After I had made a 6-week tour through the Republic of Ireland in summer of 1979, this time again a trip to Green Island was planned. Unfortunately, we had decided to stay only 9 days and therefore took a room in Clonakilty at the south coast, approx. 50 kms to the west of Cork.

Off it went from Düsseldorf with Aer Lingus to Dublin, a short fly of only just 2 hours. Because we had only little time for the connecting flight, we had to find our way in the shortest time on the rather chaotic Dublin airport. So to speak at the last minute we reached our connecting flight to Cork which lasted with an Aer Lingus aircraft only 30 minutes. Then in the small airport of Cork, at the south coast of Ireland, we were received with radiant sunshine and hired a car. This had in contrast to our vehicle rented in May on Cyprus no automated gears, however, at least indicators and windscreen wipers lay on the same side as with our own cars, because from now one it was " Keep left again! ". Big signs next to the main street reminded in several languages of it.

After about one hour and approx. 50 km on bumpy roads we reached Clonakilty and after another 5 km our hotel, the Inchydoney Lodge and Spa on the peninsula of Inchydoney. The hotel was quite excellent, 4 stars and just 3 years old, directly lain on the beach. Our beautiful room had sea view and we could observe life on the beach. Certainly there was radiant sunshine, but nevertheless the temperatures reached in the shade only 19° C, the water of the Atlantic was ice-coldly. This did not prevent the Irishmen, however, from going to swim. We were told that the weather has been terrible so far and now one wants to use every minute of sunshine.

We used our first day for the visit of Clonakilty, a beautiful small small town, which showed wooden shop facades splendid freshly coloured and with excessive flower decoration. The Main Road had been converted into a one-way street and the heavy traffic of the N 71 main street went past at the city which increased the attraction of the city substantially. At the main street shop lay next to pub and restaurant next to pub. A substantial number of locals and probably also some (Irish?) tourists populated the street. Like in almost all bigger Irish cities one found 3 churches: a Roman Catholic one, a Methodist and one of the Church of Ireland. Besides there was a lovingly restored library, a spruced up place (" Emmet Square ") as well as a tourist information. Well known is Clonakilty as the home town of the great-grandfather of John F. Kennedy.

The peninsula of Inchydoney is connected with a partial very narrow street, running in parts on a dam, with Clonakilty. On the right and to the left of the street are wide areas which are flooded shallowly but lay dry in low tide. Actually the tides near the hotel were rather strong. With low tide the water withdrew on the shallow sandy subsoil certainly 200 m, but also with high tide the beach was still very wide.

Our first excursion led to us on the N 71 to the west to Ross Carbery where an extremely narrow road turned to the left. The place was beautifully with fuchsias growing on both sides of the road. After some kilometers we reached Drombeg Stone Circle dating 150 BC, a stone circle of 17 monoliths and a stone-age cooking hollow. Near Glandore we reached the main street again. In the small village, directly situated near a picturesque harbour, busy live was going on in radiant sunshine. Locals and Irish tourists sat in front of the Pub and drank at noon around noon the first pints of Guinness of the day.

Farther it went to Skibbereen, a bigger city for Irish means, which was made up very well exactly as Clonakilty. The Skibbereen Heritage Center is definitely worth seeing which devotes itself to the teaching of the backgrounds of the "Great Famine" and the flora and fauna of Lough Hyne. As "Great famine" the disaster entered the Irish history, which took place from 1845-49 and was due to the complete destruction of the potatoe crop for several years by fungi. The extremely poor Irish population was dependent especially in the Countys of Connemara and Cork on potatoes as food and the destruction of the harvests led to an unthinkable famine and widespread death for years. The first Irish mass emigration to America also began in this time. The hate of the Irishmen on (that time there ruling) Englishman is based, first of all, on the occurrences during these extreme years (lacking of humanitarian intervention, eviction of day labourers from their dwellings because of not being able to pay the rent, export of grain to England in spite of the famine...). The suffering of the population was extreme in Skibbereen.

From Skibbereen we drove on a very scenic but also quite narrow road into the direction to coast towards Baltimore. The fishing village has a picturesque harbour from which ferries go to the neighbouring Sherkin island. The island is known for its beautiful arts which is exhibited in a small shop at the harbour. I tooked the opportunity for the purchase of a hand-knitted woolen sweater. On account of the lovely weather on this Sunday the only pub at the harbour had set up chairs outside which were crammed with thirsty and hungry tourists.

If one crosses Baltimore, one reaches a small road which leads to the landmark of Baltimore, a white, massively built tower which is in exposed position at the steep cliffs at the entrance to the natural bay of Baltimore. We had a wonderful look over the place on one side and the open Atlantic on the other!

On the way back we left behind Baltimore the "main street" and drove on an extremely narrow street, on both sides covered with fuchsias to Lough Hyne. This is a lake in the interior which is connected with a narrow passage to the sea. On account of its position and his special deep the lake accommodates a multiplicity of plants and animals. Also someone who is not interested in flora and fauna, will be inspired by the romantic position of the lake!

For the next day I had planned a long trip to the west coast to Bantry. Off I went on the already well known N 71, which - although main street - was much narrower towards the west. For approximately 70 kms I needed unbelievable 2 hours! The manor house Bantry House, built in 1720, was to be visited which cost me the amount of 10 Euro. The house itself lies in very beautifully cultivated gardens in French and Italian style and borders partly directly on Bantry Bay. The garden terraces behind the house are not finished yet again, one can use only an extremely steep stair from whose highest poind one has a fantastic view over Bantry House and bay.
In the house enormous are many objets of art and pieces of furniture, oil paintings and gobelins hang on the walls. However, everything made a rather untidy impression, although the administrator tried obviously to represent everything nicely. So the seats were certainly still from the 18th century and completely worn down, the floors and the staircase were worn off too and carpets rolled up etc. To conclude after photos, the house had been still been inhabited till the 1970s by descendants of the family. It seems, that the house for decades (because of financial reasons?) was not renoved. Also the electric installation was adventurously. Because the highest floor was closed for renovation works, I suppose that later also in the remaining house works are executed.

On account of the long drive and the already advanced time I decided to shorten my actually planned other sightseeing programme and not to drive round the peninsula next to Bantry Bay any more, but to head directly for the peninsula southerly of it. From Bantry it went directly to Durrus and from out there on the R 591 further in southwester direction to Mizen Head. The landscape on the peninsula differed strikingly from what I had seen so far: it was much more meagre and stony and had almost no bigger trees, not to talk of forests. The meadows were too meagre even for cows, instead I saw only sheep which watched me with interest. Many tourists did not past here I thought! Scattered lay some small farmsteads to which the sheep probably belonged. Agriculture was pursued in no way. The landscape reminded me strongly of that in Connemara.

In Toormore on the south coast of the peninsula I reached the street on which probably most tourists go into the direction of the most southwestern point of Ireland, Mizen Head. In Goleen I had to decide whether I should go to Mizen Head to the lighthouse or to the village Crookhaven. I decided (on recommendation of the travel guide) on the latter, however, must say that the long difficult trip has not been worthwhile. Crookhaven consists of approximately 5 houses, of it 2 pubs and 1 post office as well as of a small harbour. There is absolutely nothing to see! One yet does not have a view of the open sea. Unfortunately it was not possible for me to go still to Mizen Head, because I had a long drive home. It was also not possible for me to stop in the beautiful place of Scull.

Click here for the 2nd and last part