DONQUIN, or DUNQUIN, a parish, in the barony
of CORKAGUINEY, county of KERRY, and province of
MUNSTER, 7 miles (W. S. W.) from Dingle; containing,
with the Blasquet or Ferriter's islands, 1363 inhabitants.
This parish is situated at the south-western extremity
of the peninsula of Dingle, and terminates in the promontory
called Dunmore Head, the most westerly point
of Ireland. The latter is called in Irish Tig Vourney
Geerane, a- "Mary Geerane's House," in like manner
as the extreme point of North Britain is called "John
O'Groat's." Dunmore Head is in N. Lat. 52° 8' 30" and
in W. Lon. 10° 27' 30": it lies about 5 Irish miles (W.
byN.) from the entrance of Ventry harbour, and 3½
miles (W. ¼ S.) from the west end of the island called
the Great Blasquet. The parish contains 4937 statute
acres, as applotted under the tithe act, of which nearly
one half consists of coarse rocky mountain pasture,
interspersed with patches of bog; the remainder is
in tillage: sea-weed is extensively used for manure, and
the state of agriculture is gradually improving. At
Clohua is a small harbour for fishing boats employed
during the season in taking mackerel, scad, and turbot;
and at Ballyikeen is a station of the coast-guard. It is
in the diocese of Ardfert and Aghadoe; the rectory is
impropriate in Lord Ventry, and the vicarage forms part
of the union of Marhyn. The tithes amouut to £75,
payable in moieties to the impropriator and the vicar:
divine service is performed every Sunday at the coastguard
station. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms
part of the union or district of Keel, or Terreter. A
school has been recently built at Ballyikeen. On the
rocky coast of this parish are often found the beautiful'
crystals called Kerry stones. The ruins of the church
still remain in the burial-ground, where the Prince of
Ascule was interred after the wreck of part of the
Spanish Armada off this coast. See BLASQUET-ISLANDS.