Bantry Holiday Homes Cork
Bantry is a thriving market town and fishing port on the coast of County Cork, located at the head of Bantry Bay. The town is surrounded by some of Ireland’s most spectacular countryside with drives and walks that will take your breath away
The compact town centre of Bantry has a wide variety of shops, bars, coffee shops and restaurants in addition to a three screen cinema, tourist office, museum and library. The town also has a weekely market on Fridays which sees a varied selection of market stalls selling West Cork’s finest local foods, antiques, art, crafts and livestock.
The Bantry region is divided into three main areas corresponding with the peninsulas – The Beara Peninsula, The Sheep’s Head Peninsula and The Mizen Peninsula. These extend south-west in the Atlantic up to 30 miles.
Touring routes are numerous and include the breathtaking scenery of the coastal routes around each of these peninsulas. Bantry Town itself is a hub for the serious walker with access to the Sheep’s Head Way and Beara Way. These walks contain many well signed loop walks that can take just a few hours or a few days.
There are a number of annual festivals and events held in the town which attract a large number of tourists. These include the Bay Run half marathon in May, the Chamber Music Festival in June and July followed by the West Cork Literary Festival in the second week of July.
August Bank Holiday weekend is the Bantry BBQ Festival with street barbeques, live music and street performers. The town is also host to horse fairs, national road bowling competitions and one the country’s largest agricultural shows.
Bantry House, the home of the former Earls of Bantry is spectacularly situated and exuberantly furnished. It is one of Ireland’s most attractive Great Houses, full of treasures collected by various generations of Earls of Bantry from all parts of the world.
The beautiful gardens have been restored and are home to sub-tropical plants and shrubs. The gardens and house are open to the public. In the courtyard of Bantry House, The French Armada Exhibition Centre has been developed. This features the story of the ill-fated French Armada invasion of December, 1796.
Water sports, pony trekking, boat cruising in the Bay, cookery courses, cycling on well signposted routes all can be enjoyed in the area. Bantry Bay Golf Club, 2km from Bantry on the road to Glengarriff is a demanding 18 hole course, designed by Christy O’Connor Jnr.