Holiday homes & rentals in West Cork

Laced with winding roads and Irish charm, West Cork is a verdant landscape full of ancient monuments, mysterious castles and some of the finest food in Ireland. This charming location is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Ireland.

Culture

For a unique cultural experience head to Skibbereen Heritage Centre in the town's former gasworks, a haunting exhibition about the famine with actors reading contemporary accounts of Ireland's troubled but fascinating history.

Kids' activities

Children will love imagining times past at Charles Fort, Europe's best preserved 17th Century artillery fort. Adults and kids alike are delighted by the model railway village, a gigantic recreation of 1940s life in West Cork. You can catch train there from Clonakilty.

Highlights

Blackrock Castle

Blackrock Castle is an important centre for science and plays host to year round events which are focused on the its prominent observatory. Not only are there tours of the ancient castle which is over 400 years old and has a rich history but there are also tours of the research observatory and science centre. Billed as a 'watch tower for the skies', Blackrock Castle is also known for its excellent cafe.

Kinsale

The harbour town of Kinsale is one of the best places in Ireland to seek refuge in a storm even when the weather is fair. Kinsale is traversed by narrow streets and full of lively bars and excellent restaurants. The consensus among food lovers is that Kinsale is the culinary epicentre of southwest Ireland. The small town is jam-packed with international standard restaurants and its old harbour is a just a short stroll from the town centre.

Bantry

Sheltered by the islands at the mouth of Bantry Bay and the Sheep's Head hills and Caha Mountains, Bantry is a well groomed old fashioned town full of unique shops. Its old-world charm is exemplified by its harbour where you can enjoy panoramic sea views. Bantry struggled as many Irish towns did throughout the 19th Century but today its oysters and mussels supply menus across County Cork.

Drombeg Stone Circle

Also known as 'the Druid's Altar', this mysterious stone circle dates from megalithic times. It is one of the best preserved of its kind in the county and remains freely accessible to the public.

Lough Hyne

Surrounded by heather moorland and verdant fields, this saltwater lake on the coast is created by high tide floods twice a day. This unique habitat is home to all manner of flora and fauna, the first marine protected area in Europe. The ruins of a castle dominate the lake's small island.

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