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You are here: Home / Archives for News

West Cork Pilgrims Walk in St. Finbarr’s Footsteps

April 21, 2014 by Dunmanus

Pilgrim Paths Cork

Over the Easter weekend, a band of modern pilgrims traced St. Finbarr’s footsteps, walking from Drimoleague to Gougane Barra

It was part of a national event which saw walkers take to Ireland’s 15 pilgrim paths on the same day.

The West Cork group of 40 walkers, pictured at Carriganass Castle, Kealkill, followed St. Finbarr’s route from ‘the Top of the Rock’ in Drimoleague. It was there that St. Finbarr instructed people to return to Christ before beginning his own journey over three mountain systems and four valleys to the spot where he established his hermitage at Gougane Barra.

Pilgrimage is, of course, one of the oldest forms of travel, and the popularity of camino walks elsewhere has led to their revival in Ireland too. In 2008, the practice of walking St. Finbarr’s ancient route was revived, and the walk he took now forms an extension to the much-loved Sheep’s Head Way walking route.

The Top of the Rock Walking Centre in Drimoleague has been established as a base for West Cork’s walkers, and it was from there that the modern pilgrims set out, following St. Finbarr’s path enjoy the changing terrains and spectacular views available on the 22-mile (35km) route. A rich archaeological landscape is combined with interesting folklore on a route that passes historic Carriganass Castle, stone circles and other ancient monuments before reaching its destination.

The walk’s leader, David Ross, of the Top of the Rock Walking Centre, believes that the spiritual aspects of the walk are often the most rewarding for people who follow St. Finbarr’s Way: ‘‘The contemplation, the seeking and the finding, the camaraderie of other “pilgrims” and the pains and aches at day’s end… All these make St Finbarr’s Pilgrim Way a special experience’, says David.

Find out more about St. Finbarr’s Way at https://livingthesheepsheadway.com/st-finbarrs-way.

Filed Under: News

A Wild Atlantic Day

April 5, 2014 by Dunmanus

The Irish Times, searching for the ‘Best Place to Go Wild in Ireland’, has featured this account of a wild Atlantic Day on Dunmanus Bay with our own Carbery Sailing.

It was an October Saturday, and, as we set out from Ahakista pier on the lovely yacht Merlin, there was a chill in the early morning air. But, as we charted our course through Dunmanus Bay, the weather turned. For the rest of the day, we had the blessing of fierce autumn sunshine which shone gloriously over West Cork’s stunning bays.

Delighted with our chance to try out the yachting life, we charted a course along the Sheep’s Head peninsula, exploring its coastline and looking out over the neighbouring Mizen peninsula and
Learning the Ropes on Carbery Sailing's yacht Merlin

Local blacksmith JJ Bowen learns the ropes on Carbery’s Sailings luxury yacht Merlin

 

 

Three Castle Head. As we passed the lighthouse at the Sheep’s Head’s tip, and moved into the deeper, choppier waters of Bantry Bay, the views opened out over the Beara peninsula which flanks the Sheep’s Head on the other side.

We had dolphins beside us to keep us company as we sailed, and we got such pleasure from the sight of them, and the clear hot day. The views of course were stunning, and the weather was fine, but it was the company that made this adventure wild in a West Cork kind of way.

Among the crew there was an American author exploring Ireland by herself and writing as she went; a local blacksmith who, it turned out, had crafted vast spiral staircases in New York; a naval captain from Hull; a Dutch “local” sailor; and the yacht owner Chris Forker who first met his wife when he was a teenager learning to sail on Bantry Bay’s Bere Island. He fell in love with the place as well as with his future wife. Now he shares with visitors the stories of the coves and islands that dot the clear waters of Dunmanus and Bantry bays.

The Sheep’s Head peninsula is recognised as a European Destination of Excellence for its sustainable tourism. It’s home to peregrine falcons and choughs, and the waters are teeming with mackerel, bass and silver darlings. There’s fishing, hiking, sailing and kayaking to be had here. I suppose you could say that about other places too…

It’s a commonplace that there’s nowhere like West Cork, but – you know – there really isn’t. The rugged landscape changes with every twist in the coastline, turn in the road, and shift in the light.

This place attracts people who have a bit of wildness in themselves, and who find a sense of belonging in this fierce landscape on the very edge of Western Europe.

So, sail its waters as we did that October day, or walk the four-day Sheep’s Head Way and hike from elegant Bantry House, past the peninsula’s stone circles and marriage stone, to the Sheep’s Head lighthouse overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Everywhere there are traces of the generations who have been here before you. This is an elemental landscape that’s remained unspoilt for centuries. And still, it’s a place where you feel more exhilaration in being alive than you’ve any right to… That’s why it’s the best place to go wild in Ireland.

Find out more about full- and half-day sailing trips and sailing courses with Carbery Sailing.

Explore the Sheep’s Head peninsula when you travel the Wild Atlantic Way.

Filed Under: News

Wild Atlantic Way Cruise

September 30, 2013 by Dunmanus

Carbery Sailing

Discover Ireland’s rugged coastline on Carbery Sailing’s Wild Atlantic Way Cruise. Taste the salt air at the edge of Western Europe, and sample the fantastic food produced here on the Sheep’s Head peninsula – an unspoilt European Destination of Excellence.

European Destination of ExcellnceAs you watch dolphins and whales play in pristine waters, and explore the bays and islands around the Sheep’s Head, you’ll understand how the changing sea has shaped the landscape of the Sheep’s Head peninsula, and the lives of its people, across the millennia.

West Cork Wild Atlantic Way Cruise

Your journey will take place on a luxury Hallberg-Rassy yacht operated by Carbery Sailing from Ahakista.

Moving through Dunmanus Bay, watch the coastlines of the Sheep’s Head and Mizen peninsulas unfold alongside you. As we make our way towards the Atlantic, Chris from Carbery Sailing and his crew will share with you stories about the people who have made this remote landscape home over several thousand years.

Bantry Bay, bordered by the Sheep’s Head and Beara peninsulas, is one of the deepest natural harbours in Europe. The drama of this bay, which can be as flat as glass or angry enough to repel an invading fleet, is something to experience. The majestic outlines of Hungry Hill and the Sugarloaf stand over the bay. The hills transform the sea, the wind, and the quality of the light in ways that our visiting sailors are always amazed by.

We’ll also explore Roaringwater Bay, named for the sound of the waters that, powered by Atlantic gales, crash against its many rocks and 100 islands. No better place to experience the Wild Atlantic Way! For all its drama, the climate here, influenced by the Gulf Stream, is mild. As we sail, look out for the harbour porpoises, dolphins and whales which make this bay their home. You’ll need your camera ready throughout the trip to capture images of local dolphins, minke whales, sunfish and leatherback sea turtles.

You’ll encounter three magnificent bays on Carbery Sailing’s Wild Atlantic Way Cruise. We’ll also chart our course past West Cork’s 7 inhabited islands. Spend time with their unique communities and experience the stunning natural habitats on Sherkin and Bere islands during your sailing trip, and you’ll get a real sense on what it is to live life by the Atlantic, at the very edge of Europe.

Price:

Carbery Sailing’s Wild Atlantic Way Cruises start from €290 (per person, cabin-sharing).

Transport:

Ahakista is located 1.25 hours’ drive from Cork Aiport. Transfers can be arranged.
UK airports with flights to Cork Airport include:
Birmingham, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne, Liverpool, London Gatwick, London Heathrow and London Stansted.

European airports with flights to Cork include:
Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, Geneva, Girona, Lisbon, Milan, Munich, Nice, Paris and Warsaw.

Bookings and Enquiries:

You can either book a scheduled cruise, or contact Carbery Sailing’s Chris Forker to arrange a booking for dates to suit you.
Email: [email protected]

Filed Under: News, Outdoor, Sailing & Kayaking, Things to do, Uncategorized, Wild Atlantic Way

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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.

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This project has been supported by Cork County Council & the LEADER programme under the Rural Development Programmes 2007-13 and 2017-2021.
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