Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [228]
Goleen
Tourism in the Goleen area is handled well by the local community, with the intriguing Mizen Head Signal Station (opposite) being a token of their commitment and imagination. In summer it hums with holidaymakers.
SLEEPING & EATING
Heron’s Cove ( 028-35225; www.heronscove.com; Goleen; s/d €50/80) A delightful location, on the shores of the tidal inlet of Goleen Harbour, makes this fine restaurant and B&B a top choice. Rooms have been refurbished to a restful style and several have balconies overlooking the inlet. The small restaurant has an excellent menu of organic and local food. It’s open from 7pm to 9.30pm April to October (and year-round for guests staying at the Heron’s Cove). Mains are between €18 and €25. Book in summer.
Fortview House ( 028-35324; www.fortviewhouse.ie; Gurtyowen, Toormore; s/d €62/100; Mar-Nov) Out on its own, in terms of location, warmth and quality, this lovely house has five antique-filled, flower-themed bedrooms. Hospitable hostess Violet has the most infectious laugh ever, and her breakfast choice is gourmet standard, with eggs from cheerfully clucking hens in the garden. To get there, head along the road that turns off the R592 for Durrus about 1km northeast of Goleen.
Rock Cottage ( 028-35538; www.rockcottage.ie; Barnatonicane, Schull; s/d €100/140) This slate-clad Georgian hunting lodge has three rooms, which stylishly mix antique furniture and modern textiles for an elegant yet cheery effect. Rock Cottage is also a working 17-acre farm (you can commune with a sheep) and many of the ingredients on the evening set menu (€50) come from the surrounding fields. To find it, continue 1km up the road from Fortview House and go through the gate on your left.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Bus Éireann (www.buseireann.ie) has two buses a day from Skibbereen (€9.50, 70 minutes) via Schull. Goleen is the end of the line for bus service on the peninsula.
Crookhaven
Onwards from Goleen, the westerly outpost of Crookhaven feels so remote that you imagine it’s more easily reached by boat than by road. And so it is for some people – in summer there’s a big yachting presence and Crookhaven bustles with life. Off season it’s quiet.
In its heyday Crookhaven’s natural harbour was an important anchorage. Mail from America was collected here, and sailing ships and fishing vessels found ready shelter. On the opposite shore the gaunt remains of quarry buildings, closed in 1939, lie embedded in the hillside, and are the source of many dubious yarns by locals in response to curious questions from visitors.
SLEEPING & EATING
Pints in the sunshine are the reward for venturing out on the crooked road to Crookhaven. (If it’s raining, make that ‘Pints by the fireplace…’).
Galley Cove House ( 028-35137; www.galleycovehouse.com; s/d €55/90) A cheerful welcome complements the secluded location of this modern home, 2km from Crookhaven and with terrific views across the ocean. It’s handy for Barleycove Beach, and the pine-floored rooms are clean, airy and filled with light.
O’Sullivan’s Bar ( 028-35319; meals €5-15; kitchen noon-8pm) is a timeless building right on the harbour. Several generations’ worth of picnic tables draw several generations of punters when there’s even a hint of sun. Pub food like seafood chowder and fried shrimp is popular – and good.
Crookhaven Inn ( 028-35309; mains €5-20; 12.30-8pm Apr-Oct) Set discreetly back from the water, this stone cottage of a pub also has a bulwark of picnic tables outside. The food here is more ambitious; seafood, of course, is tops. In summer there are trad sessions many nights.
Brow Head
This is the southernmost point on the Irish mainland and is well worth the walk. As you leave Crookhaven, you’ll notice a turn-off to the left marked ‘Brow Head’. If travelling by car, park at the bottom of the hill – the track is very narrow and there’s nowhere to pull over