West Cork Walks

‘Walks of Clonakilty Town and Country’

These walks are from a publication by Mr. Damien Enright titled ‘Walks of Clonakilty Town and Country’ published by Merlin Press 1999.

The extracts used are with the kind permission of Mr. Damien Enright.
Illustrations by William Helps.
Maps by Dan O’Connell.

To view the complete Walks, please click on the titles below: 

Shannonvale. 4 miles.
Historn and nature along the lovely Argideen.  A well-preserved Neolithic stone circle.  The site of the only Munster battle of 1798.  An old corn mill, with silo.  A monument to an IRA volunteer.  A quaint chapel where a footbridge spans the quiet river.

Clonakilty Town and Country. 3½ miles.
From the town centre, via quiet roads, to join an old Mass path and a green lane to the ruins of a church and graveyard with a strange story.  Back into town, through historic streets to the bay and the old quays and warehouses.

Inchydoney Island. 4 miles.
Out-of-the-way Beamish’s Lagoon, kingfishers, egrets and reed beds.  Inchydoney Strand, dunes, rock pools and magnificent storm beach.  The deserted foreshore along the west side of Clonakilty Harbour, looking across the channel to Ring.  Sea air, bird roosts and solitude.

Cloheen Marsh & Nature Reserve. 3 miles.
An opportunity to see, close up, huge numbers of wild birds in a wild place.  The perimiter roads around Cloheen Marsh, a wide expanse of wetland, divided by a causeway from the sea.  Pleasant at any time; best on a winter evening, as the birds arrive to roost.

Rathbarry, Castlefreke, Long Strand. 4½
Great historical and ecological diversity.  Most is off-road, via forest paths or lanes, or along the beach.  The gaunt ruins of Castlefreke, and Rathbarry Church.  Woodland, lake shore, dunes and storm beach.