Places to see
Voted by Lonely Planet as one of the best places to travel to in Ireland, Cork is without a doubt one of the hottest city break destinations in Ireland
But it is also a great base if you need to see more attractions within the south of Ireland: These are some of the many attractions
Bantry House and Gardens
The Hutchinson family built a mansion on the shore of Bantry Bay c 1740. The house was enlarged in 1765 by the White family. Many treasures can be viewed, extensive art collection and tapestries. Guided tours and tea rooms. Mar-Oct
Bantry House is not only one of the finest historic houses in Ireland, but it also commands one of the best views overlooking Bantry Bay in West Cork. It has been open to the public since 1946, the first to do so in the country. The house is still owned and lived in by Egerton Shelswell-White, who is a direct descendant of Richard White (1, Earl of Bantry), and his family.
http://www.bantryhouse.com/
Ilnacullin / Garinish Island
Glengarriff, Bantry, Co Cork, Ireland
Located in the sheltered harbour of Glengarriff in Bantry Bay, Ilnacullin is a small island of 15 hectares (37 acres) known to horticulturists and lovers of trees and shrubs all around the world as an island garden of rare beauty. The gardens of Ilnacullin owe their existence to the creative partnership, some eighty years ago, of Annan Bryce, then owner of the island and Harold Peto, architect and garden designer. Access to the Island is by small ferry boats and licensed 60 seater water buses. Please note that the boat operators impose a separate charge in respect of the boat journey to and from the island.
Limited access for visitors with disabilities.
Blarney Castle
Blarney, Co. Cork, Ireland
Blarney Castle was built nearly six hundred years ago by one of Ireland’s greatest chieftains, Cormac MacCarthy, and has been attracting attention beyond Munster ever since. Not all of that has been welcome, as Good Queen Bess and Oliver Cromwell could testify. But over the last few hundred years, millions have flocked to Blarney, making it a world landmark and one of Ireland’s greatest treasures.
http://www.blarneycastle.ie/
The Mizen Head Signal Station Visitor Centre
Goleen, Co. Cork, Ireland
'The Mizen Vision!' Visitor Centre in the Keeper's house and the Engine Room, the famous suspension bridge, the 99 steps and the views up the South and the West coasts, combined with the exhilaration and excitement of the wild atlantic waves and ancient tortured rocks, guarantee a unique and authentic experience. in any weather the Magic of the Mizen is spellbinding.
http://www.mizenhead.ie/
