We set off on the 13th of April 2019 for a quick visit to Beara Penninsula so we headed south on the motorway to Cork. I had been advised by a friend to visit Gougane Barra if passing and we decided that this would be our first stop.
We headed towards Macroom and on to Gougane Barra close to the Kerry border. On entering Gougane Barra you are met with the natural beauty of the hills which tower over Gougane Barra Lake. The well known St Finbarr’s Oratory or Small Church out in the Lake on the little island all on its own. It must be the most photographed Church in this part of Ireland and many a happy wedding have enjoyed this wonderful setting for their photographs. Truly magical, peaceful in a stunning location. The lake is surrounded by imposing mountains. Cork’s River Lee has its source in Gougane Barra’s Lake, where it flows through Ballingeary and onwards towards Cork City.
A wedding party was entering the church on our arrival and the sun seemed to come out especially at this time. The church would hold a small gathering only. However guests would not be too annoyed to explore the church surrounds on this small island while the serious promises were being made inside. A very romantic setting with a Hotel nearby to avoid leaving these magical surroundings.
There is something mystical about Gougane Barra and you can imagine historical meetings taking place in this location. I am sure some were of a romantic and covert nature. A truly beautiful place. It seems far removed from the busy roads we have traveled to get here – not far from civilisation.
The Forest Park is a short drive from the church and can be found at the end of the lake. The Forest Park feels like it has been there from the start of time. This park has a trail which you can drive which is unusual. The trees seems to disappear into the sky. We walked the road trail and at an intersection we came across an unusual sight. The forest floor seemed to have a carpet of moss which was specially woven around the trees, over the stone walls and into the distance. The sight encouraged you to take your boots off and enjoy the mossy green covering. Even with heavy boots you could sense the depth and comfort of the mossy covering. One of my photographs captures this amazing sight and prints have been requested as soon as displayed. You will get lost after a short time in this park.
On walking further into the park, the trails leads you towards the surrounding mountains with the trees growing high on the various cliffs. The landscape is something you would expect in Canada or North America so this is a special wilderness.
Gougane Barra is a must visit location if travelling to or around Cork City. Drive towards Macroom and watch for the signpost. My friend had given us the best advice and I will return when I have more time.
We headed towards Glengarriff and onto the Beara Penninsula. You really feel as if you are heading towards a land of wonder as you travel along the coast in the improving evening. Our initial destination was Castletownbere where we were staying that evening. We were staying at “Lynch’s on the Pier”. We arrived after 4pm and literally our accommodation for the night is at the busy pier / quay end. We received a very friendly welcome and headed back out to explore the Beara Penninsula fully. Castletownbere was full of life and Beara Island was prominent on the horizon. There are ferry crossings to the Island daily from the harbour and also from Pontoon Pier on the way into Castletownbere.
Unfortunately we were not going to have the time to visit Bere Island but will on the next visit. The Island is approximately 10 kms by 3 kms and is therefore suited to walking tours or trekking. The last population record at 2016 has the number living on the Island at just under 170. The Bere Island Heritage Centre is home to The Bere Island Experience Exhibition detailing the unique history and lifestyle of Bere Island, as well as temporary themed exhibitions throughout the year. Bere Island is a beautiful backdrop to the busy harbour in Castletownbere.
The evening was bright but getting blustery and cold. We headed back towards Adrigole and onto the “Healy Pass”. This pass will bring you across the Penninsula and onto the northern coastline. As with all Passes in the south west, the drive is always an experience in the wilderness. This is no exception. The roads are narrow and dangerous bends come quickly one after another. The road seems to go on forever but the enjoyment of the scenery provides the incentive and encouragement to continue around each corner. The photograph displayed while sufficient in quality does not do the scenery and the roads the full justice deserved. An amazing experience. We eventually came to a high viewing point with the mandatory statue and ventured out with cameras fully ready. The wind had really taken hold at this stage and it was quite an achievement to clamber back into the van safely. We eventually came across Glanmore Lake which provides a perfect setting for any photograph when coming down the other side of the Pass. A truly beautiful view. Unfortunately the weather was changing to storm like so we continued to the coast.
We eventually came to the coast and we headed towards Eyeries, passing Ardgroom and its welcoming harbour. The evening was quite cold when we came across two hitchhikers looking a little weather beaten. We stopped to give a lift taking pity on their situation in the middle of nowhere. We had Keke and Ulah from the Basque Region of Spain. They had been trekking and camping down the west coast and were enjoying the coastline of Kerry for the last number of days. While we were happy to give a lift , my friend Dec was determined to have a little fun. ” There are no free lifts in Ireland you have to give us a song from the Basque region” This was met with a short silence only broken by Dec again – ” We will start with one from Ireland” and he broke into the rock version of “Wild Rover”. This seems to give our new friends a new lease on life and they even helped with later choruses.
After the Wild Rover was finished ,well slowly murdered, Ulah broke into a Spanish song with Keke joining in at what he thought were appropriate intervals. As there was a chorus we increased the noise at these points. There was a round of applause at the end and we all had a story to tell later that night. Our friends were going to Allihies and we eventually pulled up on the main street to let them out. We reckoned that we had saved them a further hour and a half walking to their destination, when the night was starting to fade. Allihies seemed to be full of life as the bars were busy and we hoped our Spanish friends would secure a good camping site for the night.
We headed towards our next destination, Dursey Island and the Garnish Point Cable Car. Dursey’s unique and charismatic cable car. Hitched to the mainland above dolphin-rich Dursey Sound, this is Ireland’s only cable car, running 250 metres above the sea. With the capacity for just six people at a time, it’s a lifeline for the handful of inhabitants living in three small villages on the island.
Dursey Island (Irish: Oileán Baoi (Island of the Bull in Viking Norse)) is one of the few inhabited islands that lie off the southwest coast of Ireland. It is situated at the western tip of the Beara Peninsula in the west of County Cork. Dursey Island is 6.5 km long and 1.5 km wide. Dursey Sound which has a very strong tidal race, with a reef of rocks in the centre of the channel which is submerged at high tides. This peaceful island has only a handful of semi-permanent residents.
Ofcourse when we arrived the Cable Car had been retired for the evening and the wind was practicing for a storm. No one else was around the extensive carpark and the local takeaway truck was boarded for the night if not the season. Undeterred we left the van to explore the area around the Cable Station. I had been here before a number of times, failed to make the cable car crossing but trekked across the hills to spectacular sea views and on a good day the perfect view of Skellig Michael in the distance. There is a sign posted walk that brings you over the hills and down to White Strand on the other side. This is a beautiful beach that is quite busy when the weather is perfect.
There was a slight break in the weather and the sun broke out for its last performance to allow some photographs and the misty view of Skellig Michael. If you have the time,energy and the stomoch you should visit Dursey Island. This location feels like the end of a journey with an adventure ahead on the Island. A beautiful location.
We headed back towards Castletownbere for the night along the southern coast of the Penninsula, passing Gour Viewpoint which gives you a great view of Bere Island.
We arrived back at Lynch’s on the Pier, showered and headed across the harbor to the Beara Coast Hotel for something to eat. As our accommodation did not cater for evening meals we had been directed earlier to the hotel adjacent to the pier. This is a very friendly hotel and we were welcomed as if we were guests for the night. We were shown to the bar for some food and enjoyed the perfect Fish and Chips with plenty of advice of where to go in town later for a pint. The Beara Coast Hotel has the perfect location for a photographer’s view of the busy fishing harbor, and we did return in the morning to take the perfect shot of the fishing fleet. A friendly and well run boutique hotel that is well worth a visit if visiting the Castletownbere area.
We had been advised to visit McCarthy’s Bar on the Main Street. We headed back towards the town and found the bar relatively quickly. A proud sign over the door “Irish Pub of the Year 2016” so our expectations were high. We were not disappointed. This is a family pub in the greatest tradition. The pub is a working shop to the front where you can buy beans , tea , toilet paper, hp sauce , johnson’s baby powder or a kinder surprise. An amazing mixture of products for sale. The pub was busy with various groups huddled into every nook and corner. The mismatched furniture seems to be comfortable and functional. We sat on two low stools close to the bar. We were welcomed by Adrienne McCarthy and told about the choice of bottled beers. We embraced the atmosphere and settled into watching “The Shawshank Redemption” which had started on a tv behind us. Adrienne was happy to share her insights with us on the story of the film and we were actually educated on some of the subtle hints in the film which led to the epic outcome at the end. A truly brilliant film and an amazing traditional pub. The beer was excellent also.
We had a busy day in the morning so we headed back to “Lynch’s” and enjoyed a good night’s sleep. The accommodation was very comfortable and clean. The shower is always a good indicator of accommodation and this was excellent. We were first down to breakfast at 8am and were rewarded with an excellent Irish breakfast cooked and served by the chef.
We headed out to the breezy pier, took some photographs and left sleepy Castletownbere before we were missed.
Our destination today before heading home was to visit Mizen Head and if possible visit Crookhaven and its Lighthouse. As with our trips Lighthouses were always going to be a feature. We headed back towards Glengarriff known as the natural meeting place. Unfortunately the weather was deteriorating when we drove into this beautiful town. We will visit again and hopefully visit Garinish Island, a fifteen hectare Island in Glengarriff Harbor. This is an Island garden of rare beauty known to horticulturalists and lovers of trees and shrubs all around the world.
We headed towards and through Bantry, heading towards Toormore and onto Mizen Head. The roads were quite challenging but we eventually came to our destination Mizen Head Signal Station. There was a break in the weather as we pulled into the carpark of the visitors centre. It was mid morning and we enjoyed a coffee and cake in the coffee shop before venturing out. Some visitors were questioning the weather and safety of walking out to the signal station. We were informed that the weather was predicted to get really bad later so go now and enjoy the visit. We headed out with rain coats and jelly bags in anticipation.
We decided to visit the viewing point for the sea caves below the head first, which would prove eventful later. There is a steep walkway (tarmac) over an back which eventually brings you to a viewing structure at the end, where you really feel like you are close to the raging sea within throwing distance of the impressive sea cave. All was well going down and some great photographs were taken, however the wind and weather had intensified in the meantime for our return journey. You had to climb steeply firstly and then transverse three times before reaching the level of the visitor centre again. At this point while fighting to move forward and then accross you were also trying to secure your camera, clothing and jelly bag. The second transverse journey, the steepest required a rest to fully catch my breath. This transverse walk was totally against the wind and the wind was winning !! I was taking air from the deepest areas of my lungs to maintain my movement. Both of us did not speak until we got back to the starting point but I did have visions of having to call mountain rescue at the mid section.
Anyway back on an even keel, we had then to decide whether we wanted to visit the Mizen Signal Centre. After coming all this way we had no choice. This walk was more structured and graded, so effort was only required in short intervals. The walkway / bridge to the island on which the signal station was based is a concrete structure with very little shelter, so we were attacked by the wind and the rain. At the signal station there are buildings to visit and explore the history of the station and the lives of the people that worked there over the years. While the views from the station were diminished because of the weather you could really imagine the remoteness of this destination and the ferocity of the sea around it. We eventually made it back to the visitor centre and at this stage they were not letting visitors down to the station. We were lucky I suppose but we really had earned every moment and experience. We both agreed the next time we visited we will make sure we have a good weather forecast.
We literally climbed back into the van, changed most of our clothing and rested for 20 minutes. I believe Dec had two cigarettes and he had given them up. Finally we headed towards Crookhaven and thankfully the weather seemed to relent. We passed Barley Cove, a viewing point, where sandy beaches appear.
Crookhaven and unto the narrow head where Crookhaven has been built with its little harbor. There are a number of renowned pubs and plenty of visitors around. However there was no lighthouse as expected. On looking back to the mainland we can see the Lighthouse in the distance. We had driven past the small headland to get to the village. We headed back and onto the small headland. The road was very narrow and the first road brought us to a small terrace of houses, a dead end. We headed back to the main road and came across a narrow, stone walled road marked private. That has to be the road to the Lighthouse but visitors do not seem welcome. At this point I decided that we had come this far and if we were turned away at least we had tried. We headed up this lane and literally the stone walls seemed to hang towards the van. Dec was sure we would damage the van but he is a bad passenger anyway so I kept going. In through a farmyard and onto another lane before we could see the Lighthouse. We had found Crookhaven Lighthouse and as with some other lighthouses it has been transformed into select accommodation and occasional visitors like us are not encouraged. However the inhabitants were happy to see us and seemed to be unperturbed that we were immersed in taking photographs of this amazing place. The lighthouse itself has had a glass structure built beside it that houses what can only be described as an amazing penthouse apartment. It really must be some experience to stay in this location. One to come back to hopefully in the future.
Having successfully visited our two destinations we headed towards Cork and home. What a great two day trip.
