Lisselan Gardens were laid out in the 1850s in the arts and craft style. Typically, its 30 acres of woodlands, borders, rustic bridges and pathways...

Visitors to West Cork Model Railway Village can step back in time. This miniature world recreates Ireland in the 1940s at 1:24 scale. Four model...

Clonakilty is the birthplace of the Irish Republican Leader, Michael Collins. This heritage centre tells his story, from his birth in 1890 until his death...

The square Gothic tower of this ruined Franciscan Friary dwarfs the small village of Timoleague. The Friary was probably founded in 1240 by McCarthy Riabach,...

Kinsale’s former courthouse is now home to a museum. Among its displays is one covering the life of the so-called Kinsale Giant, Patrick Cotter O’Brien,...

Desmond Castle is a 15th-century urban tower house with a museum inside. The international Museum of Wine traces the fascinating history of wine in Ireland,...

The Skibbereen Heritage Centre houses two exhibitions about the area. Ireland’s Great Famine hit Skibbereen especially hard, killing more than 10,000 residents. The Great Famine...

A walker’s and birdwatcher’s paradise, The Gearach is Western Europe’s only post-glacial alluvial forest. It takes its name from “An Gaoire”, meaning the wooden river,...

The remains of Macroom Castle dominate the town. Probably dating from the reign of King John, the Castle has had an interesting history, passing from...

Bantry House is one of South-west Ireland’s premier attractions. It rises from 46 acres of terraced gardens full of sub-tropical trees and shrubs warmed by...

The Sheep’s Head Way is one of Ireland’s easier but nonetheless spectacular long-distance footpaths. Nearly 90 kms of tracks, paths and quiet roads snake around...

Kiss the Blarney Stone at the top of this castle’s tower and you’ll never again be lost for words, or so the legend goes. You’ll...

The central attraction of Gougane Barra’s 138 hectares of forests, rivers and mountains is its tiny island on a lake. Source of the River Lee,...

Cork Public Museum tells the story of the city from the Iron Age to the modern age, with the emphasis on Cork crafts and trades....

This 1824 listed gaol is Georgian architecture in Cork at its best. Inside this massive turreted and embattled fortress, the original 19th-century prison has been...

St Fin Barre’s turreted, spired and decorated cathedral is one of Cork’s most important buildings. Victorian Gothic in style, it was completed and consecrated in...

Cork’s leading entertainment complex offers fun for all the family. Activities include bowling in the seven-lane state-of-the-art bowling alley, playing pool on any of the...

Cork Vision Centre in the heart of the city’s historic centre traces the city’s journey from monastic settlement to Ireland’s second city. Highlights include the...

The Triskel Arts Centre is the place to sample contemporary art in Cork. One of the best community arts programmes in the country features the...

Cork’s famous English Market contributes to the city’s reputation as a foody’s paradise. Some 40 traders supply restaurants and residents alike with an astonishing range...