Bantry & Beara
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BANTRY & BEARA GLENGARRIFF • CASTLETOWNBERE WITH SHEEP’S HEAD & MIZEN PENINSULAS 2019/2020 Free contents Welcome to West Cork IF YOU take the N71 through West Cork you’ll pass through one • Page 3-5 Bantry – About & History of the most isolated and little-known corners of Europe, a place, • Page 6-7 Bantry Town Map which has cast its spell over visitors for decades. Even if you do not diverge from this ‘main road’, you will see • Page 8-11,14 Bantry – Food & Shopping memorable scenery, getting ever more rugged as you go further west. When you do have time to stop along the way, or take a • Page 11-13 Bantry – Entertainment detour from your route, you may stumble upon that combination of people and scenery, music and food, nature and history that • Page 15 Bantry – Arts & Crafts will bring you back again and again. We have set out this guide in the form of easy to follow maps • Page 16-18 Bantry – Activities and lists of things to do in response to the visitor’s questions: “Where can we go, what is there to see and do, and where do • Page 19-22 Sheep’s Head Peninsula we eat?” • Page 23-27 Mizen Head Peninsula Mark out some places that you think would be worth visiting and plan your route around them; you will not be disappointed. • Page 28-29 A Grand Day Out Map You’ll find more open spaces, scenery and tranquility than it is possible to take in during one visit. Many people return year • Page 30 Annual Events / Festivals after year to re-experience the peaceful rhythm of the fishing and farming community, where the seasons are paramount and • Page 31 Ballylickey people do notice how fast the grass is growing! There is a well-balanced blend of modern and traditional in • Page 32 West Cork Markets West Cork towns and villages; old stone buildings have been lovingly restored and shop frontages are in keeping with the • Page 33-38 Glengarriff tradition. Look off the beaten track and you will find clues to • Page 39 Activities a rich archeological heritage: ruined castles, ring forts and standing stones. You’ll find the easy-going nature of the local • Pages 40-42 Beara Art, Craft & Sculpture people invites you to relax and enjoy life at a more gentle pace. As they say, there’s time for everything in West Cork! • Page 43-45 Castletownbere • Page 46 Beara Wildlife Front cover photos: A view of Bantry Bay; looking for treasures in Glengarriff; Pork crubeens from the all-day dining menu at Eccles • Page 47 Bere Island Hotel, Glengarriff and a new addition of the local wildlife. • Page 48-49 Allihies, Eyeries & Ardgroom Thanks to Niall O’Sullivan (www.niallosphoto.com); John Eagle, • Page 50 Beara History & Archaeology (johneaglephoto.com); Mike Brown (mikebrownphotography.com) Niall Duffy (westcorkphoto.com) and Margo Finn McCarthy for photographs. • Page 51-53 Beara Walking & Cycling Thanks to all who contribute information for this guide and also to all the businesses without whose support this publication would not be possible. • Page 54-55 Beara Map Publisher’s Statement: This publication has been carefully produced by West Cork People Please call West Cork People on 023 8835698 or Publications Ltd. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that details email [email protected] to advertise in this guide. are correct, the publishers cannot be responsible for any errors or omissions. Permission from the publishers of this guidebook has to be obtained for reproduction of photographs or information in the guide. Kerry Cork City Glengarriff West Cork Bandon Ballylickey Eyeries Kinsale Castletownbere Whiddy Bantry Allihies Durrus Clonakilty Dursey Bere Island Ahakista Kilcrohane Skibbereen Ballydehob Rosscarbery Schull Baltimore Sherkin Cape Clear 2 BANTRY ABOUT/HISTORY to France, an English eet, over Bantry Library and vying Aunder colourful Admiral Herbert, pastwith and same forpresent attention is entered the bay searching another interesting building. THEentered beautiful the bay town searching of Bantry nestlesanother among interesting drumlins building. at the for them. In the battle that Built in 1825, it has no fewer headfor them. of Bantry In the Bay,battle flanked that on oneBuilt side in 1825, by the it hasSheep’s no fewer Head followed, the French out- than fteen stained glass Peninsulafollowed, the and French on the out- other by thethan Beara fteen Peninsula. stained Bantryglass manoeuvered the English and windows, commemorating townmanoeuvered is that perfect the English fusion andof the past,windows, present commemorating and future. With made their escape. different persons and groups amade history their stretching escape. back to Neolithicdifferent times, persons when humansand groups left In 1697, troops of William from the community. The theirIn 1697,first imprints troops of in Williamplaces like fromKillnaruane, the community. through to The the of Orange were landed in interior has just recently been tumultuousof Orange were era oflanded the French in Armadainterior and has Theobald just recently Wolfe been Bantry. On 15th December renovated, and is well worth Tone;Bantry. from On 15ththe frenetic December commercial renovated, mackerel and and is pilchard well worth 1796, Bantry was once again viewing. The congregation fisheries1796, Bantry of the was l9th once and again early 20thviewing. centuries The to congregation the busy the destination of a French here had a real treat this cosmopolitan town it is today, Bantry has always offered eet: 43 ships and 15,000 year when celebrating their delights for all the senses. men set sail from Brest to Christian heritage, by having The famous Friday market on The Square is bursting with support the Irish patriot, Wolfe on the altar a chalice used delighful sights, smells and tastes; an atmosphere echoed Tone, a founder member of in the parish from 1635 and through the town’s winding streets with their many shops, the United Irishmen, who another from 1764, and the bars and restaurants. On soft Autumn and Spring days, you’ll was determined to establish Baptism Register from 1788. often spot a rainbow in the ever-changing sky above, with a an Irish Republic by armed These are now computerised backdrop of green pastures slipping down to the shoreline. rebellion. Easterly storms for the convenience of tourists Nighttime during summer months ushers in the sounds of off the Irish coast dispersed and locals who wish to check traditional,the eet, and classical while some and contemporary up on musicfamily history.to the streets, hostelriessucceeded and in anchoring grounds of beautiful Bantry AbbeyHouse, cemetery a place whichin Bantry commands Bay, many wonderful were viewswas over originally the inner the bay. site of scatteredWith such in thecolour Atlantic. and beautyOn everywherea Franciscan you Abbey look, builtBantry is27th naturally January a haven1797, anfor orderwriters, musicians,probably c.1460.visual artists The and sculptors.was given Theto abandon range of the cultural activitiesfew remaining available stones throughout of theattempted year is invasion,unbeatable, and tempting the visitorsthe building to stay have longer been and experienceremaining sea more. worthy ships assembled to form an altar sailed back to France. Bantry where open-air Mass is Town Commissioners at their celebrated near the centre of very rst meeting voted to the burial ground. change the name of the town Towards the seaward side square from Egerton Square of the cemetery stands the to Wolfe Tone Square in 10foot high Famine Cross 1896. erected by Tim Healy and his In 1969, the supertankers brother Maurice in 1878 in — Universe Ireland etc — memory of the hundreds of were frequent visitors to victims of the 1846/48 great Bantry Bay, bringing oil from Irish Famine whose bodies Kuwait to Bantry via Cape of were thrown into famine pits Good Hope for transhipment in this area. It is inscribed: to European re neries in ‘To mark the Famine Pits of smaller tankers, as Gulf Oil 1846-8 May God give rest Co. established a Crude to the souls of the faithful Oil Tank Farm on Whiddy departed’. OilBANTRY Tank Farm has anon interestingWhiddy departed’.National Tidy Towns, “The Island. The tanker explosion Tim Healy was a native Island.blend of The architecture tanker explosion in its outstandingTim Healy physicalwas a native location and the loss of over 50 lives son, born in Bantry in 1855, andbuilt theenvironment, loss of over from 50 livesfine son,of Bantry, born inmarried Bantry with in 1855, its was a tragic happening. The in the building now occupied washistoric a tragic buildings happening. to the The inheritage the building is unique now in occupied the complex is now owned by by Bank of Ireland. He complexmodern design, is now ownedfor example by bysouthwest” Bank of Ireland.and similarly He the State, and operating on became an Irish nationalist the State,fine curved and operating design of on the became“Bantry is an worth Irish anationalist visit just a smaller scale, it is used to politician, journalist, author, aGarda smaller Station scale, at it Wolfe is used Tone to politician,to stroll about journalist, the streets”. author, hold the national reserve of barrister and one of the most holdSquare, the andnational Bantry reserve Library, of barristerWhile strolling and one about, of the why most oil. controversial Irish Members oil.standing on the site of the controversialnot pop into the Irish quaint Members little The Church of Ireland ‘St of Parliament (MPs) in formerThe ChurchWoollen of Mills Ireland in Bridge ‘St ofBantry Parliament Museum (MPs) behind in the Brendan the Navigator’ is a the House of Commons. BrendanStreet, built the in Navigator’ the shape is of a theFire House Station. of HereCommons. you will find spectacular cut-stone building On 6th December, 1922, spectaculara dolmen.