Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [218]
The bay is good for swimming, albeit in a bracing sort of way. The sandy Blue Flag beach at Inchydoney Island, 4km from town, is good, too, but watch out for the dangerous rip tide; when lifeguards are on duty, a red flag indicates danger. The West Cork Surf School ( 086 869 5396; www.westcorksurfing.com) is riding the wave of Irish surfing’s recent popularity. A two-hour lesson will set you back €35. In town, Jellyfish Surf Co ( 023-883 5890; Spillers Lane) can advise surfers where to go locally.
Sleeping
Stay in town to enjoy the range of nightlife.
Desert House Caravan & Camping Park ( 023-883 3331; deserthouse@eircom.net; Coast Rd; campsite from €10, r per person €35; Easter & May-Sep; ) This attractive 36-pitch park, 1.5km southeast of town on the road to Ring, is on a dairy farm overlooking the bay. B&B rooms inside are an orgy of patterned carpets and floral wallpaper.
Tudor Lodge ( 023-883 3046; www.tudorlodgecork.com; McCurtain Hill; r €50-80) If you want Tudor-ish visions of Henry VIII, you’ll have to don a fat suit. But apart from that, this modern family home sits pleasantly above it all a short walk from the town centre. Standards are kept up to scratch in impeccably smart, peaceful rooms.
Bay View House ( 023-883 3539; www.bayviewclonakilty.com; Old Timoleague Rd; r €50-90; ) This frothy pink house offers immaculate B&B standards, a genial welcome and great breakfasts. Rooms 5 and 6, and the cosy landing lounge, offer fantastic views over the fields that slope down to Clonakilty Bay.
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MICHAEL COLLINS – THE ‘BIG FELLA’
County Cork, and especially the Clonakilty area, has a deeply cherished association with Michael Collins, the ‘Big Fella’, commander-in-chief of the army of the Irish Free State, which won independence from Britain in 1922.
Collins was born on a small farm at Woodfield near Clonakilty as the youngest of eight children, and went to school in the town. He lived and worked in London from 1906 to 1916, returning to Ireland to take part in the Easter Rising, after which he became a key figure in Irish Nationalism. He revolutionised the way the Irish rebels fought, organising them into guerrilla-style ‘flying columns’, and was the main negotiator of the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty that led to the Irish Free State. The mixed reaction to the treaty, with many thinking Ireland had made too many concessions to the British, plunged the country into a brutal civil war.
On a tour of western Cork, Michael Collins was ambushed and killed by anti-Treaty forces on 22 August 1922 at Beal-na-Bláth, near Macroom. Each year, a commemorative service is held on the anniversary of the killing. To visit the site, follow the N22 west from Cork for about 20km, then take the left turn (R590) to Crookstown. From there turn right onto the R585 to Beal-na-Bláth. The ambush site is on the left after 4km.
The useful map and leaflet In Search of Michael Collins (€4) is available at the Clonakilty tourist office, outlining places in the district associated with him. A visit to the Michael Collins Centre ( 023-884 6107; www.michaelcollinscentre.com; adult/child €6/3; 10.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 11am-2pm Sat mid-Jun–Sep) is an excellent way to make sense of his life and that period of Ireland’s history. A tour reveals photos, letters and a reconstruction of the 1920s country lane where Collins was killed, complete with armoured vehicle. The centre runs tours of the crucial locations in Collins’ life on occasion. The centre is signposted off the R600 between Timoleague and Clonakilty.
The Clonakilty Museum (Western Rd; admission €3; Jun-Sep) has some more memorabilia, including Collins’ weapons and uniform. The museum is run on a voluntary basis; contact the tourist office for exact opening