Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [225]
Chléire Haven ( 028-39119; www.yurt-holidays-ireland.com; per person €10; Jun-Sep) There’s campsites here and also yurts and tepees. The latter require multiple-day stays (a good thing) and start at €170 for three nights.
Cluain Mara ( 028-39153, 028-39172; www.capeclearisland.com; North Harbour; per person €28-35) There are self-catering cottages here at the isolated end of the already isolated island. The pub does home-cooked meals (€8 to €12) throughout the year.
Also recommended:
Cape Clear Island Hostel ( 028-41968; www.mamut.net/anoigecapeclear; Old Coastguard Station, South Harbour; dm from €20; ) In a large white building at the south harbour, amid lovely gardens.
Ard Na Gaoithe ( 028-39160; www.oilean-chleire.ie/english/leonard.htm; The Glen; per person from €35) Has restful rooms in a simple sturdy house.
Getting There & Away
From Baltimore, the ferry Naomh Ciarán II ( 028-39153; www.capeclearferry.com; adult/child return €15/7) takes 45 minutes to cover the 11km journey to Clear Island and it’s a stunning trip on a clear day. There are four sailings daily from June to mid-September, with the earliest leaving at 11am and the latest returning at 7pm, and at least two per day the rest of the year. Bicycles travel free.
From Schull, the Clear Island ferry ( 028-28278; www.capeclearferries.com; 10.30am, 2.30pm & 4.30pm Jun-Aug, 2.30pm Sep; adult/child return €14/7) leaves from the pier.
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GOUGANE BARRA FOREST PARK
Gougane Barra (www.gouganebarra.com) is a truly magical part of inland County Cork. It’s almost alpine in feel, with spectacular vistas of craggy mountain, silver stream and pine forest sweeping down to a mountain lake, the source of the River Lee. St Finbarre, the founder of Cork, established a monastery here in the 6th century. He had a hermitage on the island in Gougane Barra Lake (Lough an Ghugain), which is now approached by a short causeway. The small chapel on the island has fine stained-glass representations of obscure Celtic saints. A road runs through the park in a loop, but you’re better off slowing down and walking the well-marked network of paths and nature trails through the forest.
The area cries out for a hostel, but the only place to air your hiking boots is the pricy Gougane Barra Hotel ( 026-47069; www.gouganebarrahotel.com; per person from €72). There’s an on-site restaurant (serving a hearty dinner for €42), a cafe and a pub next door; the hotel runs a summer theatre festival.
Getting There & Away
Bus connections to the park will make you feel like an explorer. Call the hotel for details and possible pick-up part way.
The Macroom tourist office ( 026-43280; summer only) can help with accommodation in town if needed. Alternatively, take a taxi ( 026-41152) from Macroom for around €35, or possibly organise a tour from Bantry.
The park is signposted on the R584 after Ballingeary. Returning to the main road afterwards and continuing west, you’ll travel over the Pass of Keimaneigh and emerge on the N71 at Ballylickey, midway between the Beara Peninsula and the Sheep’s Head Peninsula.
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MIZEN HEAD PENINSULA
From Skibbereen the road rolls west through Ballydehob, the gateway to the Mizen, and then on to the pretty village of Schull. Travelling on into the undulating countryside takes you through ever-smaller settlements to the village of Goleen.
Even here the Mizen isn’t done. Increasingly narrow roads head further west to spectacular Mizen Head itself and to the hidden delights of Barleycove Beach and Crookhaven. Without a decent map you may well reach the same crossroads several times.
Heading back from Goleen, you can bear north to join the scenic coast road that follows the edge of Dunmanus Bay for most of the way to Durrus. At Durrus, one road heads for Bantry while the other turns west to Sheep’s Head Peninsula.
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SCHULL
pop 700
Schull (pronounced skul) is a small fishing