Beara ( ga, Béarra) or the Beara Peninsula is a peninsula on the south-west coast of Ireland, bounded between the

Kenmare Kenmare () is a small town in the south of County Kerry, Ireland. The name Kenmare is the anglicised form of ''Ceann Mara'', meaning "head of the sea", referring to the head of Kenmare Bay. Location Kenmare is located at the head of Kenmare ...

"river" (actually a bay) to the north side and

Bantry Bay Bantry Bay ( ga, Cuan Baoi / Inbhear na mBárc / Bádh Bheanntraighe) is a bay located in County Cork, Ireland. The bay runs approximately from northeast to southwest into the Atlantic Ocean. It is approximately 3-to-4 km (1.8-to-2.5 mil ...

to the south. It contains two mountain ranges running down its centre: the Caha Mountains and the

Slieve Miskish Mountains The Slieve Miskish Mountains are a small range of low sandstone mountains found at the extreme south-western tip of the Beara Peninsula of County Cork in Ireland. The name derives from the Irish "Sliabh Mioscais," "the Mountains of Malice." Unli ...

. The northern part of the peninsula from Kenmare to near

Ardgroom Ardgroom () is a village on the Beara peninsula in County Cork, Ireland. Its name refers to two gravelly hills deposited by a glacier, Dromárd and Drombeg. It lies to the north north west of Glenbeg Lough, overlooking the Kenmare River estuary ...

is in

County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...

, while the rest forms the

barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

Bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...

. The main features of Beara's landscape were formed during the

quaternary period The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three period (geology), periods of the Cenozoic era (geology), Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). It follows the Neogene Period and spa ...

which ended 12,000 years ago. There is evidence of human activity on the peninsula dating from at least 3000 BC. Later it was invaded by Vikings, and in the 17th century became a defensive position for the

English Army The ...

against French invasion. Its population peaked at 39,000 before the Great Famine; today there are fewer than 6000 living in the area. The peninsula contains a long and varied scenic coast, two mountain ranges and a number of passes, and forms part of the

Wild Atlantic Way The Wild Atlantic Way ( ga, Slí an Atlantaigh Fhiáin) is a tourism trail on the west coast, and on parts of the north and south coasts, of Ireland. The 2,500 km (1,553 mile) driving route passes through nine counties and three provinces, s ...

History

The peninsula was glaciated during the

; evidence from this era survives in the form of

striae Stretch marks, also known as striae () or striae distensae, are a form of scarring on the skin with an off-color hue. Over time they may diminish, but will not disappear completely. Striae are caused by tearing of the dermis during periods of r ...

around Hungry hill, and erratics on the western road into

Glengarriff Glengarriff () is a village of approximately 140 people on the N71 national secondary road in the Beara Peninsula of County Cork, Ireland. Known internationally as a tourism venue, it has a number of natural attractions. It sits at the norther ...

. The first signs of human activity date to c 3000 BC, and consist of traces of

Early Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...

settlements. The landscape is rich in

megalithic monument A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea. The ...

s and other prehistoric archeological sites, including over 70 standing stones, 22

stone row A stone row or stone alignment is a linear arrangement of upright, parallel megalithic standing stones set at intervals along a common axis or series of axes, usually dating from the later Neolithic or Bronze Age.Power (1997), p.23 Rows may be in ...

s, 38

dolmen A dolmen () or portal tomb is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of two or more upright megaliths supporting a large flat horizontal capstone or "table". Most date from the early Neolithic (40003000 BCE) and were somet ...

s, as well as

wedge tomb A gallery grave is a form of megalithic tomb built primarily during the Neolithic Age in Europe in which the main gallery of the tomb is entered without first passing through an antechamber or hallway. There are at least four major types of galler ...

stone circle A stone circle is a ring of standing stones. Most are found in Northwestern Europe – especially in Britain, Ireland, and Brittany – and typically date from the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, with most being built from 3000 BC. The be ...

s. Later the area became a

Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

settlement, as evident in place names such as Longhart. Levels of

Early Medieval The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...

activity can be deduced from the presence of many

ringfort Ringforts, ring forts or ring fortresses are circular fortified settlements that were mostly built during the Bronze Age up to about the year 1000. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are also many in South Wales ...

s, cashels, cairns and

fulacht fiadh A burnt mound is an archaeological feature consisting of a mound of shattered stones and charcoal, normally with an adjacent hearth and trough. The trough could be rock-cut, wood-lined or clay-lined to ensure it was watertight. Radiocarbon d ...

. In the modern period, Beara was the traditional seat of power of the O'Sullivan Beare and one of the last points of native Irish resistance after the 1601

Battle of Kinsale The siege of Kinsale, or Battle of Kinsale ( ga, Léigear/Cath Chionn tSáile), was the ultimate battle in England's conquest of Gaelic Ireland, commencing in October 1601, near the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and at the climax of t ...

Allihies Allihies (; ) is a townland in the civil parish of Kilnamanagh, in County Cork, Ireland. The townland of Allihies is located at the western tip of the Beara Peninsula. History of copper mining From the Bronze Age the area had been a site of co ...

, on the tip of Beara, later became major copper mines and featured in the

Daphne du Maurier Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, (; 13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her parents were actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and his wife, actress Muriel Beaumont. Her grandfather was Geor ...

novel '

Hungry Hill Hungry Hill or Knockday ( ga, Cnoc Daod) is the highest of the Caha Mountains on the Beara Peninsula in Munster, Ireland. Etymology The first part of the Irish name ''Cnoc Daod'' means "hill". The second part may be a dialectal variant of ...

' - later made into a film. Around 1796, the

French navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

threatened

, and the

English Army The ...

responded by erecting defences on

Bere Island Bere Island or Bear Island (, although officially called ''An tOileán Mór'' meaning "the big island") is an island in Bantry Bay off the Beara Peninsula in County Cork, Ireland. It spans roughly 10 km x 3 km, with an area of 17.68&n ...

, including martello and watch towers. A plaque placed by the Beara Historical Society offers the following to explain the origin of the name: :''In the early centuries AD, Conn Céad Cathach (Con of the hundred battles) fought a fierce battle against Owen Mór, King of Ireland at Cloch Barraige. Owen was badly injured in the battle. Those of his followers who survived took him to Inis Greaghraighe (now known as

) as a safe place for him to recover. There, the fairy Eadaoin took him to her grianán (bower) where she nursed him back to full health. Nowadays, this place is known as Greenane.'' :''Owen and his followers then sailed southwards until they reached Spain. There he met and married Beara, daughter of the King of Castille. :''Later Owen, Beara and a large army sailed from Spain and landed in Greenane. Owen took his wife to the highest hill on the island and looking across the harbour he named the island and the whole peninsula 'Beara' in honour of his wife. Rossmacowen, Kilmacowen and Buaile Owen most likely are named after Owen Mór and his son. According to local tradition Owen’s wife, Princess Beara, died and was buried in Ballard Commons in the remote and peaceful valley between Maulin and Knocknagree Mountains.'' The scholar

Nollaig Ó Muraíle Nollaig Ó Muraíle is an Irish scholar. He published an acclaimed edition of Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh's ''Leabhar na nGenealach'' in 2004. He was admitted to the Royal Irish Academy in 2009. Life and career A native of Knock, County Mayo, Ó ...

doubted this story, and instead suggested a connection to the Kerry dialect word ''béarach'', ''béar '' which refers to "rocks on the seashore against which the sea breaks with great force".

Tourism

Stookeennaloakareha above the Healy Pass - geograph

Tourist sites on the peninsula include the ruins of

Dunboy Castle Dunboy Castle () is a ruined 15th century castle on the Beara Peninsula in south-west Ireland near the town of Castletownbere. The castle's tower house and bawn were destroyed in the 1602 Siege of Dunboy, though its ruins remain open to the p ...

and Puxley Mansion, the Copper Mines Museum in

Garnish Island GarinishGarinish/Garinis

(maintained by the OPW) and Derreen Garden (privately owned but open to the public). The "Ring of Beara" follows the roads for about circumnavigating the peninsula. It starts in Kenmare, crossing the Healy Pass through

Adrigole Adrigole () is a village on the Beara Peninsula in County Cork, Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the ...

, passing Castletownbere,

, and turn offs to

Dursey Island Dursey Island ( ga, Baoi Bhéarra or ') lies at the southwestern tip of the Beara Peninsula in the west of County Cork in Ireland. Dursey Island is 6.5 kilometres long and 1.5 kilometres wide. The island is separated from the mainland by a narro ...

Eyeries Eyeries (historically spelt as it is pronounced, ''Irees'' or ''Iries''; ) is a village and its hinterland, on the Beara Peninsula in County Cork, Ireland, near the border with County Kerry. It lies at the foot of a hilly area, with a beach ne ...

and

, ending in

. The area has had a long connection with the sea; Castletownbere is one of Ireland's largest fishing ports and the largest white fishing port. It has diving, sailing and boating facilities. The

Beara Way The Beara Way () is a long-distance trail in the southwest of Ireland. It is a 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 compl ...

is a long distance walking route around the peninsula with several historical and archaeological sites en route. The main towns on the route are Castletownbere, Kenmare and Glengarriff. There are a number of villages in between including Allihies, Ardgroom, Adrigole, and Eyeries. Bere Island and Dursey Island can be reached by a short trip by ferry or cable car respectively. The Beara Way is part of the

Beara-Breifne Way The Beara-Breifne Way is a long-distance walking and cycling trail being developed from the Beara Peninsula in County Cork, Ireland, to Blacklion in the area of Breifne in County Cavan. The trail follows closely the line of the historical march ...

based on the march of O'Sullivan Beare in 1603. The tallest Ogham stone in Europe, the Ballycrovane Ogham Stone, is close to Eyeries.

Flora and fauna

Glengarriff Forest Nature Reserve covers approximately 300 hectares (371 acres), the majority being "old oak woodland and regenerating woodland", with non-native conifers and rhododendron having been cleared from the forest in favour of native species. A booklet, published by the Glengarriff Tourism and Development Association, describes the forest as "one of the best examples of oceanic

sessile oak ''Quercus petraea'', commonly known as the sessile oak, Cornish oak, Irish Oak or durmast oak, is a species of oak tree native to most of Europe and into Anatolia and Iran. The sessile oak is the national tree of Ireland, and an unofficial embl ...

woodland in Ireland". Other native flora, including recurved sandwort and Kerry lily, are found around the Caha Mountains.

's harbour contains one of the largest colonies of

harbor seal The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared sea ...

s in Ireland. At the other end of the peninsula, the Beara Peninsula Special Protection Area, one of several Special Protection Areas in Ireland, is home to an "internationally important population" of

Chough There are two species of passerine birds commonly called chough ( ) that constitute the genus ''Pyrrhocorax'' of the Corvidae (crow) family of birds. These are the red-billed chough (''Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax''), and the Alpine chough (or yellow- ...

birds. It also supports a breeding population of

Fulmar The fulmars are tubenosed seabirds of the family Procellariidae. The family consists of two extant species and two extinct fossil species from the Miocene. Fulmars superficially resemble gulls, but are readily distinguished by their flight on ...

. It was revealed in 2021 that a genetically unique honey bee (''

Apis mellifera The western honey bee or European honey bee (''Apis mellifera'') is the most common of the 7–12 species of honey bees worldwide. The genus name ''Apis'' is Latin for "bee", and ''mellifera'' is the Latin for "honey-bearing" or "honey carrying", ...

'') had been discovered on the Beara Peninsula, belonging to the ''Apis mellifera mellifera'' sub-specie. Unlike other ''A. m. mellifera'' in Ireland, which are descended primarily from continental imports, after the Isle of Wight Disease in the early 1900's, which was believed to have wiped out the indigenous Old Irish Black Bee, the Beara ''A. m. mellifera'' showed a unique genetic identity largely unrelated to other ''A. m. mellifera''. This causes speculation that it could be a remnant of the Old Irish Black Bee. Further research showed that it was somehow able to breed true and not cross breed with other different sub-species in the area.

Gallery

File:View of Glanmore Lake from Healy Pass - geograph.org.uk - 499060.jpg, Glanmore Lake File:The Healy Pass - geograph.org.uk - 486253.jpg, Healy Pass - distance File:Healy Pass on Bere Peninsula - geograph.org.uk - 155081.jpg, Healy Pass - road File:Coolcreen - geograph.org.uk - 286143.jpg, Coolcreen

References

Sources

External links

Beara Tourism website
{{Authority control Tourist attractions in County Cork Important Bird Areas of the Republic of Ireland