Beauty of Cork at your fingertip with Explore app
Carrie O’Flynn, historical re-enactor, in costume of the early 1800s, exploring nature on Whiddy Island, performing at the Ellen Hutchins Festival. You can now retrace the footsteps of the celebrated botanist and artist in a tour that takes in Glengarriff Nature Reserve, Whiddy Island, and the Caha Mountains and more.
Discover the ‘real-life Downton Abbey’ in this beautifully landscaped park in North Cork. Doneraile Court, the former residence of the St Leger family, is now operated by the OPW and there are guided tours every hour.
Children will enjoy the well-equipped playground and there are also tea rooms on site. You can while away a relaxing few hours exploring the stunning parklands surrounding the house, which feature groves of deciduous trees, a walled garden and gardener’s cottages. Wildlife also abounds, from the deer that roam the park to the swans that glide effortlessly along the Awbeg River.
No excuse is needed to visit the stunning Beara Peninsula in the far reaches of the county but the fact you can visit Europe’s most westerly copper mines is as good a reason as any.
There is evidence of mining activity in the area since the Bronze Age, but it took place on an industrial scale from the early 1800s. The Allihies Copper Mines tour gives a fascinating insight into how mining shaped the landscape, taking in disused mines, a gunpowder house and Pig Street, the walkway up to the mines that was once home to hundreds of families. The tour finishes in the Copper Mine Museum in Allihies Village, which was built in 1845, a most fitting location as it was formerly the Cornish Miners’ Methodist Church.
You may have zoomed past it on the Cork to Waterford road but it is worth making a detour to the east Cork town of Midleton to see this exceptional piece of public art up close.
Created by artist Alex Pentek, the distinctive sculpture was commissioned by Cork County Council in 2013 and commemorates the donation of $170 (an enormous sum at that time) by the Choctaw Nation to the Irish people during the Famine. It comprises nine 20ft-high stainless steel feathers, each one unique, in the shape of an empty bowl. Make a day of it by checking out some of the many other activities in the area, including the restored Old Midleton Distillery, or get on your bike and explore the first stretch of the new greenway, which links the town with Mogeely.
The stories of many Irish female trailblazers are thankfully being reclaimed from history, including that of the pioneering botanist and artist Ellen Hutchins, who was born in Ballylickey near Bantry in 1785. Follow in her footsteps while also enjoying the natural wonders of the area on this trail. You can cycle or drive between the trail stops, which include many of the locations where Hutchins hunted for plants, such as Glengarriff Nature Reserve, Whiddy Island, and the Caha Mountains. The trail also takes in Garryvurcha Graveyard, where Hutchins was buried in an unmarked grave. Fortunately, her mark on Irish history is now being celebrated.
This interactive trail harnesses digital technology to get people out and about in nature while adding ‘wonder to your wander’. The Wanderly app is the brainchild of Lena Ní Mhurchú Angland, who was inspired by walks with her own children. The storytelling element is to the forefront, which is no surprise given that Ní Mhurchú Angland is the daughter of well-known Innishannon writer Alice Taylor. Make magical memories through meeting the fairies behind the doors, finding pirates or discovering the hidden wildlife in the woods.
Be transported to a galaxy far far away at Ireland’s only planetarium, situated in the shadow of Mount Gabriel in the picturesque seaside village of Schull. Stargazers can see a realistic reproduction of the night sky under the hemispherical dome in the planetarium’s 70-seat auditorium.
Make the most of the trip by heading on for the iconic landmark of Mizen Head, Ireland’s most south-westerly point. In the visitor centre, discover how Mizen became a significant site for transatlantic shipping and communication, and gave many Irish emigrants their final glimpse of home. Feel the waves pound beneath your feet as you cross the award-winning bridge that stretches dramatically across the cliffs to the signal station.
While Cobh occupies a central role in the lore surrounding the Titanic and its fateful journey, there is plenty more to discover in the fascinating history of the town. Explore the town’s three heritage trails, laid out along blue (Quayside), green (Cathedral) and pink (Holy Ground) routes. From the awesome sight of St Colman’s Cathedral and its carillon of over 40 bells to the waterfront statue commemorating Annie Moore, the first person to set foot on Ellis Island in New York, the time will fly by. On a summer Sunday, the waterfront promenade is the perfect place to perch and enjoy an ice cream, and if you’re lucky you’ll catch some live music from the original Victorian bandstand.
Tucked away down a side road from Ballyvourney is a monastic site that is home to two wells — St Gobnait’s Well and St Abban’s Well, which may have originally been pagan shrines. An oasis of peace and calm, and the perfect spot for a picnic, the location’s spiritual origins gives it an otherworldly air. A statue honours St Gobnait, the patron saint of bees and beekeeping, who, according to legend, unleashed a swarm of bees on thieves who threatened to rob her church. The site is also of significant archaeological interest. Near the statue is a circular stone hut known as St Gobnait’s house or kitchen — an archaeological excavation took place at the site and early post holes were found.
This Clonakilty attraction is a perennial favourite with young and old alike. The fully-scaled model of the historic West Cork Railway Line features working miniature trains and stations. There are also remote control boats, mini-diggers and a play area, as well as a charming railway carriage café and shop. The Blue Flag Inchydoney Beach is only a short trip away, making for the perfect day out.
For the more active and adventurous, this paddling trail between Skibbereen and Baltimore offers a different way to see the maritime marvels of West Cork.
It offers green, blue and red trails for beginners, intermediate and advanced canoeists and kayakers, from the access points of Chapel Quay, Deelish Pier and Glebe Graveyard.
