Sherkin Island Sherkin Island, Co. Cork West Cork Islands and Peninsulas
Illnacullin Garinish Island Iskanafeelna, Garinish Island, Co. Cork
Did you know?
Illnacullin (Garinish Island) is a beautifully cultivated island garden set in the sheltered waters of Glengarriff Harbour in Bantry Bay. Benefiting from a mild, almost subtropical microclimate influenced by the Gulf Stream, the island features rare and exotic plants, vibrant rhododendrons and azaleas in spring, and lush herbaceous borders in summer. Created by Annan Bryce and renowned designer Harold Peto, the island offers peaceful walks, architectural garden features and scenic viewpoints. Access is by small ferry or water bus, with the journey often including a view of the local seal colony. The Garinish Island Café, located near the landing pier serves great coffee and treats.
Sherkin Island, just a short ferry ride from Baltimore, is known for its stunning natural beauty, rich history and relaxed island atmosphere. Once home to the O’Driscoll clan, visitors can explore Dunalong Castle above the pier, the ruins of a 15th‑century Franciscan abbey and the landmark lighthouse at Barrack Point. The island’s landscapes are filled with fuchsia-lined lanes, rocky fields and three beautiful sandy beaches where seals, dolphins and porpoises are often spotted. With summer events, traditional music and a welcoming community, Sherkin offers an unforgettable West Cork island experience.
Cape Clear Island and the Múscraí Gaeltacht are living Irish language communities, where culture, music, and traditions remain part of everyday life.
www.discoverireland.ie/cork/ illnacullin-garinish-island
www.discoverireland.ie/cork/sherkin-island
Heir Island
Dursey Island Dursey Island, Co. Cork
Cape Clear Island Oileán Cléire Cape Clear Island, Co. Cork
Heir Island, Co. Cork
Heir Island, also known as Hare Island, is one of the most accessible of Carbery’s Hundred Isles in West Cork and offers spectacular scenery, abundant wildlife and peaceful coastal walking. Located in Roaringwater Bay, the island provides panoramic views of Sherkin Island, Cape Clear, the Calf Islands and Mount Gabriel. Visitors can explore extensive marshland rich in wildflowers, cycle quiet lanes, or enjoy sheltered bays ideal for swimming, sailing, windsurfing and diving. Its sandy beaches, unspoilt landscape and calm atmosphere make it a perfect escape for nature lovers.
Dursey Island is located just off the tip of the Beara Peninsula and is one of Ireland’s most remote inhabited islands. Accessed by Ireland’s only cable car travelling high above the Atlantic Ocean, the island offers rugged terrain, peaceful walking routes and dramatic ocean views. With no shops, cafés or accommodation, it provides a rare sense of solitude and unspoilt nature. Visitors can explore quiet lanes, birdlife, cliffside scenery and traces of historic settlement, making it an ideal retreat for hikers and those seeking a truly tranquil escape.
Cape Clear (Oileán Chléire), Ireland’s southernmost inhabited island, is known for rugged beauty, rich crafts, culture and traditions and a tranquil way of life. This welcoming Gaeltacht community offers diverse accommodation options, good food and the chance of an impromptu trad session. Just 5km by 2km, heather- clad hills, dry-stone walls and wildflowers create a remote feel. Heritage includes prehistoric monuments, medieval ruins and a castle, alongside cliff walks, sheltered harbours, dolphins and migratory birds.
www.discoverireland.ie/cork/heir-island
www.discoverireland.ie/cork/dursey-island
www.discoverireland.ie/cork/ oilean-cleire-cape-clear-island
See map on page 26
PAGE | 28
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online