was closed down. Today, a commemorative stone with plaque has been erected on the site of the original station.
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