County Cork
Cork, known as the 'Rebel County',
is located at the South West corner of
Ireland.
Cork is the country's largest county, Capital
of the South, but considered by Southerners to
be the
Real Capital.
Cork is one of the most scenic
counties in Ireland, with a wonderful combination
of coastline, inlets, mountains and other scenic
areas.
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The county has it's own
anthem, namely, 'The banks of my own lovely Lee', or
'The Banks' as it is known locally.
Cork even has it's own stout called Murphys, very similar
in appearance to Guinness.
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Main Tourist Attractions Include :
Skibbereen
Heritage Centre
Located the beautifully restored Old Gasworks building, in
Skibbereen, one of West Cork's picturesque towns, the
Centre consists of two themes.
The Great Famine Commemoration
Exhibition commemorates the Great Irish Famine of the 1840's,
known as the Great Hunger. Skibbereen was one of the worst affected
areas, and the events of the era are depicted using local characters
and events.
The Lough Hyne Interpretive Centre explains the unique nature
of this salt water marine lake, Ireland's first Marine Nature Reserve.
Cobh Heritage Centre
Located in the town of Cobh.
The story of Cobhs unique origins and its legacy are
dramatically recalled at The Queenstown Story, a multi
media exhibition at Cobhs restored Victorian Railway
Station. Retrace the steps of the 2.5 million Irish people
who emigrated from the port of Cobh, experience conditions
aboard the emigrant vessels and learn about the dramatic
events surrounding the Lusitania and the Titanic - Cobh
was its last port of call.
Blarney
Castle - Home of
the Blarney Stone
Blarney Castle is one of Ireland's
oldest and most historic castles. It was built around
1446. An ancient stronghold of the MacCarthys, Lords
of Muskerry and one of the strongest fortresses in Munster,
its walls are eighteen feet thick in places.
Located on the parapet of the castle is the famous "Blarney Stone".
According to local legend, after kissing this stone, you will have
the gift of eternal eloquence, or "the gift of the gab". To kiss
the stone, you must first lie on your back, then leaning your head
backwards and downwards, you kiss the underside of the stone. The
last admission to the castle and grounds is 30 minutes before closing.
French Armada Centre -
Bantry
Located in the town of Bantry.
Part of the epic adventure of 1796 courtesy of an individual
audio tour with accompanying music and sound effects,
available in a choice of languages. The centrepiece of
this exhibition is a giant 1:6 scale model of a frigate
in cross section. Vividly illustrating life in the French
Navy 200 years ago, it illustrates the ship's construction
and various activities as they happened on board.
The exhibition centre is both very educational and entertaining.
The West Cork Model Railway
Village
Located at The Station, Inchydoney
Road, in the West Cork town of Clonakilty. This is the
first of its kind in Ireland. It allows the visitor to
experience the sights and sounds of life in West Cork
during the 1940s. The working
railway, a model of the long closed West Cork line, is
at the core of the experience. Many of the industrial
buildings reconstructed in the village had their own
system of power generation during the era.
Arigideen Heritage
Locaqted on a 135 acre Dairy Farm,
which is located just off of the R600 between Clonakilty
and Timoleague in South West Cork. The Arigideen River
Valley is unique as well as being beautiful in that it
has a very high concentration of Historical sites and
is a great source of folklore. The Valley has connections
with Michael Collins, Henry Ford, John F Kennedy, Jeremiah
O'Donovan Rossa, Donal Cam O' Sullivan Bere and William
Penn to mention just a few
Michael Collins Centre
The Michael Collins Centre, located in Clomakilty. One of
the great heroes of the 1916-1922 period, was born at
Woodfield, near Clonakilty. He was General of the Free
State Army and a legend in his own lifetime. The small
West Cork Museum has many mementos of the hero.
Fota Wildlife Park
Fota wildlife Park is located
at Carrigtwohill. This is an ideal family day out. Come
face to face with over 90 species of exotic wildlife.
Appreciate endangered animals such as cheetahs, oryx
and lion tailed macaques in tranquil surroundings and
see conservation in action.
Fotas primary aim is the conservation and breeding of endangered
species.
Mizen Head Signal Station
Mizen Head Signal Station is
now open to the public for the first time since it was
completed in 1910. The Mizen Vision visitor centre in
the keeper's house, along with the engine room, famous
suspension bridge, 99 steps and views up the south and
west coasts combine with the exhilaration of the Atlantic
and ancient rocks to guarantee a unique experience.
Ballincollig Gunpowder
Mills
Ballincollig Gunpowder Mills
Heritage Centre is a unique industrial complex which
meanders along the bank of the River Lee. The Mills were
established in 1794 by Charles Henry Leslie.
Eleven years later when Napoleon's control of France posed a grave
threat to the British, the British Board of Ordnance bought the
Mills from Leslie. Along with this the Army Barracks was built
in the town to protect the supply of gunpowder. By the mid 1800s
the Mills were one of the largest industrial establishments in
the Cork area.
Saint Finbarre's Cathedral
Saint Finbarre's Cathedral
is one of the most beautiful and interesting in the country.
It was completed in 1870 and it is the latest in a series
of places of worship located on the site where Saint
Fin Barre himself is said to have founded his school
of learning in the seventeenth century. The cathedral
is filled with highly ornamented, beautiful mosaic work,
rich carvings and fine stained glass.
Old Midleton Distillery
A tour of The Old Midleton
Distillery takes you on a journey through the story of
Irish whiskey
via an audio-visual presentation, available in six languages.
Follow the old distillery trail through mills, maltings,
corn stores, stillhouse, warehouses and kilns. View the
largest pot in the world prior to sampling the renowned
Jameson Whiskey in the bar. On offer too is an
opportunity to become a qualified Irish Whiskey taster,
with presentation of certificate.
Millstreet Country Park
Millstreet Country Park en
route to Killarney is renowned for its breathtaking landscape
and theme gardens with rare shrubs, flowers, herb rich
meadows, wetlands and boglands. There are reminders of
many aspects of Irish History within the Park - the 4000
year old Stone Circle and Fullacht Fiadh, the 10,000
year old Glacier Boulders (erratics) and the more recent
Shepherds Hut. You will find seven hundred red deer roaming
the paddocks and many species of birds
and wild life.
Longueville House
Longueville House is situated
in the heart of a 500 acre Wooded Estate, overlooks the
Blackwater River Valley, famous for its Salmon and Brown
Trout fishing. The House, a listed Heritage Georgian
Manor, is owned and managed by the O'Callaghan Family.
Longuevilles history is that of Ireland in miniature.
Longueville, after 300 years is now in O'Callaghan
ownership.
Riverstown House
Riverstown House, dating from 1602 and rebuilt in 1745, is
home to some fine plasterwork by the Francini brothers.
The house was originally the seat of Dr. Jemmett Browne,
Bishop of Cork.
Features of the house include the Francini Room which has some
highly obscure plasterwork and the Green Drawing Room which is
notable for its exceptionally fine timber carved fireplace.
The English Market
This indoor covered market
is owned by Cork Corporation and is situated on the Grand
Parade. There is access from the Grand Parade, Oliver
Plunkett Street, Princes Street and Patrick Street. The
market sells a huge variety of meats, poultry, cheeses,
vegetables, breads, fresh and organic herbs.
Heritage Sites
Barryscourt Castle - Carrigtwohill
Barryscourt Castle was the seat of the Barry family from the 12th
to the 17th centuries. The present castle is a fine example
of a 15th century tower house with 16th century additions and
alterations. The bawn wall with three corner towers is largely
intact. The ground floor of the keep houses an exhibition on
the history of the Barrys and Barryscourt Castle.
Charles Fort - Summer Cove, Kinsale
Constructed in the late 17th century on the site of an earlier
coastal fortification, Charles Fort is a classic example of
a star-shaped fort. William Robinson, architect of the Royal
Hospital in Kilmainham, Dublin, and Superintendent of Fortifications,
is credited with designing the Fort. As one of the largest
military forts in the country, Charles Fort has been associated
with some of the most momentous events in Irish history. The
most significant of which include the Williamite War in 1690
and the Irish Civil War of 1922-23.
Desmond Castle (French Prison) Cork
St, Kinsale
Built as a custom house by the Earl of Desmond c. AD 1500, Desmond
Castle has a colourful history, ranging from Spanish occupation
in 1601 to use as a prison for captured American sailors during
the American War of Independence. Known locally as 'The French
Prison' after a tragic fire in which 54 prisoners, mainly French
seamen, died in 1747. The Castle was also used as a borough jail
from 1791 to the onset of the Great Famine when it was used as
an auxiliary workhouse tending to the starving populace.
Interesting Tourist Shops
Blarney Woolen Mills
The presence of the Woolen Mills
during the Famine shielded Blarney from the worst effects
of the famine, due to its employment of local workers.
The success story at the mills continued until a disastrous
fire in 1869. By August 1871, the mill was once again
operational with a labour force of 222. In 1976 Chris
Kelleher, himself a mill worker, bought the old mill
property. Within a short period of time Chris and his
family transformed the mill into what is perhaps the
largest quality craft shop in Ireland.
Souvenirs
Ireland
On-line / Retail Shop based in Kinsale, Co. Cork.- Email : info@souvenirsireland.com
We specialise in quality Irish Products at very keen
prices. We cover the whole range
of
Gifts and Souvenirs much favoured by the tourist
and these include such items as
Brass Door Knockers, Pub Parephernalia,
Irish Compact Discs and Apparel
