MT CORR N Durrus, Co.

GUEST BOOK WELCOME TO OUR HOME We really hope that you enjoy the house, garden and as much as we all do.

2 Important numbers 4 Room Plans 6 The House 8 Check-in/out Keys Gates Dog(s) Recycling, Rubbish and Composting House land line Wifi TVs + Sky Hot water Heating The wood fires Laundry and Housekeeping 10 The Kitchen 10 Drinking Water Ovens The Pantry Dining Areas The Swimming Pool and Tub 11 Child safety Temperatures Food 12 Kitchen garden produce Farmers’ markets Special shops Pubs and Restaurants By Area 14 Areas of Interest, Walking or Driving 16 Other Activities 17 Church Services 19

3 IMPORTANT NUMBERS John Johnston Margaret O’Brien 00 353 (86) 334 9625 00 353 (86) 650742 The Housekeeper Home 00 353 (27) 61282 If you would like her to come in during your stay, John will greet you on arrival and explain the please let me or her know in advance. Margaret can house to you. He looks after everything plumbing, be quite hard to understand, but is the best cleaner mechanical, electrical, fencing, firewood and grass this side of Texas. She knows the house backwards related around the house and garden. He works and is incredibly obliging. Monday to Friday, 09.30-4.30pm and is your first port of call if you want help on how something Private Cook - Carmel Somers works or if something has stopped working. If he 00 353 (85) 856 9367 is not at work around the place, if you have to call Carmel has until recently run one of the most him he generally comes 5-10 minutes - but has been celebrated restaurants in West Cork and arguably, known to have a social life on a Friday or Saturday Ireland – The Good Things Café. She now teaches night so may not respond so immediately then. Or and writes and if you are lucky enough for her not early on a Sunday morning. to be engaged somewhere else, she can be booked to cook at the house with a good bit of notice in Me, Kate Donaghy advance of your arrival. Her cookbook, ‘Eat Good 00 44 7767 686098 Things’ is on the shelf in the kitchen and is full of Call or text me anytime if things are not working or menus and dishes which we make all the time. She you have a question or just to let me know that you was one of the first to adopt Alice Walters’ (‘Chez have arrived and everything is/is not as you hoped. Panisse’ in San Francisco) philosophy of serving only Particularly the latter. (very) locally grown, organic and seasonal vegetables. We used to be one of Carmel’s suppliers while she Paul McCulla still had the restaurant in Durrus. If you do book 00 353 (85) 748 1182 her to cook, she will also be able to tell you the Paul is kind enough to refer to the garden as ‘my’.. who-and- what makes up the extraordinary food ie Kate’s garden. It is at least 7 parts his. I have the ecosystem that is West Cork. ideas and he has the professional training, spade, fork, mini-digger, good back and water proofing to have made it all happen. He works 4 days per week, generally Tuesday -Thursday and then Saturday. The Kitchen garden (West Cork is unlikely to tolerate the word ‘Potager’), was almost wholly created by Paul and John. They drained a standing swamp to the productive organic spot it is now, put in huge land drains, hauled seaweed up from the shore and lugged manure down from John’s family farm.

Paul will leave a box of what vegetables and fruit are in season for your arrival and will introduce himself to you to discuss what vegetables you would like throughout your stay. He will happily take you around the Kitchen and wider Garden if that would interest you. Their good manners and reticence generally prompt both John and Paul to rather keep to the kitchen garden.. Please go and find them if they are being invisible and you would like to ask them anything or would just like to say hello.

4 TAXIS Carmel McCarthy Home 00 353 (27) 61 033 Mob. 00 353 (87) 746 4888 Carmel’s Great Grandfather used to live in this house. His father was the local auctioneer, ‘Long John McCarthy’. She is very reliable, chatty and knowledgeable on local lore. Jack McNulty 00 353 (27) 61219 Jack was the local Gard (Policeman). He therefore knows everything and everyone. He is known to slow down to a near stop when in the middle of an anecdote so if you are on the way to the airport, don’t be shy about telling him to put his foot down a bit more. Like everyone else around here, he is extremely good humoured.

MEDICAL GP There is a very good German GP, Dr Gita, in . Her colleagues are also good. Visits cost c€45. The practice is moving in the spring of 2020 so call to find out its location. 00 353 (27) 50504. 8am-6pm through lunch Mon-Friday. Sat. 9-12. Out of normal hours call ‘SouthDoc’ 1850 335999 Bantry Hospital A&E 00353(027) 50133

5 ROOM PLANS THE HOUSE

Ground Floor

5 2 9 3 8

10

1

7 6 4

First Floor

13 11

14

12 15

1. Garden Room 9. Pantry 2. Boot Room 10. Laundry Room 3. Sitting Room 11. ‘Hotel du Vin’ Bedroom 4. Sitting Room 12. Double/Twin Bedroom 5. Kitchen 13. Master Bedroom 6. Dining Room 15. Dressing Room (Single Bedroom 7. Study (with Sofa Bed) with 2 lockable doors between 8. Utility Room this + Master)

6 THE GRANARY Ground Floor

1. Gym 2 2. Bathroom 3. Loft (with Double Day bed)

1

First Floor

3

THE COTTAGE

1. Kitchen 2. Living Room (with sofa bed) 6 3. Bathroom/Utility 5 4. Smaller Double Bedroom (Queen Bed) 5. Large Double Bedroom 6. Bathroom 3 4 7. Log Store & Recycling/Waste

7 1

2

7 THE HOUSE Check in is after 4pm and Check out, 10am. To let guests/those without a fob in, there is a call Do call ahead to agree a time with John +/or Aidan system from the cottage gate to the main house as above. It may be possible to arrive earlier. kitchen for when they are closed. In the kitchen there is a button on the wall behind the white Keys curtain which will open the gates. John will show John will give you two keys, one for the kitchen you how to use this. It is to the right of the door side door and another for the front door. Keys are into the utility room. John will also show you how our nightmare because we seem to have a house of a to lock the gates on open. Click the fob to open thousand external doors. (The external doors to the them, then as they are closing, at the half way-ish garden room are kept unlocked). Each door has a mark, click again and they will stay open. key on a nail on the left architrave. PLEASE do not remove these and stick to using the keys provided Dog - not dogs and return them to John when you are leaving. Please only have one dog. The presence of two While you are in the house, it is easiest to put the brings about an exponential degree of damage. kitchen, side, front and garden room doors on the Much as we are a doggy family, other than our two snib but please remember to lock them before old lads whose fires are now burning low, we limit you go out or to bed. We spend a small fortune guests to just one, and that one is most welcome replacing keys and will be very grateful if each of downstairs but NOT upstairs. When muddy, please the doors still has a key in the lock when you leave. hose/ towel him/her down before bringing them into the house when muddy. The ponds are a mud- Gates fest for them. We tend to throw stones for them in The Main (Cottage) gate is fully automatic - the stream though there is a hose on the far wall of (Although many sing a quiet Ave Maria prayer each the terrace, just about findable underneath a young time they press the fob). John will give you a fob Magnolia and a Crab Apple in a pot. to keep in the car and also the Code for both gates. We chiefly close the main (cottage) gate if dogs +/ No Hen, Stag or mixed gender or children are staying. The road is surprisingly busy. varieties of same And fast. Recycling, Compostables, The Farmer’s gate on the eastern (Durrus) side is only used by our neighbouring farmer who has Rubbish and the Bottle Bin a right of way to the surrounding fields. Without In the kitchen exaggeration it is a lethal exit. If you have to use it, PhD’s will be awarded for working out this system. the code used on the keypad on one of the pillars There is a 4-container bin in the drawer underneath only opens the magnetic lock. You then open and the hob - left hand side of the Kitchen Island. close the gate manually.

8 We put compostables (no animal fat or citrus) into the two small left-hand bins, which need no bags. They should go to Paul for the compost heap up above in the kitchen garden or into the small compost bin around the side of the cottage. Recyclables other than bottles in the rear right. Rubbish-rubbish in the front right. The Cork County Council regulations on rubbish are fierce. No mercy is shown if they find even one glass bottle in the rubbish-rubbish. The Bins The large roll-y recycling, rubbish-rubbish and bottle bins are in the wood shed which is leans against the cottage. John will deal with keeping the bins on the right side of full. Hot water House Phone The water in the House is heated by solar power 00 353 (27) 62764 so should be constantly hot. There is an immersion to boost this when there are a lot of people using Please use it freely for local calls but not the system. The switch in the solar boiler cupboard international ones. For those we operate a trust – behind the door in the bedroom at the top of system. Please advise Aidan of such calls. the stairs on the right. The water in the Cottage is heated by both the wood pellet burner and there is Glasses, jugs, bottles by the an immersion. swimming pool and tub Please only use the plastic glasses and jugs and take Heating care with bottles at the pool and tub. These are to be The heating in the House is provided by a wood found in the first cupboards in the Utility Room. chip boiler with an oil boiler if that system fails. The kitchen, sitting room and boot/dog lobby floors Breakages have underfloor heating. The Cottage does not have Please let us know of any breakages or stains. I am a this back up but heaters are in the large cupboard clutz so am pretty balanced about breakages/stains there and the wood-burner heats the whole place but we need notice if we need to replace or mend very quickly. something. Any of the ‘better’ glasses.. cut or old, will In all but hot weather, the heating will be on when be charged for €20 per breakage. There are large you arrive. Each room has a thermostat. These are numbers of good plain ones in the glasses dresser fairly self-explanatory but John will clarify/set in the Dining Room so perhaps it is safe to stick to for you. The south facing windows and quality of them. glazing make the house a greenhouse when the sun shines. The upstairs heating is seldom on after a day Wifi - House, Cottage and Granary or so of the heating being on. The password is stunningly original or our part: 123456789 for each of the 3 new routers to ensure Fires coverage from the expensive new connection we There are working wood burners in the 3 have just installed to the digital hub in Skibereen. downstairs sitting rooms. The logs are from the property and are generally old and bone dry so burn Sky Sports, TV etc quickly. Beware.. the main sitting room stove will There are TVs in the study (a large screen) and in have you stripping to your shorts after 30 minutes. the Cottage. John can help with connection. The We tend to light it after 30 minutes open an outside internet connection in the study is hardwired in as door even in mid-winter. The log store is on the east the walls are too thick for good wifi. You’ll need side of the cottage. your own Netflix subscription.

9 LAUNDRY AND HOUSEKEEPING The machines and laundry cupboards are off the Beach/pool towels are available in the Cottage or utility room. The cottage has its own machines and linen press in the laundry room. Please use them linen. If you would like Margaret to come in to on the beach. If you use them at the pool it means wash and iron, change beds, make good the kitchen fewer wet towels on the heated towel rails upstairs. etc, please let John or myself know, well in advance. The iron is in a cupboard in the laundry room.

THE KITCHEN Water The master on/off button is top right. It will blink Eau potable and really not quite so potable until the set heats are reached. Each oven/plate has its own on/off button: There are 2 water sources for the house.. well water 1. left hand plate on top very hot from the meadow and captured rain water. The well 2. right hand plate on top simmering water has a high manganese content and makes 3. top right oven roasting, 220°C+ horrid tea. Indelicately put, the family call it ‘the 4. bottom right plate warming at c80-100°C farty water’. It is safe, just anti-social. The rainwater 5. bottom left baking, 180°C is delicious and very social. SO, for cooking + washing up.. use the kitchen tap. Like their ancestors, these electric aga ovens don’t keep their temperatures up if the plates above are For drinking water, only use the strange but being used. glamorous articulated tap over the Aga or the water dispenser in the door of the fridge. Pease fill the kettle The Hob etc from this tap only as the taste of the manganese haunts A x 2 ring gas hob built into the kitchen table. your tea for some time afterwards. John should make sure the cylinders are full. The kitchen tap water in the cottage is well water is treated to be drinkable. But you may want to fill Gas Oven large bottles with the aga tap’s rain water for tea etc The reliable old fail-safe in the utility room. down there. Reassuringly low-tech. Ovens Microwave Electric 4 door Aga To the right of the Aga under the counter. Electric 4 door Aga -should be on when you Simpler than it looks. To operate: arrive. The controls are behind the left upper door. 1. Press the central long rectangular on/off button. To switch on/off each ring or oven as you choose, 2. Choose the intensity by pressing one of the open the top left door. x 4 buttons on the left 3. Choose the time setting by twiddling the circular knob just to the left of the central on/off one. 4. Press the start button, to the right. Ice-maker, cold (rain) water dispenser, fridge freezer and two chest freezers There is an ice compartment in the upper of the 2 shelves in upper drawer beneath the fridge doors. There are two additional chest freezers under the counter in the utility room, to the right of the small wine fridge. The water in the dispenser is the non- farty kind.

10 Two Dishwashers - one small, Spare Bulbs/extension leads, batteries one normal There is a ‘useful-things-generally-needed-in-a-hurry’ There is a small dishwasher to the left of the sink. It box at the bottom of the linen cupboard. In the is fine for breakfast dishes etc when the house is full laundry room. Please replace anything used beyond or a whole day when it is just two in the house. The the odd bulb. larger one is at the far end of the utility room and we use both after dinner for more than 5-6 people. The pantry NB Check sell-by dates. You have been warned. Chef appliances I am not terrorised by them buy you may be. Even A Kenwood Foodmaster, an ice-cream and a I have to bin some of the old friends I find in there smoothie-maker and salad dryer are kept on the occasionally. Please help yourself to any of the counter in the utility room. The kitchen is pretty ingredients but if you use a lot of, finish or almost well stocked appliance-wise. Stick blender, liquidizer finish anything, we would be grateful if you could and herb mill etc are on the shelf underneath the leave us a note or part replace it. There are a few kitchen table opposite the sink. I have a Kitchen spices etc that you’ll not find there – some hidden in gadget-buying habit. posh biscuit tins to your right. Cutlery Dining areas: There is kitchen cutlery in the drawer in the kitchen • Dining Room sits 10 comfortably table – the one on the other side from the aga-side. • The Garden Room sits 14-16, also comfortably. There is slightly more elegant and dish washable • The Summerhouse - a very romantic spot. stuff in the Dresser in the Dining Room.. in the Best used for tea, pre-lunch or dinner drinks trugs in the cupboard and in the left hand drawer of or just sitting in when it is raining outside, the press. looking through the rain, listening to the river and not getting wet.

THE SWIMMING POOL AND HOT TUB Child safety The pool cover is electrically controlled. The Any child who cannot swim well MUST be Open/Close switch is in the ‘turret’ in the corner of accompanied anywhere outside but especially the pool garden, as are the lights for swimming in the near the pool or the ponds. Padlocks are provided dark. When you press ‘open’, wait for 2 minutes or so for you to lock the gates if you have children. We before despairing that it is not working. It takes a few cannot padlock the areas around the ponds so hence minutes before there is movement. the need to supervise them playing outside. Soccer in the meadow beside the Kitchen Garden is ideal for those so inclined. Temperatures The heating of the swimming pool and tub is included in the rental price. We keep the pool at c.27° or 28°C, the tub at c.36°C. If you are unlucky with the weather and it rains heavily and is predicted to do so for some days, heating the pool is impossible. John will discuss with you if he thinks it would be better for the planet and of course, my bank balance, to turn the heating off for a day or so. The tub heats up in 3-4 hours. The pool takes 48 hrs if the air temperature is much below 18°C.

11 FOOD West Cork is like California with rain. The artisanal Shellfish delivery: food ecosystem is remarkable. 2 generations of Tommy Lobsters is our local shellfish man! Dutch, English, German, Polish and French in- Depending on the season he will deliver from comers who came here to grow and make what boat to front door prawns (May- July), lobsters they eat mean that the markets are sensational. It (not always plentiful), shrimp (August onwards), or also makes the Dutch/German/Polish etc West Cork scallops (October on..) accent pretty interesting. You can call him and order at: 0863963251 • The Kitchen Garden • The markets and best shops The Markets • Eating Out - Pubs and Restaurants by area The summer market timetables are: Bantry The Kitchen Garden Friday 08.00 to 15.00 Paul McCulla, our Gardener, created the kitchen Skibbereen garden that you see from a standing swamp. With Saturday 08.00 to 15.00 a man with a digger (Jim O’Sullivan), they put in Schull large land drains, drilled wells to store the spring Sunday morning 08.00 to 14.00 (Easter to mid-Sept) water and channelled the water into the stream that runs through the ponds. With John Johnson (and Produce highlights include: Durrus Cheese, Gubeen his Dad, John Johnson Snr’s help), they brought tons Cheeses and smoked and unsmoked pork and chorizios, of well rotted manure down from their farm, and West Cork produced Mozzarella. The Gubeen book is finished the mix off with a not entirely legal small on the kitchen lobby bookshelves and is worth reading. tonnage of seaweed hauled up from the shore after The cheese stalls at the markets are extraordinary by any storms. standards as are the olive and mediterranean products stall; ditto baskets from the weavers and bread from the people If you would like to spend time with Paul, he will who made them. The range of fish at the Fish Market on take you through creating rich compost, rotational Bantry High St is remarkable. vegetable growing, propagation and generally coping with the delights of West Cork’s weather.

Please talk to Paul about what you would like from the garden over your stay. Don’t hold back from picking what you want. It’s all part of the deal.

12 Best Shops Good Supermarkets Organico, Bantry. On the road to or arriving SuperValu, Bantry. On the pier. in from Kerry/Glengariff. An excellent supermarket but the vegetables are A truly wonderful source of everything (organically) better at the market. healthy in life.. vegetables, breads, Dairy, non-Dairy alternatives, health supplements etc. (027) 51391 Lidl, Bantry, Glengariff Rd. The Stuffed Olive, Bridge St., Bantry Fields of Skibbereen Very good and fun Deli. Prepared dishes like Irish www.fieldsofskibbereen.ie stew quiches, salads, cakes, etc.. good range of high A local institution. Lots of local produce and an end cook’s ingredients too, inc wines. The Moroccan inexhaustible range of deli products as well as orange and almond cake is to die for. household basics. A great one-stop shop. The Fish Market, (A shop), Main St. The fish comes off the trawlers on the Beara peninsula. Scallops, proper smoked haddock, mussels, and every variety of you can imagine from the North Atlantic. Paddy O’Donoghue, Butcher, Main St. Butchers his own meat and that of our neighbouring farmer. All his meat is good but his lamb, hams and homemade black pudding are outstanding. Paddy’s black pudding (relatively low fat and delicately spicey), scallops from the fish market and fried eggs are our traditional ‘welcome home’ brunch.

13 PUBS AND RESTAURANTS BY AREA Blair’s Cove House Hotel Organico 00 353 (27) 61127. Dinner. Good but ££/£ 2 Glengariff Rd., Bantry. Shop and Café Walk out of the main gate, turn left and then Best organic wholefood shop and café this side of immediately through the gates on the right. Chez Panisse. Fabulous salads, sandwiches and soups, The house has a great view over Dunmanus Bay. and lunch such as felafel platters with hummus and Owned by Philippe and Sabine De May who are tahina. Great coffee and cakes too. now retiring so run by their daughter, Anne. You generally need to book. Mt Corrin used to be the O’Connors Home Farm for Blairs Cove and was known as Wolfe Tone Sq., Bantry. 00353(27) 55664 ’Little Blair’s Cove’ until the 1920’s. Under new management so hopefully better than for the last few years. Bantry Ballylickey Bantry House 00353(27) 50047 c 7k beyond Bantry towards Glengarriff/Kenmare La Grande Dame. Built by the Earls of Bantry and furnished with the 2nd Earl’s Grand Tour treasures, Mannings Emporium tapestries from Versailles etc. Time and fortune have A West Cork institution.. a café with great coffee/ not been kind but the house itself and garden are lunches/drinks/deli and people. wonderful. Coffee/Tea/Lunch in the Café with the best view in ON THE SHEEPS HEAD Ireland, maybe Europe. Afternoon Tea in the very grand PENINSULA Library looking out at the formal garden, by arrangement only, is charming. €30 per person/€35 with glass of Akahista Prosecco. 24 hours notice required. (Not even a village. Graham Norton lives in The Shelswell-Whites (the title died out in the Akahista House): 50’s) still live in and run the house. For a donation, guided tours of the house can be booked too and Arundel’s By The Pier sometimes, Brigitte, or Julie, her daughter who is Our favourite local pub. Delicious chowder and now running the house, will take you around. mussels. Best on a sunny day as the tables are right by the water. If you do go on a rainy day, we prefer The Fish Kitchen to sit downstairs so ask in advance. We have walked High St., Bantry. Lunch and Dinner (book). here and ordered a taxi home (approx €24), or it is a 00353(027)56651 lovely cycle all along the coast. Alternatively we have Really, really good fish dishes. Un-prepossessing walked the Goat’s Path in , followed by from the outside..up a flight of stairs from the street lunch here. with the Fish Shop directly on the right. Gets rave The Heron Café and Gallery reviews from everyone. (Relocating in the spring 2020 to the old Methodist church, at the corner of P75 TW89. 00353 (27) 67278 the square). A delightful spot for lunch/tea mid-walk. Great music sometimes. When you get to Akahista the road The Stuffed Olive bends to the left. Take the right turn up the hill at Bridge St., Bantry. Lunch/coffee etc. this point. A terrific organic deli and café currently just beyond the crossroads at the top of the Main St. The Tin Roof Bar but relocating further down the same street in the Characterful, adjacent to the Palazzo Norton. spring. Great cakes. salads and coffee. Superb choice available for the gluten intolerant. V. Crowded on Fridays (Market Day).

14 Kilcrohane Ballydehob Eileen’s Bar There are several good restaurants in the village, none of which I know.. no reflection on them: An unadulterated, good Irish pub – a peat fire and good Guinness. No food other than 1960s style The Chestnut Tree sandwiches. 00353(28)25766 Michelin Starred* Open 24hrs a day, 365 days a year. (that includes, [email protected] they say, Good Friday). Booking necessary. Levi’s Bar AT THE VERY END OF THE Known for its music sessions. There is also a small MIZEN PENINSULA farmers market every Wednesday morning in the pub. We suggest picking up great produce here in Bernie’s Cupan Tae a very unique setting, followed by a coffee from (‘Bernies’ cup of tea’ in the local patois..) either Budd’s or Hudson’s opposite. A nice morning At the end of the peninsula/car park/turning point. activity! Follow Levis’s pub on Facebook or Run by the eponymous Bernie, all proceeds fund Instagram to see details. the West Cork Way. Very welcome soup and www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review- sandwiches or tea and buns before/after the long or g1389354-d7646374-Reviews-Levis-Ballydehob_ the short walks around the tip of the Head. Most County_Cork.html of all, the VIEWS….!!! Bantry Bay on one side, Dunmanus on the other. BETWEEN BALLYDEHOB O’Sullivan’s Bar, on the pier at Crookhaven. AND SKIBBEREEN 30 mins from the house and 10 minutes from Island Cottage Barleycove Beach, the best beach in Cork. The 00353 (28) 38102 sand reached here courtesy of a Tsunami in 1775 [email protected] – a volcano erupted off the coast of Portugal and ££/£ virtually sunk Lisbon. The chowder and a glass of A must if you can book in advance - HARE/ my nephew’s prize winning craft beer, Sullivans, HEIR ISLAND on the Skibbereen-Ballydehob Rd. Bring there is a must. Go there after a walk/swim/surf the map to navigate to Cunnamore Pier and book your (5 on Barley Cove Beach. Crookhaven is tiny and minute journey) ferry in advance. The Chef/Patron is John quiet now but was a major point in the C19th for Desmond, formerly the Chef at the Paris Ritz. emigrants taking ships to America. DINNER (15 June to 15 September) Advance reservations possible from 1st May and are necessary. ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE Please phone well ahead to make a booking. MIZEN, ROARING WATER BAY You need to schedule this BEFORE your arrival Schull/Ballydehob/Hare/Heir Island/Skibbereen/ into Cork. It is one of the more delicious and Castletownshend/Baltimore thoroughly eccentric West Cork outings that you could have. The restaurant is a diminutive cottage. Schull The service by la femme du Patron, who takes no Fun fishing/sailing/shopping town on the other side prisoners. You take a 5 minute ferry ride over to of Mt Corrin, the hill. Hare. The ferry needs to be booked. See below. The restaurant closes at 11.15pm. Open Wednesday Nicki’s Kitchen, ODs Townhouse, to Saturday. Sunday is reserved for private dinner Hackett’s Bar, Grove House, Nico’s, bookings for minimum groups of 16 to 22. Bunratty Inn Bookable Dinner Ferry John Moore mobile: 086 819 2342. Depart Cunnamore Pier 7:30pm, return 11:30pm. €7 per person return. For other journeys to Heir, The MV Thresher (+353 (0)86 8092447, http://www.heirislandferry.com) departs from Cunnamore Pier.

15 CASTLETOWNSHEND BALTIMORE Mary Ann’s. 00353 (28) 36146. Ferry to Cape Clear Island Famous for its atmosphere and good fish. Book ahead for The ferry to Cape Clear Island leaves from here. dinner and lunch. Hugely recommended as an outing. https://www. capeclearferries.com/book-cape-clear-ferry- baltimore- cape-clear-island-fastnet-rock Glebe Gardens. 353 (0)28 20579. Lovely gardens and great café. As above.

AREAS OF INTEREST, WALKING OR DRIVING Ordnance survey (osi) maps The signage is not so great just here. Go straight up www.osi.ie the track and ahead through a gateless gap and then bear right. There is no clearly worn path at this stage. The immediately relevant map is OSI 88. There is a copy You’ll find another stile in the right hand corner of in the House File and it and its fellows can be bought in the field, taking you to some stones over a streambed. any supermarket in the area. Please leave the House Copy Proceed up the hill and then bear right and, strangely, back on the shelf on your departure. There are also several downhill again for a short distance. Do not bear left others of the proximate areas on the bookshelves on the left into the farm buildings you’ll see. The way is more as you walk through the little lobby into the sitting room clearly signed from now. You’ll join the road steeply from the kitchen. Again, please leave these for others and uphill for a while. When you crest the hill, after ourselves. Most supermarkets sell the range of maps but no c100m there is a style on the left taking you up to the harm to pre-buy. top, and the cairn after which the hill is named. The The Sheep’s Head Way path and way posts are now pretty clear. The path will take you down to a small road. Turn left and descend. www.thesheepsheadway.ie OS Map 88 Take the first left turn you come to and this will take and see dedicated guides and map in you home. Good waterproof walking boots needed in the folder. all but long dry spells. A 200Km (non-linear) series of walks facilitated by the local farmers around the small peninsula The Beara Way to the north of us across Dunmanus Bay with the OS Map 84 and 85 www.irishtrails.ie/ extraordinary Bantry Bay to its north. When you get trail/Beara-Way/3 to the tip of the Sheep’s Head there is a lighthouse Completely unspoiled and stunning. Starts at (30 minute walk from car park) and the views on Glengarriff. 208km. The pub serving mussels on a either side are as good as any sea view you could small fishing pier near Tuoist does mussels to die for. want. Various whales often to be seen. You can drive the whole peninsula in a day. Stop at Your first outing could be the ‘Mt Corrin loop’… the Dereen Estate.. a wonderland of tree ferns and a c2hr round walk from and returning to the rhododendrons. Lord Landsdowne’s Irish pad. Kitchen Garden Gate taking you up one side (pretty steep) and down the other (longer and gentler) of The Kerry Way the eponymous hill behind the house and back OSI Map 78 www.kerryway.com down the road to the gate again. Turn left out of the Rather far away but wonderful. gate, after only 2-3 mins.. turn right over the first stile and go up the farm track.

16 OTHER ACTIVITIES HERE ARE SOME OPTIONS: Sea Swimming We recommend two spots close by.

This side of the bay, there is a very quiet pier and small stoney beach. It is approximately a 17 minute drive. We do not recommend cycling this route as there are a lot of hills. Take a left out of the house, and follow google maps to Ballyvonane house. Once you come off the main road at the Ballyvonane sign post, follow the winding road all the way down to the sea and you will find a small pier. We recommend downloading the app ‘Tides Near Me’ which will let you know when high tide is. Best to swim at or close to high tide. For early morning swims we bring a flask of tea. You will find one in the house for your use. ‘Sea beet’ beach This is less private, but very lovely. Also a 15 minute drive, or you can cycle your bike here. You will find it by searching for Golden Strand, . You will know you are there when you see a farm gate and Happy family members seen above with great West temporary railings. Nice to swim here before a trip Cork Cook and friend, Carmel Somers, having just to Arundel’s pub. such an evening. A wine tasting in the garden room Pascal Rossignol and his crew import directly from artisan winegrowers who work their land sustainably Wine tasting & delivery and produce wines filled with purity and life. https://www.neighbourfood.ie/producers/ le-caveau-wine-merchants/2154

Good wine is one of the few staples of life not produced and in fact hard to procure in West Cork. You could kill two birds with one stone (apologies for the eco-unfriendly metaphor), and arrange with Caveau to have a delivery of their excellent, organic wines. with a virtual lesson in the garden room.

Family members on the hunt 17 The coastline by kayak Starlight kayaking on lough hyne https://www.darrenskayaks.com/rental-- (“EIN”, or alternatively, “INI”) trips.html https://www.atlanticseakayaking.com/booking/ Getting out on the water and seeing West Cork the-moonlight-starlight-experience/ from a floating seagull’s perspective is transformative. Trevor Newton’s book, ‘Reflections on a Summer Sea’, Early mornings and evenings are best, as they are for 2001, of which there is a house copy, is a beautifully so much. written account of Norton’s 40 years of getting to know Lough Hyne as a marine biologist If you are not an experienced Kayaker and therefore and the eccentric group of scientists with whom do not know how to deal with the weather etc., he worked. please start your Kayaking life with a professionally led session. Darren, a local Kayak maestro will take Lough Hyne is a jewel even if for the non-marine you out. biologist. It is c.12 miles from Mount Corrin. about 5 km southwest of Skibbereen, a fully marine When you have reason to be confident enough to sea lough designated Ireland’s first Marine Nature go out solo, and you may never get there, please Reserve in 1981 - although Norton and many other make use of the two double kayaks we leave for your marine biologists have been studying it since the use. They are inflatable so much more portable, and 1880’s. It is made special by being connected to the are stored in the pool house, under the stairs for Atlantic while also fed by freshwater, with a slender you. There are also two inflatable paddleboards for channel, giving it, because of its structure, a rare your use. combination of fresh and saltwater at points which SUP paddleboarding makes it able to sustain a population of more than 1,000 marine plants, animals and fish. We have left two inflatable SUP paddleboards for your use. We recommend the ‘sea beet’ beach as The phosphorescence in the water, illuminating a great place as it is often calm and sheltered for much of the sea life and just exciting in itself, makes swimming and paddleboarding. If you are in any starlight kayaking rather wonderful. Jim and Maria way nervous on your feet, it is just as much fun to Kennedy run dawn and moonlit kayak trips and are sit or kneel on the boards. great teachers.

You can find the sea beet beach just under 7km from “A night paddle with Atlantic Sea Kayaks in the beautiful Durrus village, towards Ahakista. It is not signposted Lough Hyne in West Cork is truly amazing. Seeing giant but you will see some temporary looking railings, starfish as you set off just as the light is fading sets the scene a farm gate and a stoney beach. Often there will be for what is one of the most magical experiences you can a car and other swimmers. You can pick sea beets here have anywhere in the world. The water comes alive with on the shoreline too. bioluminescence as your kayak cuts through it. It’s like paddling through stars.”

18 Sail the , in style Yoga https://www.carberysailing.com/wild-atlantic- We have left 3x Lifeform yoga mats and blocks in way/wild-atlantic-way-sailing-holiday the Granary for your use. The Summerhouse is a Spend a half day, day or even take an over night lovely location too. We would be grateful if you could cruise with Chris on his ocean going cruising yacht, regularly clean the mats after use with the spray we Merlin, a Halberg-Rassy beauty. Explore the coast of have left. the Mizen and Sheep’s Head peninsulas – rounding the Fastnet is thrilling, as is tacking into Roaring Whale watching with Colin Barnes Water Bay. http://www.corkwhalewatch.com/ All of your food is provided. The waters are rich in sea Golf life, so expect the company of the inveterately nosey show-off local dolphins and seals. Chris will help you https://bantrygolf.com/ take the wheel, under his watchful eye. The boat is a joy to behold, and that is said by a land-lubber. Island hopping Rent bikes https://www.themaritime.ie/en/island-hoping- west-cork/ Roycroft Cycles Ph: 028 21235 https://www.skibbereen.ie/business-directory/ roycroft-cycles/ Otherwise, there is very little else to do…. At the time of writing, Bantry bike hire is currently closed due to Covid-19. Roycroft Cycles in Skibbereen can deliver bikes over. Call to arrange in advance.

CHURCH SERVICES

Durrus Bantry Sacred Heart RC (Every Sunday) 10.00 am Mass St. Brendan the Navigator Church of St. James Church of Ireland (Every Sunday) Ireland (Every Sunday) 8.15am Holy Communion 11.45 am Holy Communion - Contemporary - Traditional language. 10.00am Holy Communion - language Contemporary language. St Finbarrs’s Church, RC Sunday, 08.15 and 10.00

19 MT CORR N Durrus, Co. Cork

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