The picturesque West Cork town of Clonakilty is located about 45 minutes by road from Cork city. Famous for its black pudding, the town, surrounded by rolling hills, has as its main industry agriculture, in particular dairy farming. Tourism is also a growing industry with the population of the area swelling during the peak summer months. The town centre is considered by many to be especially attractive, due to the brightly coloured shop fronts, charming pubs and restaurants. Clonakilty is widely known as a family friendly destination and there are many activities for you to enjoy with the kids. Read on for more…
How to get to Clonakilty…
By car - Clonakilty is approximately 50km from Cork city. To get here, take the N71 from the city which will bring you directly into Clonakilty, through Innishannon and Bandon.
By bus - Bus Eireann provides a coach service from Cork to Clonakilty and Skibbereen. There’s also a summer time bus link to Killarney via the N71 through Skibbereen, Bantry, Glengarriff and Kenmare.
Here’s a list of things to do…
The cinema…
The town has a cinema called the Park Cinema, so you can relax with the kids and catch the latest movies in magnificent surround sound and spoil the little ones with popcorn!
The playground and picnic areas…
There’s an outdoor children’s playground in Clonakilty along with nearby Rosscarbery, Dunmanway and Courtmacsherry. There are picnic facilities at Inchydoney beach, or nearby Dunworley and Castlefreake Woods. You can stay active with a game of pitch and putt at the Warren Club Rosscarbery. There are two 18 hole link courses there for hours of fun.
West Cork Model Railway Village…
West Cork Model Railway Village is a terrific place for the kids to visit. You’re transported back to the 1940′s and the kids will be mesmerised by the splendour of the Old West Cork Railway Line displayed in its miniature version! All of the models and figurines are handmade and recreated at the local village to a scale of 1:24. The theme of the Model Railway village is a busy market day and all the sights you would see there on such a day in times past! An afternoon out for all the family, can be rounded off with a bite to eat in the tea room set on one of the authentic train carriages with stunning views of Clonakilty Bay.
Find out more about West Cork Railway Village.
Swimming pools and leisure centres…
If it’s raining, a great way to spend the day is indoors at a swimming pool. The Lodge & Spa at Inchydoney Island Hotel, The Celtic Ross Hotel, and the Quality Hotel in Clonakilty all have swimming pools and leisure centres. In fact, the Quality Hotel Clonakilty offers a fabulous service, called Funclonakilty which features the Quality Street Playroom, Crèche and Playground, the Kids Kamp, which operates during July & August, as well as midterm breaks & bank holiday weekend’s.
Find out more about Funclonakilty.
Beaches…
The Clonakilty area boasts no less than 10 miles of sandy beaches. The most famous beach is Inchydoney, which has been awarded blue flag status. Popular activities here include horse riding, fishing, cycling, sailing, beach walks and surfing. You can also take the kids on a boat trip from the beach and go whale watching!
The Clonakilty Museum…
The Clonakilty Museum is located on Western Road and is a great place to step back in time and learn about the history of the area.
If you’re travelling during the summer, our advice is to book your accommodation in Clonakilty well in advance. Check out our Clonakilty accommodation page.
