Why? I first went there with a friend when I was 17. The scale of the scenery amazed me - the great sweep of the mountains, the clarity of the air, the big skies and the sea. Having been brought up in east London, it was all completely new to me. And because my friend had lived out there in a caravan, I wasn't treated as a tourist by the locals; they were willing to call me a friend. Everyone had a wonderfully clear sense of who they were, where they came from, and what their identity was. As a Londoner and not really knowing who my neighbours were, it was amazing to find people with such a keen sense of community and history. There were some great bars there, too.

The best thing: Dingle has always been known as a town on the edge of things; one of the most compelling things about it is that it's about as far west as you can go in Ireland. It's a place where musicians and artists and poets - and drop-outs - go, so there's a whole group of people from all over Europe who've headed there because they want to make a choice about their lifestyle. Next to that, there's the marvellous indigenous culture - the music and the bars. There are about 54 bars in seven streets.

My perfect day: It would almost certainly involve a hangover. I'd start the day late in a bookshop-cum-café where quite a lot of people go to recover from the night before over coffee and cake. Then, I'd go to the headland - the mouth of Dingle harbour - to try to catch a glimpse of the famous dolphin, Fungie. After that, it would be into Big Mac's pub for lunch. It's where I had my first Dingle kiss - the memory of which still lingers. It's your classic Irish shop-cum-bar. In the afternoon, I'd go to the end of the peninsular, to Dunquin, and catch a boat to the Great Blasket - an island three miles west of the most westerly mainland - and sit on top of the mountain there in the sun for a couple of hours. I'd come back in the early evening, meet up with my friends and seek out some music.

My advice: Don't go in high season, the place is jam-packed with tourists. Go in the mellow season - late or early summer - and risk the weather; it's worth it.

How to get there: Ryanair (www.ryanair.com, 0870 3331231) offers flights from Stansted to Kerry for £120 return. Once you get to Kerry, you can hire a car at the airport. Take the Tralee/Killarney road, turning left at the crossroads. Passing through Farranfore, follow the signs for Dingle. The road will take you through Castlemaine, Inch, Annascaul and finally on to Dingle. For more information, visit the Dingle Peninsula Tourism website: www.dingle-peninsula.ie.

• Hungry for Home, Cole Moreton's account of life on the Great Blasket, is published by Penguin at £6.99.