Day 4 - Tour of West Cork
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.
Return to Rosscarbery for overnight.