Peninsula locals love one-stop café shop
But times have changed and with the introduction of the Wild Atlantic Way, villages such as Kilcrohane are providing a wide range of services for the increasing number of visitors to the area.
Muintir Bhaire, ‘the people of Bhaire’, is the ancient name for the Sheep’s Head peninsula. Bhaire was the descendant of Fodhradh Canaan of the Corca Luighe, who settled in the area in pre-Christian times.
And there are many reminders of these early inhabitants that are still visible - promontory forts, stone alignments, lioses, the Medieval Bardic School and Holy Wells.
Cill Chrochain — Kilcrohane— the Church of Crochain. Not much is known about St Crochain, other than he is believed to have lived at about the time of St Patrick in the fifth century. Tradition has it that he came from Caherdaniel in Co Kerry.
The church or cell that St Crochain founded is believed to be on the site of the ruined church that stands in the centre of the cemetery in Kilcrohane.
Today, the Sheep’s Head Way’s popularity with walkers owes much to the late Tom Whitty, who was born in Philadelphia and settled in the area with his wife Suzanne and family.
Tom joined a small local walking group and, inspired by walker and mountaineer Jim Leonard, a way of harnessing the potential of the area by means of the Sheep’s Head Way arose.
Tom and local farmer James O’Mahony spearheaded a local committee that researched and developed the walk within a record 18 months and in 1996, then-president Mary Robinson officially opened the walk, which gained an All Ireland Award for development and quality techniques.
Tom’s extraordinary contribution to the area is remembered by the memorial ‘Atha Thomais’ at Gorteanish, Ahakista.
Today, the Sheep’s Head Way is an 88km long-distance trail which follows old tracks and roads around the peninsula from Bantry to the headland and back.
The trail is well-signposted and won the Waterford Crystal Walker Award and was chosen as the best walk in Ireland by Country Walking magazine.
Over the years, the Sheep’s Head’s dramatic scenery has attracted many artists and artisan producers who have contributed to the colour and diversity of the area.
Potters, galleries offering arts and crafts, cheese makers, cookery schools, and stone-carving classes are just some of the delights on offer.
And now the Old Creamery at Kilcrohane has become the new centre for the community and visitors alike. The old creamery houses a cafe and restaurant, a local produce shop, a bike and car hire facility, and a motor repair and service centre all handily situated in the heart of the village.
I spoke to Stephen O’Donovan about how this coming together has improved Kilcrohane’s future.
The Creamery closed its doors about 15 years ago. And of course, the old creameries used to be very important places where people met to discuss the news of the day, meet friends and neighbours, and help each other out. We purchased the site in 2008, after it had been empty for many years. We already had the garage business run by my brother Timmy and decided to relocate it there and we thought it would be a good place to start other tourist ventures. But then the downturn came along and so we put things on hold.
Yes, and they have been very successful from the beginning. We have some fantastic producers of art, crafts and a whole range of fresh local produce and we have a shop that sells these goods. We exhibit the work of local artist Danny Smith in the restaurant and other local artists in the gallery. What we are trying to do is give everyone an opportunity.
Yes, and it’s proving very popular. We were often asked by visitors about bike rental so we decided to provide the service. And this is an ideal area for exploring by bike, taking in the scenery and maybe stopping for a pint. We’re about to introduce electric bikes. They are really fantastic and I think they’ll be very popular. So we’re always looking out for something new, innovative that we can offer.
Definitely. We had a good summer last year and we’re expecting this one to be even better. We love our area and we want to share that with the visitors. One of the things that visitors always remark upon is the friendliness of the people. I remember having to go out to pick up a couple of American tourists whose car had broken down. I had to take them to the rental depot and during the ride, they told me that they had been here for four days and this was the best time they’d had, which surprised me. It turned out that it was the first chance they’d had to talk to a local and it had made their holiday. So that’s something to remember, that we are all ambassadors for our areas.
Yes. Our chef is my sister Eleanor O’Donovan, who has had 20 years experience at the Seaview House Hotel in Ballilickey, and front of house is my wife, Mary Anne, who worked at the Seaview too. We’ve been very lucky in the fantastic help and support we’ve received from the West Cork Development Partnership, which has been behind us all the way. This summer, we are introducing a tapas and wine bar for those who would like a glass of wine and some small plates. The outside terrace is a lovely spot, overlooking the river and a great place to unwind and enjoy a glass of wine. When you love where you live, you want to make a contribution.
