ring of beara drive from bantry

There are licensed boats to bring you to Garnish Island. It's well worth the trip - but you should put a separate day aside for it.
Follow the shores of Bantry Bay, the mountains rising on your right, to Ardigole, and on to Castletownbere. If you've ever read Daphne du Maurier's "Hungry Hill" you'll find the landmarks all around you - Hungry Hill itself rearing over your head, and the burnt-out home of the mining family, in reality the Pluxleys. a little way along the road, next to the slight remains of historic Dunboy Castle. This is a nice stopping place, or picnic spot.
You can continue right out to the end of the peninsula, to where Ireland's only cable-car operates. It spans Dursey Sound and brings people, goods and animals to and from Dursey Island.
Return a few km to join the road going northwards to Ballydonegan and Allihies. They've been mining copper around here for about three thousand years. Be careful if you're exploring the old workings. They can be dangerous.
From here follow the signposted "Ring of Beara Drive" along the narrow road that snakes between the rocky crags to emerge suddenly to a magnificent vista of sea and mountainscape. You will be looking across the estuary of the Kenmare River to Kerry's Iveragh Peninsula, the "Ring of Kerry". There are steep gradients and the road is narrow, so pay attention. The road drops gradually to the little harbour of Ardgroom, then crosses the County Border into Kerry. Return by the spectacular Healy Pass, wriggling high over Glanmore Lake to drop away to Adrigole, and back to Bantry.
(Approx 152km)