Historic houses that make Co Cork such a popular place to visit

Tommy Barker, Property Editor, reflects on some of the Historic houses that make Ireland's largest county such a popular destination for tourists

The stunningly beautiful Bantry House and Gardens, one of many heritage houses which receives support from Cork County Council. Picture: Eddie O'Hare 

Cork County is Ireland’s largest county, and by a large margin too. It’s nearly 25% larger than the next biggest county Galway, and spans 7,500 sq kilometres, so it’s hardly a surprize that it also has a large, and a very diverse, range of heritage structures, properties of various sort representing the riches of the land, commerce and industry, and houses to match its scale and spread.

There are about 3,000 Protected Structures across the city and county alone, and in lots of ways that’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to buildings of note, little and large, ancient, cherished, neglected, and at risk.