County Cork - 71 Attractions You Must Visit

Types of Attractions in County Cork

Old Ruins (22)

Iconic Buildings (20)

Islands (9)

Outdoors - Other (8)

Beaches (7)

1 Day Treks (4)

Forts (4)

Monuments (4)

Popular Activities And Trips in County Cork

List of Attractions in County Cork

Allihies Copper Mine Museum

Museums

The Allihies Copper Mine Museum is a museum dedicated to the history of copper mining in the Allihies area in County Cork. It is situated on the Wild Atlantic Way. The exhibitions cover all aspects of the history of copper mining in the area, from prehistoric times all the way up to the nineteenth century and the Industrial Revolution. The displays also cover the local geology and the social history of the mining heritage.

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Ballincollig Royal Gunpowder Mills

Old Ruins

Ballincollig Royal Gunpowder Mills was one of three Royal gunpowder mills that manufactured gunpowder for the British Government. Located in Ballincollig near Cork city in Ireland, the powder mills were originally opened in 1794 as a private enterprise, before being taken over by the British Government during the Napoleonic Wars. Though ruined, many of the remaining structures of the mill site are afforded National Monument status.

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Ballydonegan Beach Allihies

Beaches

A beautiful beach which was down the hill from Allihies and is the best beach in the locality. While the area provides spectacular views and there are marvellous coves, most of the coves are stony and sandy beaches are relatively rare. The whole coastline here is rugged and rocky and apparently too wild for sand to accumulate.

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Baltimore Beacon

Iconic Buildings

The Baltimore Beacon is a white-painted stone beacon at the entrance to the harbour at Baltimore, County Cork, Ireland. The beacon was built at the order of the British government following the 1798 Rebellion. It was part of a series of lighthouses and beacons dotted around the Irish coast, forming a warning system. The locals call him Lot’s Wife with a wink after a biblical figure that solidified into a pillar of salt.

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Bantry House

Iconic Buildings

Botanical Gardens

Bantry House and Garden is a stately home in southwest Ireland situated right on Bantry Bay with panoramic views of the bay and the caha mountains. The gardens contain seven terraces; the house is located on the third. One hundred steps are located behind the house and fountain, and are surrounded by azaleas and rhododendron.

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Barley Cove Beach

Beaches

This frontline beach land is a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire a breathtaking piece of West Cork. It consists of 2 beaches, each approximately 150m in length.This beach forms part of a Special Area of Conservation and a National Heritage Area Ballyrisode Beach is an extremely valuable resource to both residents and visitors for a number of reasons, including its scenery and landscape and for its safe and sheltered location for swimming and other recreational activities.

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Barryscourt Castle

Iconic Buildings

Old Ruins

Barryscourt Castle was the seat of the great Anglo-Norman Barry family and is one of the finest examples of a restored Irish Tower House. Dating from between 1392 and 1420, the Castle has an outer bawn wall and largely intact corner towers. It was built in a style fairly typical in Ireland in the 16th century, consisting of a main tower house building with smaller adjacent buildings arranged around a courtyard, which was protected by an outer "bawn" or curtain wall, with 3 smaller corner towers.

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Beara way

1 Day Treks

The Beara Way is an stunning long distance walking trail in Counties Cork and Kerry. It is a 206-kilometre long circular trail around the Beara Peninsula that begins and ends in Glengarriff, County Cork, also passing through parts of County Kerry.It is typically completed in nine days. It is designated as a National Waymarked Trail by the National Trails Office of the Irish Sports Council and is managed by the Beara Tourism and Development Association.

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Blarney Castle & Gardens

Iconic Buildings

Old Ruins

Blarney Castle is a medieval stronghold in Blarney, near Cork, Ireland. The castle originally dates from before 1200, when a timber house was believed to have been built on the site, although no evidence remains of this. Around 1210 this was replaced by a stone fortification. The castle is now a partial ruin with some accessible rooms and battlements. Tourists visiting Blarney Castle may hang upside-down over a sheer drop to kiss the stone, which is said to give the gift of eloquence.

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Blarney Stone Pub

Man-made Structures - Other

The Blarney Stone is a block of Carboniferous limestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle, Blarney, about 8 kilometres from Cork, Ireland. According to legend, kissing the stone endows the kisser with the gift of the gab. The stone was set into a tower of the castle in 1446. The castle is a popular tourist site in Ireland, attracting visitors from all over the world to kiss the stone and tour the castle and its gardens.

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Blarney Woollen Mills

Iconic Buildings

Old Ruins

Blarney Woollen Mills was built in 1823. It was used mainly for spinning and weaving wool. They carved out a niche in tweeds, woolen worsted cloths, knitting wools and hosiery. A fire at Christmas in 1869 saw the destruction of the mill. It was re-built the following year and still stands to this day. Business declined in the mid-20th century, and Blarney Woollen Mills closed in 1973.

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Camden Fort Meagher

Forts

Camden Fort Meagher is a coastal defence fortification close to Crosshaven. Though originally constructed in the 16th century, the current structures of the 45 acre fort date to the 1860s. It remained largely overgrown until 2010 when a group of local volunteers began restoration and development of the fort for heritage and tourism purposes.

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Carrigadrohid castle

Iconic Buildings

Old Ruins

Carrigadrohid Castle is situated on a rock outcrop in a wonderfully picturesque setting on the River Lee. Built in the 15th century by the MacCarthys of Muskerry. It is partially ruined building, whose charm is well worth a visit. It has been in ruins since the late 18th century. In later years, a local group has been formed with the aim of preserving the castle.

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Carriganass

Iconic Buildings

Old Ruins

A majestic old castle on the outskirts of Kealkill village, in the heart of West Cork, played a dramatic role in one of Irish history. A 4-storey tower surrounded by a 14-foot-high outer curtain wall or bawn. The main tower is perched on a rock overhanging the Ouvane river, and has 4 corner turrets. The main entrance to the castle was via a gate in the north wall of the bawn, which had 4 corner towers, the main tower being set into the west wall of the bawn.

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Castle End

Iconic Buildings

Old Ruins

Dún na Séad castle was built in 1215 and has had a long and fascinating history. It fell into a ruined state in the middle of the seventeenth century. The tower house is built on the site of an earlier Norman-era structure, which itself replaced an earlier Bronze Age ringfort. Traditionally associated with the O'Driscoll family, it was purchased and restored by members of the McCarthy family in the late 1990s, and partially opened to the public from 2005.

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Castledonovan

Iconic Buildings

Old Ruins

Castledonovan is a townland in Dromdaleague, which lies on a rock on the east bank of the River Ilen in the townland of the same name, in County Cork in Ireland. Approximately 60 feet in height, it sits on a large rock or outcropping, which forms the ground floor, close to the bank of the River Ilen. The Castle was divided into various chambers or rooms. One room was set aside in the old days for food for the garrison and another store room for gunpowder and shot.

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Charles Fort

Forts

Charles Fort is a massive star-shaped structure of the late seventeenth century, well preserved despite its history. The fort is now operated as a heritage tourism site by the Heritage Ireland arm of the Office of Public Works. As one of the country’s largest military installations, Charles Fort has been part of some of the most momentous events of Irish history.

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Cobh Heritage Centre. The Queenstown Story

Iconic Buildings

Museums

The Cobh Heritage Centre is a museum located in Cobh, County Cork, Ireland. It is attached to Cobh railway station. It has held exhibits on life in Ireland through the 18th and 19th centuries, mass emigration, the Great Famine, on penal transportation to Australia, and on the sinking of the RMS Lusitania. The centre is a tourist destination, including with visitors from cruise ships, which often dock in Cobh. The centre has two onsite gift shops and a café.

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