Rocks at Fermoyle on the Dingle Peninsula

The place where I took these photographs is marked on the map as an island but it is actually just a tiny promontory near to the village of Fermoyle, along the Dingle Way, on the north coast of the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland. I am sure that most people visit the location for its wonderful long unsullied sandy beach. However, I was drawn to this particular part, at the extreme western end of the beach, because of its fascinating geomorphology. The rocks are sandstones and conglomerates (mostly but not exclusively red) of the Glengarriff Harbour Group from the Devonian Period. The bright olive, lime, yellow and orange colours of the seaweeds, and the black, yellow and white of encrusting lichens, clash garishly with the red rocks. The rock strata are clearly defined: sometimes on-end, sometimes as flat bedding planes, and in one place a dome of strata lies cut-away and exposed. Beach stones rather than pebbles cover a portion of this area; and there are also occasional huge boulders composed of conglomerate scattered along the shore nearest the inlet from Brandon Bay.

Red sandstone Devonian rocks on the seashore

Devonian sandstone rocks on the seashore

Red sandstone with black lichen and fucoid seaweeds on the seashore

Devonian red sandstone on the shore at Fermoyle

Devonian sandstone strata on the beach at Fermoyle

Devonian sandstone rocks on the seashore with lichens

Red Devonian sandstone rocks at the beach with fucoid seaweeds

Devonian sandstone strata on the shore at Fermoyle

Shattered pieces of red sandstone amongst beach stones

Devonian sandstone rocks on the seashore with black lichens and green algae-filled pool lichens

Large Devonian conglomerate boulder on the shore at Fermoyle

Seaweed on Devonian sandstone bedrock at the beach

Seaweed covered rocks on the Fermoyle shore

Devonian red sandstone strata with black lichen on the seashore

Rocks and seaweed on the beach at Fermoyle

Seaweeds growing on Devonian sandstone at the water's edge in Fermoyle

Close up of the composition of Devonian conglomerate in a beach boulder

Red sandstone rocks with black, yellow, and white lichens on the seashore

Bright seaweed growing on Devonian sandstone at the beach

Devonian sandstone strata with black lichens, fucoid seaweed and green algae

Devonian domed sandstone strata on the beach at Fermoyle

12 Replies to “Rocks at Fermoyle on the Dingle Peninsula”

aidymcglynn says:

April 27, 2015 at 9:12 pm

Really stunning Jessica, like minature landscapes.

LikeLike
pkphotooftheday says:

April 27, 2015 at 9:26 pm

I visited the Dingle Peninsula in 2011. I really love your post because of all the wonderful detail. Very special! Pam

LikeLike
winderjssc says:

April 27, 2015 at 9:33 pm

Thank you, Pam. The Dingle really is a special place.

LikeLike
winderjssc says:

April 27, 2015 at 9:34 pm

Thank you, Adrian.

LikeLike
centralohionature says:

April 28, 2015 at 12:51 am

Beautiful images of some very photogenic rock formations!

LikeLike
Ibrahim Azhar says:

April 28, 2015 at 4:07 am

Wonderful really .. 🙂

LikeLike
winderjssc says:

April 28, 2015 at 5:24 am

Thank you, CentralOhioNature. It is a very interesting place.

LikeLike
winderjssc says:

April 28, 2015 at 5:45 am

Thank you, Ibrahim Azhar.

LikeLike
Linda Grashoff says:

April 28, 2015 at 11:08 am

Gorgeous. I’m sure you could have gotten even more interesting photos here. What a treasure trove, nicely framed.

LikeLike
winderjssc says:

April 28, 2015 at 12:02 pm

Thank you, Linda. Yes, I took a lot more pictures than I posted! Lots of seaweed (I posted some videos of seaweed swaying in the water some time ago) and the sandy shore as well.

LikeLike
Julie says:

April 30, 2015 at 9:31 pm

Even the rocks are amazing in Ireland– someday. . .

LikeLike
winderjssc says:

May 1, 2015 at 6:49 am

Yes, Ireland is an incredible place. I can’t understand how it took me so long to discover what wonderful things it has to offer.

LikeLiked by 1 person