Bantry Tourism Association
New Street
Bantry
Co. Cork
Ireland

Places To See

• Bantry Town
• Castletownbere
• Glengarriff
• Local Villages
• The Islands
• Garden Trail
• Captain Francis O'Neill

The town of Bantry is situated in a small valley at the south-east head of Bantry Bay. The present population of the town in approximately 3,000 people with an additional 12,500 living within a 10 mile radius.A town which was once traversed by waterways instead of streets like a mini-Venice, Bantry has in recent years undergone major transformation into a cosmopolitan centre for young and old - a place where the stresses of modern-day living can be forgotten and where both body and mind can be re-vitalised amongst people noted for their friendliness.

Bantry, to-day, is a hive of activity with its brightly decorated houses and streets. The town Square has been changed to a large promenade with seating, trees, flowers, an anchor and a centre piece fountain. A mile of safe footpath with seafront wall, seating and viewing points extends from the town. Being located in the centre of West Cork it is considered the major shopping and commercial centre of the whole West Cork region. There are many places of interest within the vicinity of the town. These include;

• Bantry House which is a large Georgian mansion renowned throughout the world for its collection of art, furniture and tapestries.

• The French Invasion Exhibition Centre with its lifelike reconstruction of the events of 1796.

• The Kilnaruane Carved Pillar Stone is located on a drumlin, a mile outside the town, close to the West Lodge on the N71 route. It is a monument of early Christian times that may have formed the shaft of a high cross. One of the panels depicts a boat with four oarsmen.

• The gun batteries of Whiddy Island; and the many places of historical interest dating from the late 1600's.
  

CASTLETOWNBERE

Castletownbere or Castletownberehaven is situated on the northern coastline at the entrance to Bantry Bay. It is the major fishing port of Ireland with over 70 deep-sea trawlers as well as many other smaller fishing vessels. It has a thriving fishing industry with many processing plants.

The majority of its population of 1,200 are engaged in the fishing industry. The town and port were originally engaged in the export of copper from the nearby Allihies mines and was later the sea base for the English Atlantic Fleet (1800-1939).

GLENGARRIFF

As its name implies in the Irish language - The Rough Glen - it is a place of unrivalled beauty surrounded by high mountain ridges. The long narrow valley stretches down south to the sheltered harbour and many island. Renowned for its Mediterranean type climate it is a botanist's paradise as well as a resort of peacefulness and tranquillity which attracted the British Royalty in past years. Garnish Island in the centre of the harbour presents the best example of semi-tropical vegetation in this hemisphere. A new attraction in Glengarriff is the Bamboo Park. The Park is a work in progress and not yet a mature garden. There are 30 different species of Bamboo, 12 of Palm trees and a wide variety of Ferns. Included in the walks is the old garden.

VILLAGES

Within the Bantry Bay region there are a number of villages which have their own individual attractions;

• Allihies, on the North Peninsula (Bere), famous for its copper mines and quartz-white beaches;

• Eyeries, for its ancient monuments and Christian settlements;

• Adrigole, for its towering Hungry Hill mountain and highest waterfall in Ireland;

• Coomhola, for its megalithic monuments;

• Ballylickey, for its top grade hotels;

• Durrus, for its sheltered haven of tranquillity; and

• Kilcrohane, for its ancient Bardic University which was renowned throughout Western Europe from c. 600 to 1200 AD

TRIPS TO THE ISLANDS

• There are hourly boat tours to the three main islands of Bantry Bay. These are all summer schedules.

• The car-ferry to Bere Island off Castletownbere operates from 9am. Ancient monuments, Christian settlements, the Viking harbour, and the gigantic gun batteries of the British Navy can be seen on the Island.

• The Whiddy Island ferry runs daily from 9am till late. Whiddy Island has ancient church ruins, castle ruins, gun batteries, and remains of a WWI seaplane base.

• The Garnish Island ferries operate from about 8am till 6pm. The ferry charge does not include the entry charge to the Island.

• Access to another Island, Dursey Island, on the tip of the northern Peninsula is by cablecar over the sea-rapids above the narrow channel.

SHAMROCK WEST CORK GARDEN TRAIL

The Shamrock West Cork Garden Trail consists of a number of both private and public gardens which are open to the public during the summer months. Some are open full time, others by arrangement. The influence of the warm, gentle Gulf Stream results in a vast range of flowers shrubs and unusual trees.The gardens are lovingly cared for by their owners who are justifiably proud of what they and nature have achieved together! Leaflets of the 'Trail' can be obtained locally. Dereen Gardens to the north of the Beara Peninsual is famous for tree ferns, azaleas and rhododendron.

Bob & Mary Walsh, Cois Cuain, Kilcrohane, Bantry, Co.Cork. 353-(0)27-67070

CAPTAIN FRANCIS O'NEILL

Francis O'Neill was the greatest individual influence of the 20th century in the revival of Irish Traditional music, especially dance music. In the late 1800s in Chicago he gathered and document the old Irish songs and airs that, up to then, had only been an oral tradition. In his memory a bronze sculpture has been erected at his birthplace, Tralibane, near Bantry.

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Bantry Tourism Association
New Street
Bantry
Co. Cork
Ireland

© Bantry Tourism Association 2002