cork to skibbereen the west cork coast

Cork To Skibbereen The West Cork Coast

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The coast of West Cork is a much favoured but quite unspoilt region, a place of bays and sheltered harbours, headlands, beaches and quiet seaside villages. Head out of Cork by the road to Innishannon, from where you drive along the Bandon river into the town of Bandon, take the road to Timoleague. The fine abbey here, standing at the water's edge, was an important Franciscan house.

It was founded by the MacCarthys in 1240 and was associated with St. Mologa, hence the name. You may visit the Castle gardens, and Courtmacsherry an internationally known Sea Angling centre, before continuing on to the small but busy town of Clonakilty, with a fine statue of a pikeman and magnificent array of traditional hand painted shop, pub and hotel signs. Just outside the town you have the beautiful beaches at Inchadoney.

Roscarbery is a place with an old sacred history. Its modest but pleasing present-day Protestant Cathedral preserves some souvenirs of its past. There are lovely sandy beaches here and there all along these shores including Owenahincha, Castle Freke and Coppinger's Court, near here, have romantic pretensions.

Description

Cork To Skibbereen The West Cork Coast

Description

Proceeding West towards Glandore you will find a signpost which will lead you to Drombeg Stone Circle. This is a particularly fine example, with an ancient cooking pit beside it.

Glandore is a lovely secluded village overlooking Glandore harbour, nearby is the pretty village of Leap. A long narrow bridge bestriding the head of the inlet brings you to the prettily-painted village of Union Hall. Out in Glandore Harbour you'll see two islands, Adam Island and the smaller Eve. "Avoid Adam and hug Eve" used to be the sailing direction for entering the harbour.

Continuing westward, a turning to the left leads you to the unusually picturesque village of Castletownshed, one-time home of "Somerville & Ross", the town Victorian ladies who wrote, among other works, "The Irish R.M." which has made such a popular television series.
The village is one long narrow street going steeply down to a harbour, interrupted half-way by two trees in the middle of the road. There are still high walls and gracious houses. The authors are both buried in the graveyard of the church near the harbour. On to Skibbereen, "capital" of West Cork and a busy market town.

( Approx 120 km).

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