VENTRY, a parish, in the barony of CORKAGUINEY,
county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 4½ miles
(W.) from Dingle; containing 2596 inhabitants. The
parish is situated in the interior of a harbour of the
same name, on the northern shore of Dingle bay and
near Dunmore Head, the most western point of Ireland:
it contains 7087 statute acres, of which 2268 are coarse
mountain land and bog. The harbour is spacious and
is considered to be a dependency on the port of Dingle,
being separated from it by a narrow peninsula, concerning
which there is a tradition that it was the last
ground possessed by the Danes in Ireland, which is
somewhat corroborated by a statement given by Hanmer
in his Chronicle from the "Book of Howth," that
a great battle way fought here between the Irish and the
Danes. The harbour is exposed to the gales from the
south-east. On its western point, called Cahir Trant, is
an ancient Danish intrenchment, and at Rathlanane
are the remains of an old castle of the Knight of Kerry.
At a place called Fane, or Fahan, is a small cell or hermitage
with a pointed roof of stone. There is a coastguard
station at East Coumtra, belonging to the Dingle
district. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the
diocese of Ardfert and Aghadoe, and in the patronage
of the Representatives of the Rev. John Crosbie: the
tithes amount to £120; the glebe, which is in three
portions, contains 4a. 3r. 25p. The clerical duties are
performed by the curate of the neighbouring parish of
Dunurlin. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part
of the union or district of Dingle, and has a chapel in
the village of Ventry. About 30 children are educated
in a private school. Ventry gives the title of Baron to
the family of Mullins.