the beara peninsuala drive

From Glengariff at the head of Bantry Bay we set off due west along the R572 to discover the splendours of the Beara Peninsula. Beyond to our right rise the mountains of Caha and the Glen of Coomarkane with its mighty glacier-cut corrie lakes at its head.

The rocks of the mountains themselves are all rounded and smoothed by the passage of the ice sheets, which carried and then, on melting, dropped many big boulders which now perch as erratics here and there on the hills. These hills are well worth climbing, but though they rise just over 600m, remember that the Irish weather can change very rapidly and conditions can be very severe on these heights.

At Ardigole look up to hungry Hill, 687 m, a very attractive mountain. Set half way up its rocky face is a rocky shelf on which are two corrie lakes - they feed a 214m cascade to the Adrigole valley, a very fine sight after rain. From the village of Adrigole, a fine mountain road climbs over the Healy Pass to Lauragh on the other side of the Peninsula and Co. Kerry.

Our tour continues directly to Castletownbere a fishing port and good centre from where to explore Beara. It's bay, sheltered by Bere Island, was once a British naval base. The island today is a sailing school base. Castletownbere has a group of boulder burials on the hillside near the old waterworks, and a fine stone circle on its western side. Here too, are the remains of the old castle and star shaped fort of Dunboy, where an Irish and a Spanish force stood siege in 1602 by the English forces under Sir George Carew, and were finally overwhelmed. The old fort has been excavated and can be explored easily.

From Castletownbere the road leads on right to the end of the Beara Peninsula and the narrow sound with its violent tidal race between the mainland and Dursey Island. Access to the island is by cable car - the only cable car in Ireland. Dursey is a beautiful long mountain island, rimmed by high cliffs with an old signal tower on its heights and wide views all around to, among other things, the cow, calf and bull rocks.

From Dursey we follow the northern side of the peninsula to Allihies. This was the site of extensive copper mines which opened in 1812. The 19th century was the main period of prosperity and Cornish workers who were brought in as the technical experts were housed in their own 'Cornish Village' of which some ruins survive. Some working and exploration of the mines continued until 1962. Nowadays old engine houses stand in picturesque ruin of the sacred hillsides. From Allihies we continue to Eyeries, a small village set back from the sea on a pleasant bay.

A little east of it is the tallest ogham-inscribed pillar stone in Ireland, at Ballycrovane. It is over 5.18m high; the inscription reads: MAQI DECCEDDAS AVI TURANIAS (to the son of Decceddas, nephew of Turanias). There are many other standing stones and boulders in this district; and yet another at the head of the valley that runs up into the hills from Lauragh. Beyond Ardgroom we cross into Kerry. The road now follows the line of the Kenmare "river", another drowned valley, to Kenmare. On the way we pass a beautiful valley running back into the hills with lakes on its floor (Clonee and Inchiquin lakes) and a higher circle of corrie lakes under the peaks above. At the head of this valley is a fine waterfall.

The return to Glengariff from Kenmare is made by the tunnels road, a fine mountain highway which climbs up to cross the ridge along which the county boundary runs, by means of a long tunnel. On both sides the road commands some spectacular panoramic views over Kerry and Cork.

Total distance: 135 km approx. Public Transport: not available