West Cork woodland amenity lays roots

A community living within the vicinity of a small village is the driving force behind a new woodland recreation experience.

Dromillihy Woods is in the heart of the West Cork tourist haven.

But hundreds of thousands of visitors, as well as locals, have for many years bypassed the state-owned woodland without a second glance.

However, residents in the vicinity of Connonagh have come together to enhance the amenity value of the hillside attraction.

On Easter Monday, newly developed woodland walks and amenities at Dromillihy, near Leap village, will be opened by county mayor Cllr Barbara Murray.

According to the Connonagh Community Development Association, the looped trails — between 3km and 8km — would have a moderate rating for walkers described as “muscle stretchers”.

The association’s spokesperson Claire Graham said: “The community has been striving for several years to develop the woods. It is really gratifying for everyone to see the hard work finally paying off.”

The village is on the N71, the main artery through West Cork.

The national secondary road extends from the West Cork gateway village of Innishannon to Glengarriff, via Bandon, Clonakilty, and Skibbereen.

Ms Graham said the initial concern of the association, set up in 2007, was to develop a stronger sense of community spirit and pride in the village and its environs.

“We also felt the village needed attention to make it more visually attractive and to set up a system for regular maintenance.

“At the early stages, we also discussed and explored how we might take advantage of the location of the village, especially being adjacent to a river and woodland and in a prime position on the main road through the region.

“During the peak season hundreds of thousands of tourists access the peninsulas and wider region on a daily basis.”

The woodland is widely used by locals from the village and the surrounding hinterland. But she said a vast majority of passing motorists and visitors did not access the wider woodland due to a lack of information boards, maps, and trail infrastructure.

“We believe we have greatly enhanced the amenity and the work should encourage more people, locals and tourists, to enjoy the woodland.

“The proposed trails would be suitable for families, nature enthusiasts and individuals.”