Weekend Getaway Guide: West Cork, Ireland

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Weekend Getaway Guide: West Cork, Ireland
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West Cork is a loosely defined area covering a large part of Ireland’s largest county, lying to the west of Cork City. It offers everything one might expect from a holiday in Ireland – rolling hills, green fields, spectacular cliffs, the crashing Atlantic, pastoral idylls, colourful villages and towns, pubs and live music, and of course a thousand friendly welcomes – in an easily accessible nutshell. And because it boasts none of the bucket-list must-see sights that counties like Galway, Clare and Kerry have to offer, you can enjoy its many attractions sans the crowds. [Photo: George Karbus]

By Fiona Brutscher

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Weekend Getaway Guide: West Cork, Ireland.
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The Attitude – West Cork has a long history of emigration – and immigration. Every town, village and local pub is crawling with “blow-ins”, a term that refers to anything from city slickers with a holiday home in the country and 5th-generation Irish-Americans returning to the homeplace, to the British film stars and self-sustaining hippies who moved here in past decades looking for a more relaxed pace of life. Long story short: you will never be made to feel like an outsider.

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Weekend Getaway Guide: West Cork, Ireland.
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The Look – The West Cork look can be anything from country chic to nautical inspired, often with an unexpected boho twist. Stock up on West Cork style as you enter the region via Kinsale. The entry point to this end of the Wild Atlantic Way touring route is less than half an hour from Cork Airport. Its compact centre offers an appealing mix of shopping options: traditional Irish craft shops selling hand-woven tweeds and cable-knit jumpers; contemporary design stores stocking stylish wellies and raincoats that may soon come in handy; but also the Greenhouse, a quirky mix of botanical and fair fashion boutique; Mamukko, a manufactory that upcycles used sails into accessories; and Kinsale Leather Co., an Irish Accessory Designer of the Year.

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Weekend Getaway Guide: West Cork, Ireland.
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The Journey – The best way to explore West Cork is by following the Wild Atlantic Way. The scenic touring route hugs the Atlantic coast all the way from Kinsale in the south to the Inishowen Peninsula in the north. The West Cork section will take you through some of the region’s most picturesque towns and to all of its most important sights. You could cover it all in a weekend, but most of that time would be spent in the car, so we’d recommend focussing mainly on the section referred to as “Haven Coast” in the official guide. [Photo: Lukasz Warzecha]

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Weekend Getaway Guide: West Cork, Ireland.
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The Dinner – Having passed the famous Old Head of Kinsale (stop at the Lusitania Museum for a bit of history and a great view) and several scenic beaches (dip your toes in to test the temperature – warmed by the Gulf Stream) on your first stretch of the Wild Atlantic Way, the next town worth a stop is Timoleague. At one time, its picturesque medieval abbey and estuary walk would have been the only points of interest for visitors, but the opening of Monk’s Lane restaurant in 2015 really put the town on the map. Diners travel from all around to enjoy the laid-back atmosphere and excellent food in the former pub.

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Weekend Getaway Guide: West Cork, Ireland.
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The Digs – Nearby Clonakilty is generally considered the heart of West Cork; it is also an excellent base for further exploration. If you want to be where the action is on a busy weekend, then check into family-run O’Donovan’s Hotel. The establishment has resisted all urges to modernise, but you’ll find a friendly welcome, a hive of activity and helpful staff who know everything and everyone there is to know. They will be happy to tell you about the hotel’s history and explain why an African monkey was buried in the back garden in 1943, with full military honours.

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Weekend Getaway Guide: West Cork, Ireland.
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The People – Sure, Graham Norton, Jeremy Irons, Emily Ratajkowski and Maureen O’Hara have and had homes here, but the number one local celebrity has to be The Big Fella. Michael Collins, a revered leading figure of the Irish independence movement, was born and raised near Clonakilty. You can visit his birthplace just outside town, a new museum housed in the townhouse he lived in during his school years, and a collection of memorabilia in a private home nearby.

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Weekend Getaway Guide: West Cork, Ireland.
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The Walk – You can’t stay in Clonakilty without visiting Inchydoney. Regularly voted one of Ireland’s most beautiful beaches, it’s a family-friendly place for a swim, but you can also go for a surf (or surf lesson). It’s a long walk or a short drive from the centre, or you can cycle thanks to the community bike rental scheme – whatever way you travel, that’s another part of the Wild Atlantic Way done. [Photo: George Karbus]

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Weekend Getaway Guide: West Cork, Ireland.
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The Sound – Clonakilty is a lively town year round, with more than its fair share of busy pubs, live music venues and trad sessions every night of the week. On weekends, especially throughout summer, you’ll be spoilt for choice, so make sure to check out the local listings. If you only visit one pub, make it DeBarra’s. In the past 30-odd years, many famous musicians have graced its stage, ranging from Noel Redding – bassist with the Jimi Hendrix Experience, who lived locally and had a residency here until his death – to Irish folk music legend Christy Moore, who has gone on record comparing the unassuming pub to Carnegie Hall, the Royal Albert Hall and Sydney Opera House.

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Weekend Getaway Guide: West Cork, Ireland.
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The Event – There are enough festivals across West Cork to keep you busy year round, but if you happen to be visiting in September, Clonakilty International Guitar Festival is the place to be. This year’s line-up features some ticketed events, including a live performance by Glen Hansard, Oscar-winning musician and former lead singer of The Frames. However, thanks to its roots in the town’s busking festival, a majority of the week’s shows are free of charge.

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Weekend Getaway Guide: West Cork, Ireland.
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The Moment – So far, you’ve seen a prosperous region, rich in nature, heritage and brimming with life. For a more sobering view of its history and international significance, head further westward to Skibbereen Heritage Centre, where a permanent exhibition on the Great Famine sheds light on one of the darkest periods in Irish history. The town is connected in the popular mind with the Great Hunger that decimated the population in the middle of the 19th century, partly because the surrounding area was particularly affected, both by deaths and emigration. The unfolding of this natural disaster and the man-made actions that exacerbated its effects were particularly well documented by a local doctor, which is why the heritage centre offers such a well-rounded and affecting perspective on this horrible part of history.

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Weekend Getaway Guide: West Cork, Ireland.
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The Market – Luckily, today’s West Cork is a land of plenty for foodies. Often referred to as the county’s larder, the region has everything from large farms and small organic co-ops to specialty producers. Before the advent of supermarkets, market days were important economic and social occasions. A non-profit has revived that tradition and now there is a farmer’s market almost every day of the week somewhere in West Cork. Skibbereen hosts one of the bigger weekly markets on Saturday, so why not head down there for a snack, live music and fine local produce? [Photo: Gabriela Avram/Flickr]

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Weekend Getaway Guide: West Cork, Ireland.
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The Flavour – If food is the focus of your visit, perhaps you’ll consider timing it to coincide with A Taste of West Cork Food Festival. Enjoy workshops with and dinners by some of Ireland’s most popular chefs, and participate in historical tours, food trails and walks. But most importantly, discover small producers enriching the local food scene with traditional specialties like wood-smoked fish, black pudding and artisanal cheese, as well as successful experiments like buffalo mozzarella, seaweed sausages and coconut milk yoghurt.

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Weekend Getaway Guide: West Cork, Ireland.
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The Drive – You’ve spent all this time near the ocean – it’s time to get out there and explore! Just down the road from Skibbereen, in the direction of harbour town Baltimore, lie aquatic adventures ranging from whale-watching tours and snorkelling with seals to night-time kayaking trips on a saltwater lake, illuminated by the stars and moon above and bioluminescent plankton below. Choose your adventure and hit the water!

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Weekend Getaway Guide: West Cork, Ireland.
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The View – The most iconic lighthouses in West Cork, the Fastnet and the Mizen, both lie on the Mizen Peninsula, even further west. If you’d prefer a day trip off the beaten track, hit the walking trails on the Sheep’s Head Peninsula. The Lighthouse Loop will take you down to a serene lake and the tiny sequestered lighthouse, while the walks on the ridge afford sweeping views of Dunmanus Bay on the one side and island-strewn Bantry Bay on the other. [Photo: George Karbus]

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Weekend Getaway Guide: West Cork, Ireland.
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The Shop – There aren’t many shops, restaurants or art galleries out on the Sheep’s Head, so it’s a good thing that the Heron Gallery happens to be all those things rolled into one. It’s located on the same property as the home and studio of artist Annabel Langrish, whose work you’ll find in craft shops all over West Cork. Most of it features local wildlife, and you need only step out into the sprawling garden to meet some of the models, including three friendly kunekune pigs.

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Weekend Getaway Guide: West Cork, Ireland

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