20 Attractions to Explore Near Bantry House

Whiddy Island is located in scenic Bantry Bay, Co. Cork. The island is linked to the mainland by the local ferry, Ocean Star III, with return trips several times a day. Bike hire is also available on the island, as is a local hackney service. Trips to and from the island and tours of the bay are available during the summer months, incorporating local history, scenery and the indigenous flora and fauna.Walkers and anglers also travel to Whiddy Island.

A majestic old castle on the outskirts of Kealkill village, in the heart of West Cork, played a dramatic role in one of Irish history. A 4-storey tower surrounded by a 14-foot-high outer curtain wall or bawn. The main tower is perched on a rock overhanging the Ouvane river, and has 4 corner turrets. The main entrance to the castle was via a gate in the north wall of the bawn, which had 4 corner towers, the main tower being set into the west wall of the bawn.

Castledonovan is a townland in Dromdaleague, which lies on a rock on the east bank of the River Ilen in the townland of the same name, in County Cork in Ireland. Approximately 60 feet in height, it sits on a large rock or outcropping, which forms the ground floor, close to the bank of the River Ilen. The Castle was divided into various chambers or rooms. One room was set aside in the old days for food for the garrison and another store room for gunpowder and shot.

Priest's Leap is a steep and nearly straight single-lane mountain pass between Coomhola Bridge and the village of Bonane east of the more winding road from Bantry to Kenmare in Ireland. Just below the summit of the 519 m high mountain with the same name, it is the highest pass road in Munster at 463m, crossing from County Cork to County Kerry.

Knockboy is the highest point in County Cork and sits at an elevation of 706m. The mountain is composed of sandstone laid down in the Devonian period which was subsequently uplifted to form a mountain range, before being eroded into its present form by glaciers during the last ice age.The hike up to Knockboy mountain starts from the Priest’s Leap mountain pass monument at 519m.

A beautiaful mountain on the Mizen Peninsula immediately to the north of the town of Schull in West Cork, Ireland. It offers views from south over Schull Harbour and Long Island Bay. To the east and southeast, the views take in Roaringwater Bay and its many islands, known as Carbery's Hundred Isles. North and west are the mountains of the Beara Peninsula and south Kerry.

Bonane Heritage Park is an private archaeological preserve and tourist attraction between Bonane and Kenmare in County Kerry, Ireland. The park has over 250 well-preserved sites from the Stone, Bronze and Iron Age right up to pre-Famine times and celebrates the first settlers who colonised the Irish countryside. It is a stunning walk laden with archeological treasures that all of the family will enjoy.

The Ring of Beara is a road trip peninsula that runs through two counties in Ireland. It’s a lot lesser known the famous “Ring of Kerry”, but it’s arguably even more beautiful thanks to its wild landscape, untouched beauty and unique spots.

Gleninchaquin Park, in County Kerry, provides breath-taking landscapes and scenery in which it is a sheer delight to wander around. Explore streams with log bridges, mountain paths with carved steps, rock passages, glens, lakes and waterfalls. This magnificent valley makes for a great day out for the experienced walker – high level routes, to those more inclined to the gentler terrain.

Heir Island is a great place to live, work and visit. One of the seven inhabited West Cork islands off the south coast of Ireland. Offering the visitor stunning views, walks, sandy beaches, a profusion of wildflowers and bird life, the island also hosts many events such as theatre, music, cookery courses, sailing, kayaking, yoga and more.

Uragh Stone Circle on the Beara Peninsula in West Cork is without doubt one of the most beautiful and most mystical places in Ireland. This monument consists of a five stone circle with a huge outlier in close proximity. This enormous monolith is at least three metres high and totally dominates the monument. It is set radially to the circle aligned along the NE-SW axis. There are a number of other monuments nearby, including a multiple stone circle and some boulder burials.

Glanmore Lake is a freshwater lake in the southwest of Ireland. It is located on the Beara Peninsula in County Kerry. Well-known as a fishing lake, Glanmore is one of the nicest lake swims on the Beara peninsula, set at the base of Lackabane Mountain with the trees reaching up to the sky it could be deep in the Canadian wilderness.

Dún na Séad castle was built in 1215 and has had a long and fascinating history. It fell into a ruined state in the middle of the seventeenth century. The tower house is built on the site of an earlier Norman-era structure, which itself replaced an earlier Bronze Age ringfort. Traditionally associated with the O'Driscoll family, it was purchased and restored by members of the McCarthy family in the late 1990s, and partially opened to the public from 2005.

Sherkin Island is an island situated just off the southwest Cork coast. Its close location to the mainland and the simple ferry links mean that it’s one of Ireland’s most accessible islands. The island is a tourist destination and it typically takes between 10 and 15 minutes to get to Sherkin from Baltimore. Visitors can book a sea safari trip around the islands.

The Hungry Hill is an Irish mountain, belonging to the Beara Peninsula in County Cork. Rising to 685 metres above sea level, it is considered the 130th highest peak in Ireland. A magical place, which should make hiking enthusiasts dream! There is a cairn at the summit and a number of standing stones to the south and east of the mountain. At its eastern foot are two lakes — Coomadayallig and Coomarkane — which both drain into the Mare's Tail waterfall.

The Baltimore Beacon is a white-painted stone beacon at the entrance to the harbour at Baltimore, County Cork, Ireland. The beacon was built at the order of the British government following the 1798 Rebellion. It was part of a series of lighthouses and beacons dotted around the Irish coast, forming a warning system. The locals call him Lot’s Wife with a wink after a biblical figure that solidified into a pillar of salt.

This is a woodland garden that has a selection of narrow paths leading to the sea. You can choose a short stroll of about 40 minutes or take all day discovering the 8 miles of paths. Throughout the garden a rich patina of moss, lichens ferns and saxifrages gives a sub-tropical feel to the whole area. As a foil to the luxuriant plantings, there are great natural outcrops of rocks. The garden is open to the public every day all year round.

The Kenmare stone circle is one of the largest stone circles in south West Ireland measuring 17.4 x 15.8m and unlike any other ring in Muster, this one is egg-shaped. Stone Circles were built during the bronze age believed to be for ritual and ceremonial purposes. It is one of the iconic attraction in this area and there are also many similar things in this surroundings.

This is one of the largest and finest stone forts in Ireland and was probably built in the early centuries AD before Christianity came. Approximately 29 metres in diameter the fort has thick walls some 3 metres wide and standing almost 2 metres high. Access to the fort is through a narrow entrance on the north eastern side of the walls. The site is owned by the Irish Government which has declared it a national monument.

Beautiful vistas surround an upgraded traditional farmhouse located on a craggy promontory deep in West Cork, writes Tommy Barker.Strolling along the rugged coast of Toe Head along the cliff edge, you will discover remarkable rock formations and enjoy a wonderful view over the Celtic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.