County Cork is situated in the South West of Ireland, it is the largest of all the Irish counties and in many ways the most varied. Rich farmlands and river valleys contrast with the wild sandstone hills of the west, and above all there is the magnificent coastline scooped and fretted by the Atlantic into great bays and secret coves, strewn with rocky headlands and long soft golden sands.
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Cork, or Corcaigh or 'The Great Marsh of Munster' had its historic beginning in the 7th century when St. Finbarr founded his monastic settlement on what is now Gillabbey Rock. The physical shape of Cork derives from its island beginnings. Water and tides, birds and boys fishing, bridges and Amsterdam-like house-fronts, all cajole the walker and casual visitor to the city. Up to the 1770s Cork was a city of waterways. Patrick Street was seriously damaged in the dying days of the War of Independence but much of the remaining fabric of the city remains as it was in the 19th Century. Cork has many physical qualities, steps, steeples and hidden squares and lanes. Over the years the medieval plot size and street pattern have been retained, despite much of the city being rebuilt in the 18th and 19th Centuries.
Cork people are energetic and fun-loving by nature. A quality of life has been retained within Cork that is attractive to the visitor and citizen alike. Nowadays an optimistic populace live within a calm and protected medieval island-city, a city reborn through major programmes of renewal and regeneration.
Strategically positioned by a deep harbour of the North Atlantic, Cork is essentially a city of trade. The city's motto Statio Bene Fida Carinis - A Safe Harbour for Ships - reveals the essential nature of port and city. Great volumes of traffic from the sea, import and export, emigration and immigration, have been the characteristic strength of the city for over a thousand years.
As well as music, theatre, literature and sport, Food is also an essential element in the mix of Cork life. By the 1770s food exports out of Cork were larger than those of Dublin. At the beginning of the 20th century Cork Corporation owned and supervised five Markets and nowadays the City Council supervises two markets, The English Market and The Coal Quay. In recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in fine food, in wholesome and organic provisioning. This renewal of interest and the widespread enthusiasm to establish high standards for Food Markets marks the return to the pioneering seriousness and professionalism of the 18th Century Butter Merchants. The city and its hinterland has a necklace of the most incredible restaurants.
A port city of trade and commerce, a major regional cultural centre with a deeply embedded artistic community, Cork is a city primed for a thousand welcomes. Galleries and arts centres, concert halls and cinemas, pubs and restaurants, all are available and eager to host the stranger and the returning friend. Cork people are curious and open, inquisitive and welcoming. It is within the welcoming hearts of Cork people themselves, a people used to great floodings from the sea, that Europe will discover yet another safe harbour for art and culture.
DAY 1 CORK CITY TOUR & BLARNEY
This morning, you will have the opportunity to absorb all that Cork City has to offer. There is no better way to see Cork City than the “Hop On, Hop Off” Tour. See all of Cork’s famous sights such as the Cork City Gaol, St. Finbarr’s Cathedral, the Crawford Municipal Art Gallery, City Hall, the English Market, City Library, the Triskel Art Centre, Cork Opera House, St. Anne’s Church, the Shandon Butter Museum, the Custom House, City Library, the Courthouse, Museum & Fitzgerald Park, & Elizabeth Fort. With a ticket that is valid all day, you can get on and off as often as you wish. A complimentary map and discounts off certain admissions is included.
In the afternoon, you will visit Blarney Castle. No trip to Cork is complete without visiting Blarney, where people the world over have stopped at this internationally known tourist centre to kiss the Blarney Stone, which traditionally imparts the ‘gift of eloquence’ on all who kiss it. The famous Stone is located just below the battlement in Blarney Castle, built in 1446. In order to kiss the Stone, it is necessary to hang ones head downwards over the battlements having climbed 110 steep steps by the original spiral staircase to the summit of the castle. To visit Blarney Castle is to step back in time, and feel the enchantment of a long and heroic past. Here is one of the great historical sites of Ireland, renowned throughout the world. The view from the entrance gate sets the scene immediately, with fine vistas of parkland crowned by Blarney castle rising up in its entire ancient splendor, framed by clumps of trees. While in Blarney, visit the nearby Blarney Woolen Mills, one of Ireland's oldest and most authentic Irish woollen mills.
You will spend your overnight accommodation at a city centre hotel.
DAY 2 COBH & YOUGHAL
This morning, trace the path of the many people who left Ireland during the late 1800s & early 1900s. From Cobh, hundreds of thousands of mostly hungry and penniless Irish men and women left to build a new life, especially in the Famine years of 1844-48. Many thrived and prospered, but many died on the journey in the terrible travelling conditions of the time. It is a pleasant town; its streets climb the steep slope of a hill, the top of which is crowned by the very fine St. Coleman's Cathedral , which has a carillon of 47 bells. Cobh is situated on Great Island, one of the three large islands in Cork harbour which are all now joined by roads and bridges - Little Island and Fota are the others. The harbour is one of the largest and safest anywhere, being capable of taking the largest vessels afloat. The great Transatlantic liners used to come in up to the 1950s. On the quayside there is a memorial to the victims of the Lusitania, many of whom are buried in the old church cemetery. The ship was sunk off Kinsale in 1915 by a German submarine, an action which was responsible for bringing the United States of America into the Great War; the survivors were brought back here. Another unhappy association is with the Titanic, 'the safest liner in the world'. Queenstown was her last port of call on her fateful maiden voyage. The Queenstown Heritage Centre tells the poignant tales of all those who left Ireland, many never to return again.
In the afternoon, travel north to Youghal. Situated on the coastline of East County Cork, there is no town in Ireland that gives you Ireland's past and present more vividly than Youghal (pronounced Yawl or as in "Y'all come to see us now!") For old time charm and modern leisure, Youghal, meaning yew wood, is situated on the main road from Rosslare and Waterford to Cork and lies at the mouth of the beautiful River Blackwater. Youghal’s most famous citizen, who was also once Mayor of Youghal, is Sir Walter Raleigh. His home, “Myrtle Grove”, was built in 1462 is still lived in today. It is also believed that Sir Raleigh planted the first potatoes here. The historic walled seaport town of Youghal adjoins a glorious 5km beach of Atlantic Surf. The coastline from Ballycotton to Youghal has been described as an ornithologist’s paradise. It has been designated by the Irish Tourism Board as an Irish Heritage Port, due to the many historic buildings and monuments within its ancient town walls. From Viking times through Norman times and into the days of Cromwell, Youghal was used as a very conveniently located base from which to "visit" the Southern area of Ireland. The town dates from early Christian times and mirrors all facets of Irish History, blending the heritage of the centuries with a modern seaside holiday resort, and so is steeped in history. It is one of the few towns in Ireland where its 13th century medieval walls still survive. The distinctive Clock Gate spanning the main street was actually a gaol until the middle of the 19th century.
DAY 3 KINSALE
Today, depart Cork City and travel to Kinsale, which is a small fishing village situated approximately 16 miles from Cork City. It is renowned for its pubs and restaurants and is known as the ‘Gourmet Capital’ of Ireland. Every visitor to Kinsale is captivated by its beautiful setting, with the long waterfront, narrow winding streets and Compass Hill rising sharply behind the town. The old fortifications of Charles Fort and James Fort guard the narrow entrance to Kinsale from the sea. The town has poignant memories of the sinking of the liner ‘Lusitania’ in 1915, off the Old Head of Kinsale, and it was in the courthouse the inquest into the incident took place.
Visit Charles Fort, constructed in the early 1680’s in honour of King Charles II by William Robinson, architect of the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham in Dublin, Charles Fort is a classic example of a star shaped fort. In use until 1921 the fort, which protected the trading town of Kinsale, gives a unique insight into Irish fortifications. Besieged in 1690 by the Duke of Malborough and destroyed in 1922 during the Civil War, Charles Fort reflects the turbulence of Ireland’s past. It was declared a National Monument in 1973. Across the estuary is James Fort, an earlier structure, which was designed by Paul Ivy in 1602.
You may like to enjoy lunch in Kinsale before continuing along the coast to Clonakilty, a vital agricultural centre and boasting many tempting beaches such as Owenahincha and Inchydoney. Clonakilty has a colourful and historical feel to it with its streetscapes renowned for its colourful and meticulously maintained shop fronts, pub fronts, general advertising and directional signs and street names. Extraordinary floral displays are also synonymous with the town. The town enjoys a long-standing reputation as a culinary centre offering national and international cuisine at reasonable prices. Locally produced products, marketed under the Fuchia brand, include award-winning and well known Clonakilty black pudding and the range of Irish Yoghurt products.
While in Clonakilty, visit the West Cork Model Railway Village. Experience life in West Cork sixty years ago and how life there revolved around the railway system. This model village is a great day out for kids of all ages and adults too. Relax in the unique tea room set on one of the authentic train carriages with a view of Clonakilty bay-You will feel transformed in time.
Continue onward to your final destination of Rosscarbery, where you will enjoy overnight accommodation.
Travel from Rosscarbery to Skibbereen, possibly, the most colourful town in Ireland. Each building, whether shop or home, forms part of a complete rainbow of colour, mauve next to green alongside purple adjacent to yellow. There is none of your bland west-coast whitewash here! The buildings are like a string of Celtic jewels that jar, then delight the eye with agreeable surprise, especially on a drab rainy day. Stop at the Skibbereen Heritage Centre in the town of Skibbereen, where you will learn of the history of the town, which was one of the worst affected areas of the Great Hunger Famine of the 1840s. The exhibition depicts life during that time in an area that was notorious for its overly disturbing forms of suffering among the victims and the survivors. The nearby Abbeystrewery graveyard pays homage to the approximately 10,000 victims that suffered at the mercy of the potato crop failure. The stories of the old combined with modern technology of video and voice depictions, is a view into the Great Hunger Famine like no other.
From there continue onward to Ballydehob, a small village whose Twelve Arch Bridge is a reminder of times long ago. From there, you will travel to the most southerly point in Ireland, the Mizen Head. Mizen Head Signal Station is open to the public for the first time since it was completed in 1910. The Mizen Vision! Visitor Centre in the Keeper's House and the Engine Room, the famous Suspension Bridge, the 99 Steps and the views up the South and West Coasts combined with the exhilaration and excitement of the wild Atlantic waves and ancient tortured rocks guarantee a unique and authentic experience. In any weather the Magic of the Mizen is spellbinding. Mizen Vision the Mizen Head Signal Station Visitor centre has been open since June 1st, 1994. In April 1993 the fog signal station was demanned and went automatic. A local co-operative, Mizen Tourism, was formed to develop the location into a visitor centre to create rural employment. In July 1993 a lease was signed with the Irish Lights and the exciting Mizen Vision! Became a reality. There are spectacular views on the Bridge and at the end of the peninsula and the houses have been equipped with an audio-visual room, a map and archive room; the Keeper's kitchen and bedroom have been retained and there is a bird and sea watch room. Imagination takes over in the Mizen environment cave, the Fastnet Room, the Underwater Room and the Storm Room.
DAY 5 Rosscarbery – Glengarriff
Today, travel to Glengarriff-- the name comes from "An Gleann Garbh" - the rugged glen - which is derived from the rugged beauty of the mountains and wooded valleys surrounding the village. Magnificent views of the Caha Mountains and the bulk of Sugarloaf can be seen from the numerous viewpoints along the roads, which hug the coastline or wind along the steep sided valleys.
Continue onward and take in the glorious sights of Gougane Beara. Gougane Barra was Ireland's first National Park when it opened to the public in 1966. This contributes greatly to the reputation which Gougane Barra has as an area of wild and beautiful scenery. The magnificent Forest Park covers an area of over 400 hectares (1,000 acres).
The River Lee rises here in Gougane Barra and flows through beautiful scenery to reach Cork Harbour after a distance of approximately 50km. There is a tiny island in the lake at Gougane Barra connected to the shore by a causeway. It was here that St. Finbarr, patron saint of Cork, founded his early Christian monastery, before moving down the River Lee to establish a monastery at what is now St. Finbarrs Cathedral in Cork City.
DAY 6 DEPART CORK