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Blackwater Valley

Fastnet Line — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:47:21 +0000

Lying to the north and west of Cork city encompassing towns such as Mallow, Fermoy and Millstreet the Blackwater Valley tourism area taking its name from the world famous anglers paradise that is the Blackwater river, is a diverse area of commercial towns and rolling countryside amongst the most fertile in this region of Ireland. There is equine heritage here in abundance with the original steeplechase being a horse race first run from Buttevant church to St. Leger Church in the village of Doneraile in 1752. As well as fishing, golf, hillwalking and cycling the area has an abundance of natural beauty and Millstreet Country Park encompasses this beauty with an educational program, archaeological sites, managed wetlands and planned gardens not to mention a number of water features and a replica of a famous Belgian fountain the Mont Des Arts opened in 2009.

Macroom

Fastnet Line — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:46:29 +0000

The ancient garrison town of Macroom in the heart of the Lee Valley is both the hub and gateway to a fascinating region which contains spectacular scenery and rural Gaelic speaking communities which are living breathing organisms of an ancient culture not preserved, but thriving. The town serves as the main commercial centre for a network of villages in its hinterland but is a worthwhile base for exploring at a more leisurely pace the surrounding countryside. Nearby Gougane Barra (the retreat of St. Finbarr) is one of Ireland’s gems with a lake surrounded by imposing forested hills giving great walking trails and unforgettable views. Further west along the N22 is Ballyvourney a Gaeltacht (Irish speaking) area and last village on the road before County Kerry. The area boasts outstanding natural beauty and walking and cycling trails as well as Ireland’s only toy soldier factory and visitor centre.

Castletownbere/Beara Peninsula

Fastnet Line — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:45:01 +0000

Castletownbere is the main town on the Beara Peninsula, a working fishing port and focus of commercial activity of this region. It caters well for the traveller in search of sustenance or a place to stay and time spent in this area is rewarded by unforgettable memories. The ancient landscape bears the signs of human settlement from the earliest times and there is something elemental in the interaction of landscape, light, ocean and mountain. Once again the outdoors beckons at every turn, with fishing, hillwalking, cycling and sightseeing being key activities. The old copper mines at Allihies have a fascinating story to tell dating back thousands of years and the museum there is well worth a visit. The first sight of the village itself from a distance is one never forgotten and on a sunny day the nearby beach is a hive of activity for young and old alike.

Glengarriff

Fastnet Line — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:44:14 +0000

The town takes its name from the Gaelic An Gleann Garbh (the wild or rugged valley) and the visitor is left in no doubt as to why. This village is centred on a beautiful harbour studded with rock tree covered islands backed by bare rocky hills giving it a magnificent setting even by any standard. Everywhere you look there are scenes just begging to be photographed or just simply contemplated as well as walks and forest paths which yield their natural rewards at every turn of the trail. Garnish Island is worth a visit being just minutes by boat from the harbour but all around are samples of flora and fauna that make this area a naturalists paradise. The visitor is well catered for with a variety of places to stay, to eat and drink which is why Glengarriff has been a firm favourite for generations of visitors.

Bantry/Sheeps Head

Fastnet Line — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:43:29 +0000

The town of Bantry lies nestled between high hills at the head of the deep water harbour of Bantry bay. This bustling market town is a perfect location for exploring the rugged countryside in the hills behind the town and the many inlets and coves indenting the coastline. Bantry has been catering for the intrepid tourist since the 19^th Century when combined train and boat trips were available to get the traveller from Cork to Glengarriff. The harbour and Whiddy Island dominate to the seaward side overlooked by the famous Bantry House owned by the Shelswell-White family and home to an internationally famous annual Chamber Music Festival each summer (25^th June – 3^rd July 2010). The town has a great reputation for food with, not surprisingly, seafood dominating. Locally farmed mussels are a particular favourite but there is something to suit all tastes and pockets. The town boasts a particularly fine eighteen hole golf course boasting magnificent views over the bay.

Adjoining one side of the bay is the Sheep’s Head Peninsula another EDEN award winner in 2009 for rural tourism in Europe recognising the incredible walking trails (the Sheep’s Head Way) created on this unspoilt peninsula making the most of its natural advantages with special areas of Protection and Conservation being sympathetically and imaginatively incorporated into a unique tourism attraction. The area abounds in natural beauty and being a narrow peninsula the sea is never far away with spectacular views from the hills in the middle towards the ocean bounding both sides of this unique landscape.

Goleen/Mizen

Fastnet Line — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:42:37 +0000

The Mizen peninsula is the most southerly part of Ireland and the lighthouse and visitor centre at Mizen Head are a must see when in the area. Along the way you will marvel at the breathtaking beauty of this rugged landscape and perhaps wonder at the strength and resilience of a local population who have survived for generations farming and fishing this difficult terrain and at times, wild seas. The village of Goleen is for many a refreshment stop on the way to Mizen but many visitors bewitched by the landscape choose it as their “get away from it all” piece of heaven.

The rocky coastline and sheer promontories give way to a number of spectacular sandy beaches, most notably at Barley Cove. The combination of high rocky cliffs and sandy beach backed by high sand dunes make it an unforgettable sight. The little fishing village of Crookhaven at the end of a little promontory has its own end of the world atmosphere and with the sun shining and the boats bobbing at anchor in this sliver of a bay the noise and hubbub of the outside world seems a very long way away.

Kinsale

Fastnet Line — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:36:44 +0000

Kinsale has an international reputation as a food lovers paradise and indeed good food and wine is not hard to come by wherever you turn. Just twenty minutes from Cork City, Kinsale has long been the destination of choice for those city dwellers wanting to get away from it all in this atmospheric town dominated by its sailing and fishing past and present. The sheltered harbour is overlooked by Charles Fort a perfectly preserved Elizabethan Star Fort dating from the 17th Century a reminder of the town’s strategic importance. Nearby are the battle sites of the Battle of Kinsale, one of the most important moments in Irish history where Irish forces aided by the Spanish Armada were defeated decisively in 1601. The town still commemorates this event and you will notice the Spanish influence in pub names and indeed the magnificent replica Spanish Galleon mast down on the waterfront overlooking the modern sailing marina.

Kinsale wears its historical past lightly alongside a very modern outlook and is famous for its year round festivals ranging from the Arts, to rugby sevens, vintage car weekends, a sailing regatta and a fringe Jazz festival which runs alongside the Cork Jazz festival in late October (22nd – 25th October 2010).