West Cork Emergency Services Cycle 2012
14th July 2012 West Cork Emergency Services held their annual charity cycle.
Skibbereen to Bantry to Schull to Skibbereen
2012 was also the 100th Anniversary of St. Facthna's Silver Band.
Clonakilty & West Cork Bike Scheme
Ireland Travel | West Cork Travel | Irish Travel | Ireland Travels | Ireland Holiday | Ireland Blog
Ireland travel is about taking a journey into the magical. While taking a tour of Ireland you should always include time to travel West Cork. You can experience more of the West Cork area at my Ireland blog using the links above.
Whether you are walking the paths of the many parks, climbing the rocky hills, fishing from the rugged coastline, sitting on a sandy beach, taking photographs of the Irish countryside or cycling the winding roads; a tour of this scenic area of southwest County Cork, Ireland is a must.
Begin your tour at Mizen Head, Ireland's most southwesterly point. The dramatic peninsula features Barley Cove beach and is highlighted by the Mizen Head Signal Station Visitor Centre. Be sure to look for seals lazily resting on the rocks below.
On past the village of Crookhaven you will find yourself on Streek Head, a remote area accessible only through rolling Irish countryside and pastures. This is a beautiful place to watch the sun rise from or set into the Atlantic Ocean.
Near the quaint village of Skibbereen is the area of Lough Hyne. Lough Hyne is a salt-water lake, fed by the tides, and is home to a varied collection of marine life. Above the lake are the walking paths of Knockamagh Wood Nature Reserve, which is part of Ireland's national park system. The paths of the nature preserve lead you to commanding views of Roaringwater Bay, Baltimore harbor and Clear Island. A picnic is fantastic way to finish this walk.
Further up the coast, near the County Kerry border, is the fishing village of Castletownbere. The village is situated on the southern edge of the Beara Peninsula and is near the beginning of the southern portion of the Ring of Beara. Just out of town are the ruins of Dunboy Castle, which was destroyed by the English in 1602 after a 14-day siege.
Priest's Leap is also located near the County Kerry Border and overlooks the world famous Bantry Bay. Irish legend holds that a priest, while riding a horse and fleeing soldiers, jumped from this point and landed many miles away near Bantry.
Looking for a place for fishing in Ireland? The pier at Toor Point has commanding views of the Atlantic Ocean and Toor Island. A lazy, quiet afternoon can be spent watching the waves crash against the shoreline as the seagulls soar above you.
Between the villages of Goleen and Durrus, you will find the Coast Road. On this road is the well-preserved O'Mahoney Castle known as Dunmanus Castle. The castle was built in 1430 at the current location of Dunmanus Harbor. Views of the beautiful Irish countryside and Dunmanus Bay will have you reaching for your camera.
Possibly the most beautiful place in all of West Cork is Three Castle Head. The collection of three towers, built in 1207 by the O'Mahoneys, is a short hike from Dunlough Pier. The castles sit on cliffs, which offer views of the Atlantic Ocean, Mizen Head, Sheep's Head and the mountains of County Kerry. At the base of the castles is a lake. Irish legend holds that a lady haunts the lake, while protecting the king's valuables that were thrown into the lake to guard them from attackers.
Planning your next vacation to Ireland? Don't forget to tour West Cork.
Music credits:
Track title: Whiskey in the Jar
License Type: Standard License
Composer: Bjorn Lynne (PRS - CAE: 272363273)
Publisher: Lynne Publishing (PRS - CAE: 541626758)
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County cork mizen head crookhaven barley cove beach three castle head tour.
West cork dunmanus bantry lough hyne dunlough o'mahoney castletownbere beara.
Cape clear coastline atlantic ocean hiking photography fishing cycling beach.
Caheragh - West Cork, Ireland
Aerial footage of Caheragh and some surrounding landmarks taken from an aerial drone.
Wonderful West Cork along Wild Atlantic Way - Ride Wild 2014
West Cork along the Wild Atlantic Way. The Ride Wild 2014 biking adventure along Ireland's new scenic route hits Beara Peninsula, Dursey Island and the Mizen Head Signal Station - all some of the definite highlights along this route!
Thanks to Tourism Ireland, Birk Sport, North West Adventure Tours, Skimbaco Lifestyle and Firethought for making the trip possible!
West Cork Emergency Services Cycle 2013 youtube version
The West Cork Emergency Services Cycle took place on Saturday 13th July 2013. A really hot day.
Over 200 cyclists participated.
Jeremy Irons at start of West Cork Emergency Services Cycle
Cycle through Ballydehob during 2017 Jazz Festival
Did a pass through the village with the GoPro recording, before I headed back to the West Lodge Hotel in Bantry.
foleyvideoediting.com
Ireland Travel | West Cork Travel | Crookhaven | Brow Head | Irish Travel | Ireland Travels
Ireland travel is about taking a journey into the magical. While taking a tour of Ireland you should always include time to travel West Cork and Mizen Head. You can experience more of the West Cork area and Mizen Head at my Ireland blog using the links above.
Whether you are walking the paths of the many parks, climbing the rocky hills, fishing from the rugged coastline, sitting on a sandy beach, taking photographs of the Irish countryside or cycling the winding roads; a tour of this scenic area of southwest County Cork, Ireland is a must.
The drive to Brow Head and Crookhaven will begin in the small village of Goleen. Just outside the village you will see the Fastnet Sails shop, which is located in Kilmoe, the former Church of Ireland church in Goleen.
The road continues along the coastline past Spanish Cove and Rock Island. Once you get past Rock Island, you will see Crookhaven Harbor and the village of Crookhaven on the left. At the very west end of Crookhaven Harbor is White Strand. The entire harbor has incredible tidal flows throughout the day, which are amazing to see. Huge rocks that are visible in the morning will be completely covered by afternoon.
Keep to your left as you go around the end of the harbor. Just up the road, past the strand, you will see a turn on the right that is the entrance to Galley Cove. This road leads up the hill to Brow Head's peak and Marconi Tower.
Following the road up the hill, you will find yourself at a small parking area. From here, you can follow the walking path further up the hill to Marconi Tower. It was built in 1804 as one in a series of towers used for signaling if an invasion force was nearing the coast. Similar towers are located near the end of Mizen Head and along the southern coast of Ireland.
The tower's most famous resident is also its namesake. In 1901, Guglielmo Marconi and his company came to Crookhaven to erect radio masts to be used for testing his radio transmitters. In October and November of that year, messages were successfully sent from Poldhu, Cornwall to Crookhaven. By 1904, the technology of wireless had evolved to a point that made the Crookhaven/Brow Head location useless.
Continuing past the tower and adjacent structures, head down the hill to a small collection of buildings. These buildings (mine manager's house, counting house and miners' barracks) supported the copper mine operations at Brow Head. The mine started to produce copper in 1854 and in 1859; the mine produced 179 tons of ore. Other than a brief time in 1906, the main operations of the mine ceased in 1865.
If you have time and stamina, a walk to the very tip of Brow Head is worth it. As you continue along the paths, you will be amazed just how far down the peninsula you can get. The sight of the cliffs all around you is breathtaking. Keep your eyes on the rocks below, as you may see seals sunning themselves on the rocks. Don't forget to pack a picnic!
Back at the car, begin your trip to Crookhaven. Going down the hill, you will be graced with stunning views of Roaringwater Bay, Clear Island, Sherkin Island and Schull Harbor. Continue on until you get back to the main road. At this intersection, you will turn right and follow the road to Crookhaven.
Crookhaven is a very small village containing three pubs, one store and a huge amount of fun. The beautiful harbor bustles with activity on warm summer days. Sail boats come and go while kids play in the water at the base of the pier. You can't help but be happy when you're in Crookhaven.
The highlight of any trip to Crookhaven is visiting the best pub in the world. O'Sullivan's Bar is second-to-none when it comes to Irish charm. As you walk through the door, Dermot O'Sullivan will greet you with a cheery, Hello boys and girls. Order a toasted special with a Murphy's and find seat by one of the large windows. While you enjoy a quiet lunch, take in the beautiful harbor that sparkles outside the windows. If the weather is warm, be sure to enjoy one of the many picnic tables spread around the pier. Nirvana.
Planning your next vacation to Ireland? Don't forget to tour West Cork, Brow Head and Crookhaven.
Track title: The Rose of Tralee
License Type: Standard License
Composer: Bjorn Lynne (PRS - CAE: 272363273)
Publisher: Lynne Publishing (PRS - CAE: 541626758)
Ireland travel travel west cork mizen head west cork ireland blog ireland county cork crookhaven.
Brow head atlantic ocean o'sullivan's bar rock island spanish cove.
Coastline goleen irish countryside marconi copper mine pub bar picnic clear island fishing beach cycling fishing photography.
3 Minute Motorcycle Trip From Dublin to West Cork, Ireland.
A 3 minute video of a motorbike journey from Dublin to West Cork. Featuring places like Powerscourt House, Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough, The Vee, Kinsale, Clonakilty and Mizen Head. Music by the up and coming Irish band The Farriers.
Motorcycle ride West Cork - Ireland (Sheep's Head to Skibbereen)
Ireland Travel | Three Castle Head | West Cork Travel | Dunlough | Irish Travel | Ireland Travels
ireland-travels.com
facebook.com/IrelandTravels
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Ireland travel is about taking a journey into the magical. While taking a tour of Ireland you should always include time to travel West Cork and Mizen Head. You can experience more of the West Cork area and Mizen Head at my Ireland blog using the links above.
Whether you are walking the paths of the many parks, climbing the rocky hills, fishing from the rugged coastline, sitting on a sandy beach, taking photographs of the Irish countryside or cycling the winding roads; a tour of this scenic area of southwest County Cork, Ireland is a must.
Leaving the small village of Goleen you will head in the direction of Mizen Head ( Continue past the turn to Crookhaven, and you will approach the left turn for the Mizen Head Signal Station and Barley Cove. Keep going straight until you get to the T in the road. At the T, turn right and head into the beautiful pastureland of the Mizen and Dunlough area. The road will continue to wind for several kilometers until you come to Dunlough Pier.
Leave your car in the small parking area and head up the driveway of the farm. Because you are entering private property, be mindful of locking gates and not disturbing the livestock. It would be very sad to have the castles closed from visitors because of the trouble they caused.
On foot, follow the signs and well-worn tracks in the fields. The first part of the walk is fairly easy. It isn't until you get to the bigger hills that the climb becomes harder and the footing a bit uncertain. Upon climbing the first hill, a small, shallow valley will open up in front of you. Walk through this small depression and continue up the other side. As you approach the top of the rise, be prepared for the incredible site of Dunlough Castle.
With the castles now in view, the last part of the hike is a bit touchy as the track down is steep and rocky. But, before you head down the hill to the castles, take a moment to enjoy the views in every direction. If your camera isn't overheated yet, I'm not sure what it will take!
The castle itself has three different towers that are joined by a crumbling wall that rises to about 15' (5 meters) in height. For towers built eight hundred years ago, they are in magnificent shape. In no time, you will be climbing around the site letting your imagination go as you let the history of this place come over you. It is not too hard to imagine the people in and around the castle. If you look carefully through a security gate on the east side of the largest tower, you will see the bottom of a perfectly intact staircase leading up to a higher floor. What I would pay to be able to climb on those steps and see where they go.
Besides the towers, another prominent feature of the site is the lake. In typical Irish fashion, there is always a story, and the story I have heard goes something like this. While the king and his two sons were away at battle, word came back that two of them had been killed. To preserve the fortune of their house, the lady, or queen, threw all their worldly possessions and treasure into the lake. The story goes that if a person searches for the treasure with greed in their heart, the lady of the lake will come for them. Death will follow soon after. You have to love a good Irish story!
The walls around the lake are original walls. At the far east end of the lake, where the cliffs drop into Dunmanus Bay, there is also an original dam that holds the water. I have also been told that you can see small mounds near the castles that were part of a promontory fort that pre-dated the castles. I need to go back so that I can find them for myself!
After you have finished exploring the castle site, a walk up the hills past the towers is worth it. Up there you will find another lake, a stone monument used to measure the height of the hill and stunning views to the north. On a clear day, you will be able see Sheep's Head, the entrance to Bantry Bay and the mountains of County Kerry.
You can easily spend several hours enjoying all the different areas of Three Castle Head. You will be in a very remote place, and it is likely you won't see another person during your hike. What is an absolute must for this hike besides good shoes? A picnic and a thermos of tea. For some reason, tea tastes so much better while sitting on a cliff at Three Castle Head.
Planning your next vacation to Ireland? Don't forget to tour West Cork, Three Castle Head and Dunlough Castle.
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Track title: Arrival of Spring
License Type: Standard License
Publisher: SoundDogs
Ireland travel mizen head west cork travel west cork ireland blog ireland three castle head dunlough castle.
Crookhaven atlantic ocean barley cove coastline goleen irish.
Countryside bantry bay county kerry mountains cycling photography.
Ireland Travel | West Cork Travel | Mizen Head | Irish Travel | Ireland Travels | Ireland Blog
Ireland travel is about taking a journey into the magical. While taking a tour of Ireland you should always include time to travel West Cork and Mizen Head. You can experience more of the West Cork area and Mizen Head at my Ireland blog using the links above.
Whether you are walking the paths of the many parks, climbing the rocky hills, fishing from the rugged coastline, sitting on a sandy beach, taking photographs of the Irish countryside or cycling the winding roads; a tour of this scenic area of southwest County Cork, Ireland is a must.
Begin your tour at Mizen Head, Ireland's most southwesterly point. The dramatic peninsula features Barley Cove beach and is highlighted by the Mizen Head Signal Station Visitor Centre. At the signal station you will be treated with magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Cork and Kerry Mountains to the North.
The drive to the Mizen Head Signal Station will take you from one of the small villages of Goleen or Crookhaven. The roads from both villages join together at the end of the causeway that cuts along the swan filled Lissagriffin Lake. Continuing up the road, you will pass the Lissagriffin Primary School on the right.
Just past the school, turn left on to the Mizen road and head past the Barley Cove Beach Hotel. As you head up the hill from the hotel, be sure to stop at the bend in the road and admire the beautiful views of Barley Cove Beach and Brow Head. Whether the sun is shining or a gale is blowing, the views are breathtaking.
Continuing up the road, you will pass the home that was my grandparents' holiday home on the right. This home, Corran More, was the center of our family's Irish fun and holds a tom of memories from the years we spent there.
On the left side of the road just past Corran More is a lay-by. At the western end of the lay-by, a driveway drops down to the left. Tim and Mary O'Sullivan live here and have been friends of our family since the early 1970's. Tim is a retired dairy farmer, and Mary operates a small bed and breakfast during the peak summer months. You will not find a nicer family than the O'Sullivans. At the end of their driveway, a road heads to the west. Follow this road to its end, and you will find a pier jutting into the sea. Four generations of my family have enjoyed many picnics and fishing excursions on this pier. I'm sure that I have added to the aging of my mother while I ran around this pier.
The rest of the drive up the Mizen road to the signal station is filled with one grand view after another. Pulling into the large parking lot of the Mizen Head Signal Station, you will find the entrance on the right. Inside the welcome building you will be able to purchase tickets to the museum at the end of the peninsula, purchase a souvenir or enjoy a snack in the café.
Follow the path down to the arced bridge. As you cross the bridge, take time to look for seals relaxing on the rocks below. A short way past the bridge, you will come to the formally manned signal station. Inside the station itself is a fine museum describing life in the station, the history of the Fastnet Rock lighthouse and stories of the many ships that have crashed on the rocks of the Mizen.
Further past the signal station you walk to the end of the land. This rugged, wind swept coastline was no doubt the final view of Ireland many immigrants saw after they left Cobh on their way to America.
Planning your next vacation to Ireland? Don't forget to tour West Cork and Mizen Head.
Music credits:
Track title: Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore
License Type: Standard License
Composer: Bjorn Lynne (PRS - CAE: 272363273)
Publisher: Lynne Publishing (PRS - CAE: 541626758)
Ireland travel travel west cork mizen head west cork ireland blog. Ireland county cork mizen head signal station fastnet rock cobh atlantic ocean. O'Sullivan picnic coastline brow head crookhaven goleen lissagriffin irish countryside. Corran more kerry mountains fishing pier beach cycling hills park photography
Ireland Travel | West Cork Travel | Dunmanus Bay | Irish Travel | Ireland Travels | Time Lapse
ireland-travels.com
facebook.com/IrelandTravels
Follow us @TravelsIreland
Ireland travel is about taking a journey into the magical. While taking a tour of Ireland you should always include time to travel West Cork and Mizen Head. You can experience more of the West Cork area and Mizen Head at my Ireland blog using the links above.
Whether you are walking or backpacking on the paths of the many parks, climbing the rocky hills, fishing from the rugged coastline, sitting on a sandy beach, taking photographs of the Irish countryside or cycling the winding roads; a tour of this scenic area of southwest County Cork, Ireland is a must.
This video is time lapse taken at sunset on the backside of Mizen Head. Our family was renting a farmhouse in Dunkelly West, and the sky had been very cloudy for days. On this evening, the clouds finally started to break and gave a few beautiful glimpses of the illusive sun.
I used my GoPro Hero 2 camera and shot to the northwest overlooking Dunmanus Bay, and the tip of Sheep's Head in the distance. The video was taken June 11, 2012 between 8:00pm and 10:15pm local time.
Planning your next vacation filled with Irish travel? Don't forget to tour West Cork and experience all the beauty and charm it has to offer.
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Track title: Scarborough Fair
License Type: Standard License
Composer: Bjorn Lynne (PRS - CAE: 272363273)
Publisher: Lynne Publishing (PRS - CAE: 541626758)
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Time lapse gopro hero 2 sheep's head ireland blog ireland county cork atlantic ocean.
Dunkelly west coastline irish countryside backside of the mizen backpacking northwest fishing beach cycling photographs cloudy parks fishing cycling.
Skibbereen Bike Run
Quick spin to Skibbereen
National Motorbike Rally 2007 Skibbereen
The National Rally arrives in Skibbereen, West cork. lots of interesting bikes.
50th Irish National Rally,2016
50th anniversary of the national rally in Bantry, Ireland
Ballinvillon Gardens Ballycommane Durrus West Cork Ireland
Ballinvillon Gardens Durrus, West Cork, Ireland, is a woodland garden full of rhododendrons and azaleas, Japanese maples, and bamboos.
West Cork Motor Cycle Club Timoleague Run 2008
Modern bikes
Ballineen & Enniskeane, West Cork.
Aerial footage of Ballineen & Enniskeane, West Cork.
The twin villages of Ballineen mouth of Fineen's Ford and Enniskeane the island of Cian in County Cork in Ireland are 43 km (26.72 mi) southwest of Cork City, on the R586 road. Ballineen and Enniskean lie on the River Bandon between Bandon and Dunmanway and the fertile Bandon valley.
Ballineen belonged first to the Earls of Cork and later to the Earls of Bandon. Lord Bandon improved the village in the mid-19th century by introducing a revival that consisted of building a market house, a courthouse, a Weslyan Chapel, a Gothic Church and two schools in the area. Ballineen held monthly fairs on the streets until the mid-1960s. Enniskean takes its name from Cian Maol Muadh (later O'Mahony) a local chieftain and has a connection with Brian Boru, the High King of Ireland. Cian married Sábh Brian's daughter and resided at Castlelands, Enniskean.
The main employers of the villages are Grainger's Sawmills in Enniskean and Carbery Group's Cheese and Food Ingredients factory located approximately 2 km (1.24 mi) west of Ballineen on the R586 regional road. William Grainger employs many of the local parish in many of his national and international business ventures.
The original railway station in Ballineen opened on 12 June 1866. Ballineen and Enniskean railway station opened on 15 May 1891, but finally closed on 1 April 1961.