Things to do in Beara Peninsula (Ring Of Beara)
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McCarthy's Bar
If you're carrying an original copy of the late Pete McCarthy's bestseller, McCarthy's Bar, you'll be excited to see the front-cover photo sitting in three dimensions on Main St. McCarthy's is a grocery as well as a pub, so if you fancy a tin of peaches and a can of corn to go with your Beamish, you've come to the right place. There's frequent live music and a wicked wee snug inside the door.
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Hawthorne Bar
This agreeable pub may not have changed in about 40 years. Its dining room, the Rainbow Restaurant, serves the same menu in a more formal setting. Sitting on the streetside benches and tucking into Bantry Bay mussels or seafood chowder with soda bread is a fine way to spend a sunny evening.
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Derreen Gardens
Lauragh is home to the Derreen Gardens, planted by the fifth Lord Lansdowne around the turn of the 20th century. Mossy paths weave through an abundance of interesting plants, including spectacular New Zealand tree ferns and red cedars, and you may see seals on the shore.
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Josie's Lakeview House
Captivating lake views accompany your food. Josie's sits on a hill overlooking Glanmore Lake. Choose from salads and sandwiches for lunch, cakes at tea or heartier rack of lamb and local seafood specials at night. Josie's is 4km from the R571; follow the signs.
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Jack Patrick's
Run by one of the top local butchers – the shop is next door – this simple restaurant is just the choice if you want to get out of your shell and have some meat. Steaks and chops and other meaty mains, like bacon and cabbage, are on offer here.
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Olde Bakery
One of the best restaurants in town, the Olde Bakery serves hearty portions of top regional seafood to locals who won't settle for seconds – unless it's a second helping. A few tables out front are just the place to be on a long evening.
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Garinish (Ilnacullin) Island
The magical Italianate garden on Garinish Island is the top sight in Glengarriff. Subtropical plants flourish in the rich soil and warm climate. The camellias, magnolias and rhododendrons especially provide a seasonal blaze of colour. There are good views from a Grecian temple at the end of a cypress avenue, and a spectacular panorama from the top of the 19th-century Martello tower, built to watch out for a possible Napoleonic invasion.
This little miracle of a place was created in the early 20th century, when the island's owner, Annan Bryce, commissioned the English architect Harold Peto to design him a garden on the then-barren outcrop.
Garinish Island is reached by takin…
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P Harrington's
This pub has a prime position at the junction of the N71 and the Beara Rd. Settle into one of the comfy outside benches with a pint.
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Bamboo Park
Glengarriff's mild, frost-free climate allows this small 12-hectare park to flourish. It has a variety of exotic plants, including palm trees and tree ferns, as well as coastal woodland walks.
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West Cork Sailing Centre
The West Cork Sailing Centre offers numerous ways to get out on the water. A half-day on a skippered sailing boat costs €160; kayak rental is €12 per hour.
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Taste
A wide range of local foods, including creamy Milleens cheese, are on offer. There are creative sandwiches to take away from this inviting shop just off The Square.
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Milleens Cheese
The town of Eyeries is home to Milleens cheese, from pioneering producer Veronica Steele. She welcomes visitors to her farm; phone ahead.
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Allihies Copper Mine Museum
The Allihies Copper Mine Museum is the result of years of work by the community and has engaging exhibits plus a summer cafe housed in an old wooden church.
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Taste
A wide range of local foods, including creamy Milleens cheese, are on offer. There are creative sandwiches to take away from this inviting shop just off The Square.
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Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve
The 300-hectare ancient woodland lining Glengarriff's glacial valley was owned by the White family of Bantry House in the 18th century. The thick tree cover maintains humid conditions that allow ferns and mosses to flourish.
The woodlands and bogs are also home to Ireland's only arboreal ant and the rare and protected Kerry slug. If you're lucky (have camera ready so you can share your slug with friends and family), you'll see these spotty cream-coloured gastropods on the lichen carpet munching after rainfall.
There are four marked trails through the reserve, separately covering woodland, mountain, river and meadow, and you can combine them to form one big walk (8.5km, thre…
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