THE Dingle peninsula, on Ireland's southwest coast, is breathtakingly beautiful, and steeped in legends.

Some of the most fascinating of these tales involve the Selkies of Scottish and Irish folklore: seals who take on human form on land. Dingle is said to have inspired the new animated film, Song Of The Sea, which opens in cinemas this week and tells the story of the last seal child, who is trapped between two world and longs to return to the ocean.

The Oscar-nominated film's director, Tomm Moore, had been staying in the area with his family when he noticed a dead seal floating on the sea's surface. When he inquired about it locally, he was told the creatures were killed because some young fishermen mistakenly blamed them for the decline in fish stock. He also learned that killing seals would once have been unheard of in the area due to the widespread belief in Selkies, which were thought to contain the souls of people who'd been lost at sea. "I began to think about how the old stories served us well in protecting what is truly valuable and important," Moore said recently, "and how by losing these stories we are losing a lot more than just folklore ... I began to dream up a story about a Selkie and the way we lost so much of our folk wisdom to the modern world."

Moore was in town when I arrived for the annual Dingle International Film Festival in early March, to watch the Irish animator's film at the charming single-screen Phoenix Cinema on the festival's opening night.

Dingle is best reached from Kerry Airport. I travelled there from Glasgow via Stansted: a journey that took six hours. As soon as the spectacular mountainous landscape of the peninsula rose up in front of me, I knew it had been worth it. The late winter sun shone as I journeyed to Dingle along the coastal road overlooking stunning beaches and spectacular islands buffeted by the broiling Atlantic Ocean.

The town of Dingle itself lies in a calm bay reached from the sea by a narrow inlet - which was the route taken by an errant dolphin who visited Dingle's harbour 20 years ago and never left. The common bottlenose was later christened Fungie - a derivation of "fun guy!, according to locals - and such was the subsequent boost to tourism that a statue was commissioned in his honour.

Regular boat trips now take hundreds of people out on the water to see him every day and I was among film festival goers who were given the obligatory tour of the bay.

Fungie dutifully emerged and dived between the vessels as we were handed glasses of locally distilled Dingle Gin.

Seeing the dolphin at close quarters was special and the experience was only surpassed by the dramatic sunset as we returned to the harbour.

The unofficial meeting point for those attending the film festival was the Dingle Skellig Hotel and Peninsula Spa: a four-star venue boasting impressive views across the bay and an outdoor hot tub on a balcony accessed from the spa became my preferred vantage point during my stay.

On arrival at the hotel my party was greeted by eager and friendly festival organisers who immediately lived up to the Irish tradition of offering warm hospitality to strangers, which has its roots in an ancient law.

We were then whisked off to the Global Village Restaurant which was recently ranked in the Restaurant Association of Ireland's best emerging Irish cuisine list.

The courses just kept coming and each one was as good as the last. We were served up soup, beef, scallops, duck and cheese dishes as well as a delicious dessert selection.

The soiree carried on at nearby pubs as the entire town and its guests seemed to be enjoying the craic. It's a stereotypical phrase overused when describing a good night out on the Emerald Isle but Dingle has embraced the term and it has become an intrinsic part of the tourism industry with plenty of pubs offering live music and pints of Irish ale.

So, there were a few sore heads when film festival goers set off on a tour of the peninsula the following morning. The first stop was Ventry Bay, the unspoilt stretch of sand where Tomm Moore first found inspiration for Song Of The Sea. The tour also took in the Blasket Centre, which honours the community who lived on the remote Blasket Islands until their evacuation in 1953.

Dingle is the most westerly outposts of Ireland, and many of its unique features are referenced in Song Of The Sea.

These include the ancient "beehive" homes - some of the oldest known human habitations - and standing stones which pepper the peninsula.

Dingle has been inhabited for almost 6,000 years and boasts more than 2,000 monuments. The peninsula's archaeological heritage and impressive landscape deserve more time to explore than I could afford during my whirlwind trip to the film festival.

However, I did manage to break away briefly to walk the coastal path to the mouth of Dingle bay.

The one-mile trail takes you past a ruined castle to a beautiful lighthouse on the cliff side.

The view out to sea is spectacular and the more adventurous can walk down steps to feel the spray of the Atlantic Ocean on their faces as it crashes against Ireland's coast. Inland, there are also beautiful spots where near complete solitude and silence can be found.

Shortly before my flight back to London I had the pleasure of visiting Annascaul Lake. It is off the beaten track so I was fortunate to be taken there by my uncle, Bert, who - much like the famous dolphin - arrived in the Dingle Peninsula many years ago and never left.

Nestled in the mountains overlooking the Com Dubh valley, the lake is surrounded by scenery which rivals the best that the Scottish Highlands has to offer.

The village of Annascaul counts Antarctic explorer Tom Crean as its most famous son. Despite taking part in several expeditions Crean failed to the reach the South Pole so, in 1920, he opened a pub which he named the South Pole Inn so that he could say he made it.

Almost 100 years on it remains a popular focal point for the community and provides welcome hospitality for those passing through.

But Dingle Peninsula wasn't always a tourist magnet and its popularity owes as much to filmmakers as it does to Tom Crean and Fungie the dolphin. The 1970 epic romantic drama Ryan's Daughter, starring Robert Mitchum, used the peninsula as its backdrop, and so began the influx.

Dingle's tourist trade was further boosted when the 1992 drama Far And Away, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, was filmed there.

With the release of Tomm Moore's Song Of The Sea, it is hoped that many more will journey to visit the peninsula. They won't be disappointed.

Song Of The Sea is in UK cinemas from Friday

Five things to do in Dingle

Heritage

Learn more about Dingle peninsula's archaeological and cultural heritage with a visit to the Blasket Centre and take in stunning views of the remote islands - once home to several Irish language authors, but uninhabited since 1953.

Seaside

The blue-flag Inch Beach boasts three miles of beautiful golden sands and crashing waves which attract surfers from all over the world.

Peace

Annascaul Lake is a haven of tranquillity and the mountainous terrain which surrounds it is reminiscent of the best Scotland has to offer - and don't forget to visit the famous South Pole Inn in the nearby village.

Treats

Brothers Sean and Kieran Murphy make the most delicious ice cream at their flagship Murphy's shop in the centre of Dingle. Rain or shine, their sea salt creation is not to be missed. A close second is the unique brown bread ice cream, complete with crumbs.

Sealife

A visit to the peninsula would be the poorer without paying a courtesy call to Fungie, the Dingle Dolphin. A variety of vessels leave the harbour throughout the day and a sighting of Fungie is almost guaranteed. Expect the dolphin to dutifully duck and dive between the boats to ensure everyone on board is able to snap at least one blurry shot.