Cork Tourist | West Cork | Ireland
Matty and Mary take us on guided tour of West Cork in Ireland where the sea is below and the mountains are above!
They travel from Bantry on the Friday Market Day to the makers of Milleens Cheese. They then head to Garnish Island to check out the special gardens. Using Irelands only Cable Car they then head to Jersey Island for a well deserved picnic.
Ireland Travel | West Cork Travel | Kerry Travel | Dingle Travel | Irish Travel | Ireland Travels
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In the early winter of 2012, I spent nine days trudging from field to field and tower to tower in Southwest Ireland. My trip was based in the Mizen Peninsula in West Cork. Along the way, I visited Castledonovan, Toormore, attempted to have tea with Jeremy Irons at his Kilcoe Castle, got lost down beautiful country roads, scaled the walls to visit the ruins of Rossbrin Castle and Raheen Castle near Rineen. I also spent a fantastic day exploring the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry. While there I visited Inch Beach, Minard Castle, the Dunbeg Promontory Fort, Coumeenoole Beach, Gallerus Oratory and Kilmalkedar Monastery. I finished my nine days in West Cork exploring an old estate and castle in Downeen near Rosscarbery, Coppinger's Court, the ancient Drombeg Stone Circle and braved the lady of the lake at Three Castle Head. Please join me on this fantastic tour of one of the most amazing places on earth.
As Robert Frost Once Said...
Over the coming weeks, I will be sharing my personal thoughts, practical ideas and historical facts about my most recent trip to West Cork. On this particular trip, I was by myself as I explored many sites in the West Cork area that over time have largely been forgotten. I also spent a very long day seeing Dingle. I will be telling the story using my words and photographs. I make no claims of being Mark Twain or Ansel Adams, but I will do my best to create an image that captures the magic of West Cork.
The title of this series is Nine Days in the Mud. I know it's not a very original considering I was in Ireland for nine days in late November and early December but Road to West Cork sounded too Bing and Bob.
Planning for this trip started like most when I'm traveling without my wife and kids. I travel a great deal for work and adding that extra week away from the family is sometimes hard to reconcile in my mind. Shawn, my wife, keeps assuring me that it is fine. I grumble about feeling bad for leaving them yet again for the sake of having fun. Ultimately, the cycle is broken, and I head to the Aer Lingus website to purchase my ticket. There's no turning back now. On the evening of November 25, I'm headed to Ireland!
With two days to spare, I decided to get my trip planned. I don't want to be over prepared! I grabbed my books, my ordinance maps and a cup of coffee. It was reminiscent of an old war movie with a grizzled general studying the map table determining his strategy. One book in particular was very helpful. It was written by Jack Roberts and is called Exploring West Cork: The Guide to Discovering the Ancient, Sacred and Historic Sites of West Cork. The book details so many lost places in West Cork and gives a general idea of where they're located. From here, I would go to my collection of Ordnance Survey Ireland maps to find the exact location. I paged through the book marking places of interest and then marked them with color coded Post-its. My maps were painted with rainbows of Irish fun, and I was basking in the organized glow of the German part of my ancestry. With a plan in place, I was ready to go.
Before I end, I have to get something off my chest. This is a note (and the practical information portion of this program) for those of you who have never been to Ireland. ALL Irish tourist sites and brochures lie. Every one of them. Without exception. Scandalous words I know.
Here's my point before I'm taken out back and made to eat my words. You look at all this material, and what do you see? You see people in shirtsleeves enjoying the sites while basking in the sun. Oh sure, some of the photos have a bit of cloud cover and people wearing jackets. However, they never show the days, and there are lots of them, when it's extremely windy and raining sideways. Just once, I'd like to see a mass of miserable tourists huddled around a small fire attempting to raise their temperature to pleasantly frozen. A lot of places in the world claim to have four seasons in one day. Ireland does this regularly, beautifully and without fanfare!
So. What did Robert Frost say?
From his poem The Road Not Taken:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Let's take that less traveled road. You never know who or what you'll meet.
Places visited:
Castledonovan
Kilcoe Castle -- Jeremy Irons
Rossbrin Castle
Inch Beach
Minard Castle
Dunbeg Promontory Fort
Dingle
Coumeenoole Beach
Reask Monastic Site
Gallarus Oratory
Kilmalkedar Monastery
Raheen Castle
Castlehaven Harbor
Glandore
Downeen Castle
Coppinger's Court
Drombeg Stone Cirlce
Christmas tree Skibbereen
Lough Hyne
Three Castle Head
Durrus
Schull
Dunbeacon
Dumanus Bay
Bantry
Cashel
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Track title: Lonely Wanderer
License Type: Standard License
Publisher: SoundDogs
Ireland Travel | West Cork Travel | Crookhaven | Brow Head | Irish Travel | Ireland Travels
Ireland travel is about taking a journey into the magical. While taking a tour of Ireland you should always include time to travel West Cork and Mizen Head. You can experience more of the West Cork area and Mizen Head at my Ireland blog using the links above.
Whether you are walking the paths of the many parks, climbing the rocky hills, fishing from the rugged coastline, sitting on a sandy beach, taking photographs of the Irish countryside or cycling the winding roads; a tour of this scenic area of southwest County Cork, Ireland is a must.
The drive to Brow Head and Crookhaven will begin in the small village of Goleen. Just outside the village you will see the Fastnet Sails shop, which is located in Kilmoe, the former Church of Ireland church in Goleen.
The road continues along the coastline past Spanish Cove and Rock Island. Once you get past Rock Island, you will see Crookhaven Harbor and the village of Crookhaven on the left. At the very west end of Crookhaven Harbor is White Strand. The entire harbor has incredible tidal flows throughout the day, which are amazing to see. Huge rocks that are visible in the morning will be completely covered by afternoon.
Keep to your left as you go around the end of the harbor. Just up the road, past the strand, you will see a turn on the right that is the entrance to Galley Cove. This road leads up the hill to Brow Head's peak and Marconi Tower.
Following the road up the hill, you will find yourself at a small parking area. From here, you can follow the walking path further up the hill to Marconi Tower. It was built in 1804 as one in a series of towers used for signaling if an invasion force was nearing the coast. Similar towers are located near the end of Mizen Head and along the southern coast of Ireland.
The tower's most famous resident is also its namesake. In 1901, Guglielmo Marconi and his company came to Crookhaven to erect radio masts to be used for testing his radio transmitters. In October and November of that year, messages were successfully sent from Poldhu, Cornwall to Crookhaven. By 1904, the technology of wireless had evolved to a point that made the Crookhaven/Brow Head location useless.
Continuing past the tower and adjacent structures, head down the hill to a small collection of buildings. These buildings (mine manager's house, counting house and miners' barracks) supported the copper mine operations at Brow Head. The mine started to produce copper in 1854 and in 1859; the mine produced 179 tons of ore. Other than a brief time in 1906, the main operations of the mine ceased in 1865.
If you have time and stamina, a walk to the very tip of Brow Head is worth it. As you continue along the paths, you will be amazed just how far down the peninsula you can get. The sight of the cliffs all around you is breathtaking. Keep your eyes on the rocks below, as you may see seals sunning themselves on the rocks. Don't forget to pack a picnic!
Back at the car, begin your trip to Crookhaven. Going down the hill, you will be graced with stunning views of Roaringwater Bay, Clear Island, Sherkin Island and Schull Harbor. Continue on until you get back to the main road. At this intersection, you will turn right and follow the road to Crookhaven.
Crookhaven is a very small village containing three pubs, one store and a huge amount of fun. The beautiful harbor bustles with activity on warm summer days. Sail boats come and go while kids play in the water at the base of the pier. You can't help but be happy when you're in Crookhaven.
The highlight of any trip to Crookhaven is visiting the best pub in the world. O'Sullivan's Bar is second-to-none when it comes to Irish charm. As you walk through the door, Dermot O'Sullivan will greet you with a cheery, Hello boys and girls. Order a toasted special with a Murphy's and find seat by one of the large windows. While you enjoy a quiet lunch, take in the beautiful harbor that sparkles outside the windows. If the weather is warm, be sure to enjoy one of the many picnic tables spread around the pier. Nirvana.
Planning your next vacation to Ireland? Don't forget to tour West Cork, Brow Head and Crookhaven.
Track title: The Rose of Tralee
License Type: Standard License
Composer: Bjorn Lynne (PRS - CAE: 272363273)
Publisher: Lynne Publishing (PRS - CAE: 541626758)
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Brow head atlantic ocean o'sullivan's bar rock island spanish cove.
Coastline goleen irish countryside marconi copper mine pub bar picnic clear island fishing beach cycling fishing photography.
Ireland Travel | Three Castle Head | West Cork Travel | Dunlough | Irish Travel | Ireland Travels
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Ireland travel is about taking a journey into the magical. While taking a tour of Ireland you should always include time to travel West Cork and Mizen Head. You can experience more of the West Cork area and Mizen Head at my Ireland blog using the links above.
Whether you are walking the paths of the many parks, climbing the rocky hills, fishing from the rugged coastline, sitting on a sandy beach, taking photographs of the Irish countryside or cycling the winding roads; a tour of this scenic area of southwest County Cork, Ireland is a must.
Leaving the small village of Goleen you will head in the direction of Mizen Head ( Continue past the turn to Crookhaven, and you will approach the left turn for the Mizen Head Signal Station and Barley Cove. Keep going straight until you get to the T in the road. At the T, turn right and head into the beautiful pastureland of the Mizen and Dunlough area. The road will continue to wind for several kilometers until you come to Dunlough Pier.
Leave your car in the small parking area and head up the driveway of the farm. Because you are entering private property, be mindful of locking gates and not disturbing the livestock. It would be very sad to have the castles closed from visitors because of the trouble they caused.
On foot, follow the signs and well-worn tracks in the fields. The first part of the walk is fairly easy. It isn't until you get to the bigger hills that the climb becomes harder and the footing a bit uncertain. Upon climbing the first hill, a small, shallow valley will open up in front of you. Walk through this small depression and continue up the other side. As you approach the top of the rise, be prepared for the incredible site of Dunlough Castle.
With the castles now in view, the last part of the hike is a bit touchy as the track down is steep and rocky. But, before you head down the hill to the castles, take a moment to enjoy the views in every direction. If your camera isn't overheated yet, I'm not sure what it will take!
The castle itself has three different towers that are joined by a crumbling wall that rises to about 15' (5 meters) in height. For towers built eight hundred years ago, they are in magnificent shape. In no time, you will be climbing around the site letting your imagination go as you let the history of this place come over you. It is not too hard to imagine the people in and around the castle. If you look carefully through a security gate on the east side of the largest tower, you will see the bottom of a perfectly intact staircase leading up to a higher floor. What I would pay to be able to climb on those steps and see where they go.
Besides the towers, another prominent feature of the site is the lake. In typical Irish fashion, there is always a story, and the story I have heard goes something like this. While the king and his two sons were away at battle, word came back that two of them had been killed. To preserve the fortune of their house, the lady, or queen, threw all their worldly possessions and treasure into the lake. The story goes that if a person searches for the treasure with greed in their heart, the lady of the lake will come for them. Death will follow soon after. You have to love a good Irish story!
The walls around the lake are original walls. At the far east end of the lake, where the cliffs drop into Dunmanus Bay, there is also an original dam that holds the water. I have also been told that you can see small mounds near the castles that were part of a promontory fort that pre-dated the castles. I need to go back so that I can find them for myself!
After you have finished exploring the castle site, a walk up the hills past the towers is worth it. Up there you will find another lake, a stone monument used to measure the height of the hill and stunning views to the north. On a clear day, you will be able see Sheep's Head, the entrance to Bantry Bay and the mountains of County Kerry.
You can easily spend several hours enjoying all the different areas of Three Castle Head. You will be in a very remote place, and it is likely you won't see another person during your hike. What is an absolute must for this hike besides good shoes? A picnic and a thermos of tea. For some reason, tea tastes so much better while sitting on a cliff at Three Castle Head.
Planning your next vacation to Ireland? Don't forget to tour West Cork, Three Castle Head and Dunlough Castle.
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Track title: Arrival of Spring
License Type: Standard License
Publisher: SoundDogs
Ireland travel mizen head west cork travel west cork ireland blog ireland three castle head dunlough castle.
Crookhaven atlantic ocean barley cove coastline goleen irish.
Countryside bantry bay county kerry mountains cycling photography.
Cork, Ireland 2019
Places :
-Sheila's Hostel
-A pub I can't remember the name of
-Greene's
-Blackrock Castle
-Cork City Gaol
-Titanic tour
-Elizabeth Fort
-The English Market
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Explore TV Ireland - Mizen Head
Mizen Head is located at the extremity of the Mizen peninsula. If you love dramatic cliff scenery, wide ocean views and colourful seafaring history, then enjoy as the Wild Atlantic Way drops you right at its doorstep. One of the main transatlantic shipping routes passes close by to the south, and Mizen Head was, for many seafarers, the first (or last) sight of Europe.
Kicking it in West Cork, Ireland
A perfect send off for a great friend heading to Vancouver.
We headed towards Glengarriff, Co. Cork. It was getting dark when we were coming into the town. We messed about on the pier a little and strolled through the woods, only to realize we still didn't have a place to camp out.
We drove back and forth through the town looking for a laneway to lead us to the coast. After a few attempts, we found the perfect patch of grass to set up our tent and a structure for a campfire had already been made. We had a little barbecue, few beers and just chilled out for the night. Well, until it started to rain.
We left and headed for Dursey Island, which has the only cable car in Ireland to take you over to it. It takes 15 minutes one way and can only hold 6 people at a time. We were queing for a while.
We left here Saturday afternoon and drove to Schull, where Mike has a holiday home. Heated up some homemade lasagna and it was luxury to sleep in a bed that night.
Great weekend altogether. Hopefully we'll
South West Ireland Road Trip
Our last leg of the journey took us from the Cork Region through to Mizen Head, past the Ring of Kerry and onward to the Cliffs of Moher. Take a look at we explored the beautiful nature of Ireland and then stopped at Emerald Glamping for a true #GoGlampIreland experience (and a hotel tour)!
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Cost Of Living In Cork, Ireland In 2019, Rank 75th In The World
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Camping in Ireland at Top of the Rock in West Cork
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Camping in Ireland is getting easier for foreign travelers thanks to places like Top of the Rock Pod Pairc & Walking Centre. In the heart of West Cork, Top of the Rock is perfectly situated for outdoor family adventures- from hill walking and cycling to kayaking and whale watching.
Enjoy this chat (recorded live on Blab) with David and Elizabeth Ross, owners of this unique lodging. Learn about their pods, the many activities in West Cork, and what makes their pod pairc & walking centre so unique.
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