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| The Islands of County Cork |
I lived near the City of Cork between July 2005 and April 2006. County Cork has quite a lot of interesting sites (natural, urban, and historical) to discover. It was quite a job to compose this page and to select only a few photos to represent the county. This is why I decided to divide photos of County Cork in two separate pages. One is dedicated to the islands (this one) and the other one to the rest of the county. Here's indeed what you could see, do or visit on County Cork's Islands. |
1. Visit the Arboretum of Fota Island... |
| 2. Play the monkey in Fota Wildlife Park... [   ] The former President of Ireland, Dr. Patrick Hillery, opened Fota Wildlife Park in 1983. It is not like an ordinary zoo. Indeed, wherever possible some animals thrive in a free-range environment, which allows them to roam free, mixed with other species and with the visitors! See this lemur family as an example on the right-hand side. Please note that another Irish wildlife park can be visited in Dublin. |
| 3. Admire Belvelly Castle... [   ] Belvelly Castle is a typical medieval square tower dating from the 15th century, located between Fota and Great Island. It stands on a very narrow piece of land, bounded by Belvelly bridge road on one side (from where this photo was taken) and the shore on the other. Apparently the latest news is that the Castle is for sale. |
| 4. Visit Cobh on Great Island... [ ] Little Island, Fota Island and Great Island are all accessible by car. Little Island is now an industrial zone (where I worked 9 months, actually) and it doesn't have any tourist interests. However, Great Island and Cobh in particular (see photo) are worth a spin. |
| 5. Climb Cobh streets... [ ] Cobh (pronounced Cove) was called Queenstown until 1922. It is a pleasant town with streets climbing the steep slope of a hill (see photo). On the top of the hill, you can enter the great St. Coleman's Cathedral, from where you can have a fantastic view. |
| 6. Admire Annie Moore's statue... [ ]
From Cobh, hundreds of thousands of hungry and penniless Irish men and women left to build a new life, especially in the Famine years of 1844-48. Though some thrived and prospered, many died on the journey. Annie Moore (1877-1923, see photo) was the first immigrant to the United States to pass through the Ellis Island facility in New York Harbour. She was 15 and accompanied by her brothers Phillip and Anthony. |
7. Remember that Cobh was last port which sheltered the Titanic... [ ]Cobh is sometimes associated with the Titanic, 'the safest liner in the world'. Queenstown was indeed her last port of call on her fateful maiden voyage. The Cobh Heritage Centre provides information on life in Ireland through the 18th and 19th centuries, including the mass emigration and the Great Famine. It also has an exhibition on the history of the RMS Titanic. |
| 8. Go to Cape Clear Island via ferry... [ ] While I was still under a European contract in NUI Galway, I had the opportunity to attend a Conference on Energy in Kinsale in 2004. Cape Clear Island was part of the visits organised by the comity. Here, I'm having a bit of fun one of the rare pubs of the Island. |
 Photo 8. Pub de Cape Clear. |
| 9. Go down to the port of Cape Clear... [ ] The Island has a lot of hills and has only a few roads (like on the Aran Islands). It is possible to do a tour of the island in around 2h, but be careful not to miss your return ferry. Several times a year, you will see young teenagers going to the island to attend courses in Irish. |
| 10. Observe Loch Ioral / Lough Errul... [ ] Curiously, there's a lake located in the middle of Cape Clear Island. I found it interesting to take a shot of Lough Errul (that's its name), with the sea visible in the background. |
 Photo 10. Le Lac Errul. |
| 11. Witness the former energy programme of Cape Clear... [ ] In the past, the island (which is far from the coast) contributed to an Energy programme, which allowed it to generate its own electricity and not depend on the mainland. For example, in the photo you can see a solar panel on the roof of Cape Clear National School. |
| 12. Pass by Sherkin Island... [ ] When you come back to Baltimore (County Cork), you can decide to go to Sherkin Island (see photo, taken from the ferry). Unsurprisingly, the island is not really touristy. |
| Islands of Co. Cork in pictures | ||
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 Photo 2. Lemurs on Fota Island. |
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 Photo 3. Belvelly Castle. |
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 Photo 4. View of Cobh. |
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 Photo 5. One of the streets of Cobh. |
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 Photo 6. Annie Moore and her brothers. |
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 Photo 7. We all remember the Titanic. |
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 Photo 9. Port of Cape Clear. |
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 Photo 11. A school in Cape Clear. |
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 Photo 12. Sherkin Island. |
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Legend:
Nice; Worth a visit; Well worth visiting
Please note that this grading system is only based on my interests and personal experience as a French expat in Ireland. Feel free to visit the same locations and share your experience 
.
Free or Not Applicable Entrance fee ≤€5 ; €5<Entrance fee≤€10 ; €10<Entrance fee≤€15 and so on...
These price ranges are indicative only to help you plan your holiday budget and are subject to change. Discounts generally apply for families, groups, children, students and seniors citizens.
While the admission to this site is free, a parking fee may apply.
Heritage Site managed by the Office of Public Works. Most OPW sites are free of charge on the first Wednesday of every month during 2011. A Good tip: the Heritage Card entitles you unlimited admission for one year to all OPW sites (around €21).