Must-see attractions in The West Cork Coast

One of Europe's best-preserved star-shaped artillery forts, this vast 17th-century fortification would be worth a visit for its spectacular views alone…

The Victorian country estate of Liss Ard is home to the remarkable Sky Garden, a piece of landscape art created by American artist James Turrell in 1992…

On an exposed hillside, with fields falling away towards the coast and cattle lowing in the distance, the Drombeg stone circle is superbly atmospheric…

Kinsale's roots in the wine trade are on display at this early-16th-century fortified house that was occupied by the Spanish in 1601. Since then it has…

This 200-year-old signal tower houses a museum dedicated to the RMS Lusitania, which was torpedoed by a German U-boat in 1915 with the loss of 1200 lives…

Constructed on the site of the town’s old gasworks, the Skibbereen Heritage Centre houses a haunting exhibition about the Famine, with actors reading…

A visit to the Michael Collins Centre is an excellent way to make sense of his life and the times in which he lived. A tour reveals photos, letters and a…

You can’t help but smile at the West Cork Model Railway Village. It features a vast outdoor recreation of the West Cork Railway as it was during the 1940s…

Baltimore harbour is dominated by the stone tower of 13th-century castle of Dun na Sead (Fort of the Jewels). Inside, the great hall houses seasonal art…

The state-of-the-art Clonakilty Distillery opened its doors to the public in 2019, producing triple-distilled single pot still Irish whiskey made with…

Take a tour of Mara Farm to see Kerry cattle, Kerry bog ponies and rare-breed pigs, and enjoy home-baked goodies at the farm shop and cafe. It's 1km…

Inchydoney, signposted 5km south of Clonakilty, has two gorgeous golden strands either side of a rocky peninsula set on a scenic inlet. You can rent…

This is one of the country's oldest Church of Ireland churches, built around 1190 by the Normans on the site of a 6th-century church. Not much of the…

This graveyard, 1km west of Skibbereen beside the N71 road towards Schull, contains the mass grave of 8000 to 10,000 local people who died during the…

Based in the 17th-century courthouse that was used for the inquest into the sinking of the Lusitania, this eclectic museum contains local curiosities as…

The Clonakilty Museum has some memorabilia, including Michael Collins’ weapons and uniform. The museum is run on a voluntary basis; contact the tourist…

This craft distillery produces vodka, (Two Trees), gin (Garnish Island) and a range of whiskies (blended, pot still and single malt) under its own name…

This small museum has exhibits on the island’s history and culture, and fine views north across the water to Mizen Head. It's 1km east of the ferry…