WALKS AROUND THE COUNTRYSIDE

There are beautiful walks, amid quiet country roads, in the area where you are staying. 

You can do tree-lined loops from the house that take you past the charming local Church of Ireland where there is a beautiful view of the valley that Doire Dubh is situated in. You can also walk to the birthplace of Michael Collins in nearby Woodfield or have a quiet drink at his local, the Four Alls, in Sam’s Cross. 

The roads are rural roads without footpaths and without street lighting. They are not busy roads but there may be farming traffic in the locality so please ensure you stay to the side of the road and that you are visible at all times, especially on corners. 

There are different scenic walks you can take, whether at local beaches (the Long Strand, the Warren, Owenahincha, Red Strand), local forests (Castlefreke, Dromilihy, Rineen) or local hilltops (Carrigfada), and these are just some of the examples. You might even find some fairy houses in some of the woods.

There are also several flat, picturesque jogging routes around the lagoon and estuary in Rosscarbery as well as flat roads near the house.

You can also walk around parts of our farm .

BEACHES

The Long Strand, the Warren, Owenahincha, Red Strand and the famous Inchydoney are some of the golden sandy beaches stretching from Rosscarbery to Clonakilty. The Warren Strand and Owenahincha are lifeguarded and have ample parking. Nearly all have coffee docks.

CYCLING
All the family can enjoy a safe cycle down to the pier in Rosscarbery or beach and take in the views as you go. The Clonakilty & West Cork Community Cycle Scheme extends to Rosscarbery (Celtic Ross Hotel) and allows you to pick up a bike from mini bicycle­ docking stations – each holding about 10 bikes – which are located in the ground of hotels in Clonakilty and surrounding areas such as lnchydoney, Dunmore, Rosscarbery and Courtmacsherry.

FAMILY ADVENTURE

Check out the Smugglers Cove Adventure Centre www.smugglerscove.ie in Rosscarbery which includes adventure golf, the Smugglers Maze and the Summer Tubing Park.

Also in Rosscarbery is the Lagoon Activity Centre for water-based fun whether on the floating water park, renting a kayak or pedal boating: www.lagoonactivitycentre.ie

In Clonakilty you also have the Clonakilty Park Hotel https://www.clonakiltyparkhotel.ie which includes a 3 screen cinema, adventure golf along with an adventure centre including zip lining and a climbing wall. There is also a 20-metre swimming pool and a sauna.

GOLF

In Rosscarbery you have two great options: the challenging 18-hole links course, a unique selection of golf holes amid the sand dunes on Warren Beach, https://www.rosscarberypitchandputt.com and a floodlit weather-protected driving rang adjacent to Smuggler’s Cove Adventure Centre. In Clonakilty is the Clonakilty Golf Course https://clonakiltygolfclub.ie

BIRDWATCHING

Rosscarbery hosts a wonderful diversity of bird life, so birdwatchers are spoilt for choice. There are too many species to list, but here are some that reside in, or visit, our estuary on the sea and the surrounding countryside: Heron, swan, snipe, egret, kingfisher, tern, gannet, oystercatcher, red shank, skylark, meadow pipit, stonechat, kestrel, peregrine falcon, lapwing, golden plover… The list goes on!

FISHING

Why not try to catch your supper? You can fish for bass, mackerel, pollack and other species from the pier/nearby rocks and where the estuary flows out to sea. Alternatively, there is mullet fishing in the estuary and lagoon where the water meets the village.

ABSORB THE HISTORY

Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa, Michael Collins and Tom Barry: Three men that shaped modem day Ireland. All have roots within our parish. Visit the monument to their memory and achievements in Rosscarbery square. There is also a Michael Collins Trail around west Cork, taking in museums in Clonakilty and Béal na mBláth near Crookstown. https://www.corkcoco.ie/en/visitor/michael-collins-trail

GALLEY HEAD LIGHTHOUSE

From this vantage point, you will be looking out over the scenes of multiple shipwrecks that met their fate off the treacherous West Cork coast, including infamous wrecks such as The Lusitania and the Crescent City which struck Doolic Rock in dense fog on 8th February 1871 and is also known as the ‘silver dollar wreck’ because she was carrying Mexican coins.

COPPINGER’S COURT
Approximately 1/4 mile south of Glandore, this Elizabethan mansion is well worth a visit. It was erected by Sir Walter Coppinger, a member of a wealthy Cork city merchant family in the early 17th century. It is supposed to have a chimney for every month, a door for every week and a window for every day of the year.

CASTLEFREKE

This is a gothic ruin which was burnt down by Cromwellian forces in 1648. The Castlefreke woods are state-owned and have a marked trail showing both a linear and circuit walk. There is no entry to the castle for safety reason but it can be observed from different viewpoints and makes an imposing sight. There are lots of lovely walks through the woodland surrounding Castlefreke with some of the longer loops leading you to the Long Strand Beach, Kilkeran Lake and Owenahincha.

GLANDORE AND UNION HALL
The sailing village of Glandore is only a ten minute drive from Rosscarbery and sits opposite the fishing village of Union Hall. Union Hall, along with Rosscarbery, was the setting for the film ‘War of the Buttons’. It’s a working fishing port and village and much of the fresh fish you will be served across West Cork will have been landed here. Drive across the wonderful ‘one lane’ bridge of the estuary to access the village from the Glandore side. Both Villages have beautiful pubs and restaurants, Hayes Bar and the Glandore Inn: and the Dock Wall and Dintys in Union Hall.

EATING

There is a wide range of choice for eating out in West Cork. In Rosscarbery and Clonakilty and nearby, there are cafés for coffee and cake, spots to each brunch and lunch, and a wide array of pubs, restaurants and hotels for every dining requirement. Fast food options in the area include fresh fish and chips, award-winning pizza as well as asian street food and Indian and Chinese cuisines. For something extra special, Baltimore is home to two-star Michelin restaurant Dede, and you will find another starred Michelin restaurant, Chestnut, in Ballydehob.

For food shopping, Rosscarbery and local service stations have small supermarkets. In Clonakilty you will find Dunnes Stores, an award-winning Supervalu as well as organic specialist, The Olive Branch. There is a farmers market in Clonakilty on Friday morning and in Skibbereen on Saturday morning.

DISTANCE BY CAR TO