Living the Sheep's Head Way

  • The Sheep’s Head Way
  • Loop Walks
  • Accommodation
    • B&Bs
    • Hotels
    • Farmhouse Accommodation
    • Campsites

MENUMENU
  • Home
  • Things to Do
    • Walking
      • Sheep's Head Way Main Route
      • Loop Walks
        • Difficulty
          • Easy
          • Moderate
          • Hard
        • Time
          • Under 3 hours
          • 3-5 hours
          • 5 hours or more
        • Trailheads
          • Ahakista
          • Bantry West
          • Black Gate
          • Dún Óir
          • Durrus
          • Goat's Path
          • Kilcrohane
          • Tooreen
          • Whiddy Island
      • Walking Guides
    • Courses & Training
    • Crafts
    • Culture
    • Gardens
    • History
    • Cycling
    • Pony Trekking
    • Sailing & Kayaking
  • What's On
    • Events
    • Scheduled Courses
    • Festivals
  • Food
    • Cafés
    • Restaurants
    • Food Producers
    • Food Tours
    • Coeliac-Friendly
  • Where to Stay
    • B&B
    • Hotels
    • Self-Catering Holiday Homes
    • Farmhouse Accommodation
    • Campsites
    • Luxury Accommodation
    • Accessible Accommodation
  • News
  • How to Get Here
  • Location
    • Map
    • Ahakista
    • Bantry
    • Ballylickey
    • Drimoleague
    • Durrus
    • Kilcrohane
    • Whiddy Island
  • Services
    • Shops
    • Taxi Services
  • Contact Us

Culture

January 14, 2014 by Dunmanus

Immerse yourself in the rich history and culture of Bantry and the Sheep’s Head peninsula when you visit the Sheep’s Head Way.

From megalithic stone circles and bardic schools to Bantry House, you can trace every stage of Ireland’s rich history here along the Sheep’s Head Way.

There are long hikes and loop walks to suit everyone, with stunning views across West Cork’s bays. After your walk, you can try West Cork’s wonderful local food, visit local food producers and craftspeople, or learn a new skill like letter-carving.

Explore wonderful West Cork gardens, take a day trip on a luxury yacht, and choose from a range of comfortable and welcoming Fáilte Ireland-approved accommodation for your trip.

Each summer, Bantry plays host to three of Ireland’s very best cultural festivals: the town is bustling with people who travel from all over the world for the West Cork Chamber Music Festival, the West Cork Literary Festival and the Masters of Tradition event.
 
The events give you the opportunity to engage with some of the world’s best musicians and writers, and many people make an annual pilgrimage to West Cork to enjoy these events again and again.

Whether you’re here to enjoy music, literature, history or scenery, you’ll thoroughly enjoy the richness of living the Sheep’s Head way!

Filed Under: Culture

Wild Atlantic Way

What’s On

July 2025
West Cork Literary Festival 2024
Jul 11 - 18 2025

West Cork Literary Festival

Bantry
August 2025
Masters of Tradition 2024
Aug 20 - 24 2025

Masters of Tradition: A Traditional Music Festival

Bantry
No event found!

Visit Historic Places

Bantry House B&B

The Sheep’s Head is a peninsula rich in history and you’ll find traces of its past all along the Sheep’s Head Way walking route.

Find out more

Pure cork

Featured Activity

House Sign: The Old Arundel Farmhouse

Letter-Cutting Courses

Learn traditional letter-carving skills under the tuition of an experienced stonecarver on West Cork’s Sheep’s Head peninsula. Victor Daly leads regular letter-cutting and stone-carving courses at his workshop just outside the village of Ahakista on the Sheep’s Head peninsula in West Cork. His 1-day letter-cutting courses are held throughout the year. Please get in touch […]

More Activities

Featured Accommodation

Pinewood Cottage

Pinewood Cottage

Pinewood Cottage is a 300-year-old traditional cottage that has been totally refurbished and now serves as a cosy and inviting self-catering home It is hidden in a quiet area near Bantry, County Cork and sits on its own grounds with a mature garden with a large lawn and beautiful views of Dunmanus Bay. The cottage’s […]

More Accommodation

This project has been supported by Cork County Council & the LEADER programme under the Rural Development Programmes 2007-13 and 2017-2021.
  • The Sheep’s Head Way
  • Loop Walks
  • Accommodation
Sheep's Head & Bantry Tourism Cooperative, copyright 2018 | Website by Wordhoard Communications