Inch
Inch is on the other side of the peninsula, a spit of sand running out into Dingle Bay off the R561 between Annascaul and Castlemaine, with a dune system behind it that forms part of the Castlemaine Harbour Special Area of Conservation. It is roughly five kilometres long, it holds the Blue Flag, and David Lean filmed part of Ryan's Daughter on it.
It is the gentlest surf on this end of Kerry and the best place to learn. Two approved schools work the beach: Kingdom Waves, on 087 744 7958 from April to November, and Offshore Surf School on 087 294 6519, who run year round out of orange trailers on the sand and hire boards, wetsuits, bodyboards and paddleboards.
Sammy's sits at the top of the beach and has been in the same family since 1987: shop, café, restaurant and bar in one, with oysters from Dingle Bay, the catch of the day, and hake for the fish and chips. Hours move with the season, so ring on 066 716 5013.
The facts
- Where
- Off the R561 between Annascaul and Castlemaine, on the south side of the peninsula
- From Castlegregory
- East to Camp, then south. Allow the best part of an hour.
- Lifeguards
- Start of June to mid-September. Weekends only in June, then daily.
- Parking
- A private car park across from the beach, free through the summer of 2026
- Surf schools
- Kingdom Waves, 087 744 7958. Offshore Surf School, 087 294 6519.
- Sammy's
- 066 716 5013, at the top of the beach
Good to know
Driving on the sand. People do it and it is tolerated in the designated area, but Kerry County Council's beach bye-laws make it subject to the council's consent, and the tide at Inch comes in fast. In August 2022 two vehicles were caught by it and a great many more were bogged in soft sand. Check the tide before you drive on, stay well back from the water, and do not take a low car far down the beach.
The car park across the road is privately owned and has been the subject of a dispute since the council's lease ran out at the end of 2025. It was free for the summer of 2026 after a last-minute agreement. Take coins.
How we checked. Bye-laws from Kerry County Council. Blue Flag and lifeguard season from Kerry County Council via Radio Kerry. The 2022 tide incident from the Irish Examiner and RTÉ. The car park dispute from Radio Kerry, May 2026. Opening hours and prices on this coast change without notice, so ring before you travel. If anything here is wrong, tell us and we will fix it.