Ireland's Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry is Showcased at the Big E Fair in W. Springfield, Massachusetts

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Ireland’s famous, picturesque Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry is on full display at The Big E in West Springfield, MA, the largest agricultural fair on the eastern seaboard of the United States.  The Dingle exhibit is located in the Young Building, and features Ireland's finest handcrafted products, cultural and educational offerings as well as tourism information.  

Also known as The Eastern States Exposition, The Big E is a 17-Day annual fall celebration of the agricultural, small business, cultural, historical and culinary riches of the six New England states, which include Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.  The fair opened on September 15 and runs through October 1, 2023.

 

The Irish portion of The Big E, sponsored by Aer Lingus, kicked off this week at the fair with a Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day celebration featuring the band Gaelic Storm, whose music was the soundtrack to the hit film, Titanic, the Celtic Angels, New Leaf and other music and dance performances. 


Local sponsors include Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Irish Cultural Center of Western New England. 




Sponsors of the Dingle Peninsula Showcase 

 

US Congressman Richard Neal, whose family comes from Kerry, was on hand to welcome the Irish delegation and to promote the historic connections between County Kerry and West Springfield.  


Congressman Richard Neal (4th from left) with the Dingle Peninsula delegation


According to organizers, the Dingle Peninsula, or Corca Dhuibhne, stretches 30 miles into the Atlantic Ocean on the south-west coast on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. The includes a range of mountains that form its spine, running from the Slieve Mish range to the Conor Pass and  Mount Brandon, Ireland’s second highest peak. The coastline consists of steep sea-cliffs such as Slea Head, dramatic headlands broken by sandy beaches, with the award-winning beach at Inch in the south and the tombolo of Maharees to the north.  The Blasket Islands lie to the west and the peninsula is dotted with lovely villages that each offer their own unique Sense of Place

 

For information about western Massachusetts, visit explorewesternmass.com


For information about visiting Ireland, go to Ireland.com.

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