Top County Cork hotels
Cobh.... Cork
7 Reviews Cobh (pronounced cove) - formerly Cove and, subsequently, Queenstown, is a pretty resort and port situated on the largest island in Cork Harbour. Walking along the quayside lined with elegant hotels,...
See All 61 Off The Beaten Path in Cork
Garretstown and the Old head of Kinsale. Kinsale
3 Reviews On our way from the Old Head of Kinsale to the town itself we stopped to bask a little in the sun on Garretstown Beach. It was July, the peak of holiday season, but the beach wasn't crowded, far from...
See All 13 Off The Beaten Path in Kinsale
Pottery Cobh
1 Review In the village of Shanagarry, in Co. Cork, There is a pottery factory. Their best known designs are an unfinished brown with a white glazed trim. We drove to the factory and had a good browse around....
See All 7 Off The Beaten Path in Cobh
Mizen Head Cork
1 Review Go to the southernmost point of Ireland; Mizen Head. To go the whole way, you first have to climb the famous 99 steps down to the bridge which is 45 meter above the sea level. For more information,...
See All 61 Off The Beaten Path in Cork
The Mall and Bowling Green Kinsale
1 Review If you want to explore a little further then it's time to strart climbing. Beyond Acton's Hotel on the waterfront, turn right onto Denis Quay where you will see another terrace of elegant georgian...
See All 13 Off The Beaten Path in Kinsale
Kinsale Cork
3 Reviews While a good few people visit Charles Fort in Summercove (near Kinsale) many drive from Kinsale and so miss a very pleasant walk. Plus they face the "fun" of driving in Summercove to get to the fort...
See All 61 Off The Beaten Path in Cork
Bearhaven Island Cork
2 Reviews West Cork is one of the most scenic parts of Ireland. The main Towns in this area would be Bandon, Kinsale, Skibbereen, Glengariff and Castletownbere. I dont know it really well personally - apart...
See All 61 Off The Beaten Path in Cork
Fota Wildlife Park Cork
1 Review Fota is a wonderful wildlife park full of all kinds of monkeys, cheetahs, giraffes, ostriches, peacocks, kangaroos and what-have-you. Most of the animals roam freely, only the more dangerous species...
See All 61 Off The Beaten Path in Cork
After walking around about half of the island, we stopped in the Whiddle Island pub for a soda and some shade. We were the only visitors-- everyone else was deeply involved in a televised sports event, but still friendly. Behind the pub/meetingplace/picnicarea/ferrylaunch was a small children's playground and minigolf course.
It's easy to wander from the "tourist" path onto actual farmland on Whiddle Island. About twenty feet past the point where this picture was taken, there was no more barbed wire between us and two conspiring bovines! Sure, this one looks far away in the photo, but we had to walk very quickly once he and his comrade noticed us. Good thing our cameras didn't have flashes.
Don’t worry if you never heard of Beal na mBlath before or can't find it on the map, as it seems to consist mainly of a petrol station and a pub. The reason we went there was to visit the site where Michael Collins was ambushed and shot dead on 22 August 1922. I have always found the quick-tempered "Big Fellow" a charismatic figure in Irish history and read Tim Pat Coogan’s biography a few years ago.The bits about Collins outwitting the British during the War of Independence read like an adventure-story, especially his audacious narrow escapes from British spies while cycling all over Dublin in a pin-stripe suit with a £10,000 reward on his head.After the failed 1916 rebellion Collins became the mastermind of Ireland's War of Independence against Great Britain. His guerrilla-tactics eventually forced the British into treaty negotiations and Michael Collins was sent to London to...
Barryscourt Castle is a 16th century tower house and was the family seat of the Barry family. There are a lot of similar-looking castles all over Ireland, but what made this one special was the guided tour. It lasted about one hour and the guide was very good in pointing out all sorts of interesting little gadgets, like a square drinking jug which the hosts really enjoyed passing round to their guests because they invariably splattered wine all over themselves trying to drink from it. Or if you have always wanted to know what a 16th century baby walker looks like, Barryscourt Castle is the place to go. You will also hear about such cunning inventions as the stumbling steps or the murder hole. The tour will take you through two big halls, the dungeon, the kitchen, the chapel and various single and multi-seat bathrooms. In summer you can also visit the bedrooms on the highest level, but...
Gougane Barra is a lovely National Park near Ballingeary and it is also the source of the river Lee. Gougane Barra Lake is surrounded by mountains and forests and the area is great for walking. Unfortunately the weather was pretty miserable when I was there, and I did not bother to go for a walk, but just went to see the little chapel by the side of the lake. In the 6th century St. Finbarr, the patron saint of Cork, allegedly founded a hermitage here, and you can still see the ruins. Behind the chapel an old cross leans against a tree, and both of them have hundreds of coins sticking in them. It reminded of a more labourious version of the custom to throw coins in a fountain, or maybe the cross is supposed to have some healing powers, and people are asking for some cure this way.
The Drombeg Stone Circle is about 9 m wide and consists of 17 stones. At the winter solstice on 21st December the setting sun will shine through the two portal stones onto the altar stone on the opposite side of the circle (that’s the theory anyway, but if at that time they had the same weather that we usually have these days in December I very much doubt that this concept worked very often). Beside it you will also find some sort of ancient kitchen where food was cooked in a pit by boiling water with hot stones and then adding the meat.Coming from Skibbereen you will find the circle if you take a turn in Leap for Glandore. Drive through Glandore and watch out for signposts after about 3 km.
Visit the Donkey Sanctuary in Liscarrol, if you are fond of animals. They look after hundreds of donkeys there in all colours and sizes, and they are the most affectionate creatures ever. Also have a look my travelogue for some of the great photo-opportunities you will be having there.
Between Adrigole and Kenmare on the Beara Penisuila
Yup, palm trees in Ireland. I wouldn't have believed it unless I had seen them myself.
This island was full of sheep, but otherwise uninhabited. The ferryman claimed that the sheep swim to the island, but I remain skeptical. Can anyone confirm or deny?
Fitzgerald's Vienna Woods Hotel Cork
1 Review and 172 Opinions
Blue Haven Hotel Kinsale
1 Review and 165 Opinions Completely refurbished in 2004, each room is individually furnished with exquisite furniture, the...
Ashlee Lodge Blarney
59 Opinions
Reviews and photos of County Cork attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for County Cork sightseeing.
Q: We will be in Ireland for 3.5 days the first of June with our 16 year old twin grandchildren, 1 boy and 1 girl. We will fly into...
A: There’s lots to do in the Cork area whether you decide to hire a car or not. A visit to Fota Island Wildlife Park should be a good day out for all ages ...
Read 4 Replies
