Let me start with a quote from the 'New York Times":

West Cork

"For many, West Cork is Ireland's ultimate destination - not quite as crowded with tourists as Kerry, yet every bit as charming. It shares with Kerry the photo-friendly craggy topography and jagged coastline.
It's impossible to make good time on the roads here, as they tend to be narrow and sinuous, twisting along rivers, through valleys, around mountains, and passing through lovely small towns.
Those willing to slow down and go with the flow are amply rewarded. You'll probably come across at least one puzzling rural intersection that's completely unsignposted, and have to slow down for a herd of sheep slowly making its way down a country lane.
In places, the public route that hugs the coast narrows to just one lane and delivers heart-stopping views. Over time, you may even come to think of the roads here as one of West Cork's great pleasures."

The Mizen Peninsula offers a wide wide of sites and things to do. Here is just a selection of what awaits you in West Cork!

As out head out of Schull and in the direction of Goleen you will get the chance to see the 4000 years old Altar Wedge Tomb in Toormore Bay.
There are a lot of mysteries about prehistoric Megaliths and I was told more than once that there is a very relaxing and peaceful energy around the Stone Tomb.

Bantry Bay

Bantry at the head of Bantry Bay is the principal coastal town in this part of West Cork. It is delightfully situated with a spectacular back-drop of mountains. This is an old town with many historical connections. Chief amongst these is that Bantry was the destination of two French Invasions - 1689 and 1796. In the former, the French landed some 2,500 troops and supplies before engaging the British fleet in the famous battle of Bantry Bay.

Bantry House is on the edge of the town of Bantry. This Georgian house was built around 1750 for the earls of Bantry. It holds furniture and objets d'art from all over Europe, including tapestries said to have been made for Marie Antoinette. The gardens, with original statuary, are beautifully kept - climb the steps behind the building for a panoramic view of the house, gardens, and Bantry Bay. The house also holds an exhibition on the ill-fated Spanish armada which attempted to invade the country near Bantry House in 1769.

Ballydehob

Ballydehob looks out on a 12-arch railway bridge built in the late 19th century to carry passengers, copper and fish. Abandoned in 1947, the bridge is now a pedestrian walkway overgrown with wildflowers. The village also hosts the annual Feile Atha Da Chab a must for music lovers! This year it is on from the 16th of April to the 18th.

Baltimore

Baltimore with picturesque cottages, and hanging baskets of fuchsia, geraniums and daisies ornamenting its narrow streets, is a beautiful spot to have an afternoon pint in the sun overlooking the bay or to enjoy some delicious food in one of its many restaurants.

Barley Cove Beach

Barley Cove Beach is very popular with families and wind surfers because of its fine sandy beach. Because of the high quality sand system and a wide variety of habitats and associated wildlife, it is designated as a Special Area of Conservation (S.A.C.) under the European Habitats Directive.

Beara Peninsula

Beara Peninsula, the massive mountains of the Caha range fill the central part of the peninsula, dividing Cork from Kerry. Hungry Hill towers above all the other peaks.

Blarney

Blarney known as "the biggest little village in Ireland", is one of Ireland's most picturesque villages. In Tudor style, the village has developed around the square. Some great sights to visit include the legendary Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle. Tradition holds that those who kiss the Blarney Stone will be endowed with the gift of eloquence - "the gift of the gab", as the locals call it.

Castletownbere

Castletownbere lies at the entrance to Bantry Bay on yet another sheltered harbor. A headquarters for the Irish fishing fleet, this town has managed to re-establish itself as a commercial center in spite of its isolation. The bustling waterfront is lined with bars, tackle shops and small factories.
Castletownshend

Castletownsend

Casletownshend is like a village in Cornwall, England. It slopes steeply down to the sea and the Episcopal Church of St. Barrahane's.

Clonakilty

Clonakilty is a town which has an excellent sense of what is best in terms of environmental presentation. It is noted for the excellence of many of its shop fronts which use traditional materials. Michael Collins, one of the great heroes of the 1916-1922 period, was born at Woodfield near here. He was General of the Free State Army, and his dynamic and powerful personality made him a legend in his own lifetime.

Cork

Cork is the second city of the Republic of Ireland has a population of over 160,000 people. Like Venice the city is built upon the waters, and Cork centre is built on an island in the River Lee, just upstream of Cork Harbour.
The two channels of the River Lee which embrace the city centre are spanned by many bridges, and this gives the city a distinctive continental air.  It is often said of Cork City that it has all the amenities of a large city, but still manages to retain its pleasant atmosphere and extreme friendliness, which you will experience on your visit. Cork is a city of remarkable charm with hilly streets, bumpy bridges and peaceful backwaters. St. Fin Barre's Cathedral is a splended triple-spired example of French-Gothic architecture.  Tradition has it that a monastery was founded on the site in the 7th century by St. Fin Barre. The English Market is located in the heart of the city and the visitor will find a variety of shops here.

Crookhaven

Crookhaven has a naturally protected harbor so typical of West Cork. The string of row houses painted in warm pastels stands out against the deep green slope that stretches between Streek Head and Brow Head. This strategic site was once a thriving settlement in the heyday of the sailing ships. Marconi came to Crookhaven in 1902 to supervise the building of a radio transmission station.

Drombeg Stone Circle

Drombeg Stone Circle, a ring of 17 standing stones is the finest example of a megalithic stone circle in County Cork. The circle dates from 153 B.C., and little is known about its ritual purpose. Just west of the circle are the remains of two huts and a cooking place; it is thought that heated stones were placed in a water trough (which can be seen adjacent to the huts), and the hot water was used for cooking. The cooking place dates from between A.D. 368 and 608.

Fastnet Lighthouse

Fastnet Lighthouse marks Ireland's most southerly point. Local folklore relates how a giant picked up the rock which is now the Fastnet from Mount Gabriel near Ballydehob and hurled it into the sea. The Fastnet is invaluable as a mark for large ships following Atlantic routes, and it is also useful to locals who judge what the weather is about to do by checking on the rock's visibility. This light house is also famous from the Fastn regatta which circles the rock. There are numerous beautiful photos which can be bought depicting the rock in all its glory. Thomas Newman in Schull has some gorgeous pictures for sale.
The Fastnet Lighthouse which is known as 'The Teardrop of Ireland' because it was the last sight of Ireland for emigrants sailing to America.

Glengariff

Glengarriff is one of Ireland's most beautifully situated villages and an area which is of special interest to botanists, because of the mild climate which the area enjoys. Glengarriff is one of the few areas in Ireland which still has some of the original oak forest which totally covered the country.

Glengariff Golf Course is a 9 hole short but challenging course always maintained to a very high standard. The course has been voted among the most picturesque in the country, with views over Bantry Bay, Glengarriff Harbour and the Caha mountains.

Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve is located approximately 1km from Glengarriff vilage on the Kenmare Road. There are a variety of walking trails including the Waterfall Walk and Lady Bantry's Lookout.

Gougane Barra

Gougane Barra was Ireland's first National Park when it opened to the public in 1966. This contributes greatly to the reputation which Gougane Barra has as an area of wild and beautiful scenery. The Forest Park covers an area of over 400 hectares (1,000 acres).

Kinsale

Kinsale is known as the Capital of Food in Ireland and owes its unique character to the fact that it was a garrison town and port of consequence for over 300 years, hence its magnificent Georgian houses and the Dutch influence of its architecture. The original town market and focal centre was on the level of St. Multose Church, Desmond Castle, and the Courthouse with narrow streets and quays radiating from it.

Lough Hyne

Lough Hyne is the only inland sea lake in northern Europe. Surrounded by spectacular undulating hills, this lake is a marine biologist's playpen, owing to the unusual organisms that haunt its salty waters. Among its curiosities is an asymmetrical tidal cycle; it takes four hours to rise and eight and a half to fall. There are forest walks in the Lough Hyne area, with the highest viewing point at 200m above sea level.

The Mizen

Mizen Head is the southernmost point in Ireland. The land falls into the Atlantic breakers in a procession of spectacular 700-foot sea cliffs. A suspension bridge permits access to the old signal station, now a visitor center. Whales, seals, dolphins, and seabirds contribute to the spectacle.

Mizen Ring bends to the north and cuts across the stretch of land and water known as Barleycove, where layers of foamy breakers extend for hundreds of yards. The northern stretch of the Mizen Ring route from Three Castle Head to Dunkelly, Dunmanus and Durrus follows a ridge overlooking sloping pastureland that ends abruptly in black rock plummeting to the sea. Layers of land and water , Dunmanus Bay, Sheep's Head, Bantry Bay and the Ring of Beara line the horizon and appear and disappear as banks of fog, rain and clouds drift in from the sea.

Sheep's Head

Sheep's Head and Kilcrohane is a splendid ring route . At the village of Ahakista the road plunges into tall woods in one of the lush, almost tropical settings that characterize West Cork. At Sheep's Head, an easy walk from the car park brings the visitor to a view that extends from Mizen Head to the Kerry mountains.

Three Castle Head

Three Castle Head is north of Mizen Head in a stunningly beautiful location. Located on the head itself this ruin of three towers is connected by a curtain wall dating from the 15th century.

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The fourth Annual

Feile Atha Da Chab

Traditioanl Music, Song & dance Festival in Ballydehob

April 16th - 18th

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Sunday Farmers Market returns to Schull for the summer!

Come and browse the huge array of homemade goodies, jewellery and other fantastic things on offer.