Cúil Aodha (), anglicised as Coolea, is a

townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic origi ...

and village in the

Gaeltacht ( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially recog ...

region of

Muskerry Muskerry ( ga, Múscraí) is a central region of County Cork, Ireland which incorporates the baronies of Muskerry West 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 ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. The area is near the source of the

River Sullane The River Sullane ( ga, An Sulán) runs from the mountains between County Cork and County Kerry in southern Ireland, near the village of Cúil Aodha. After passing Ballyvourney, it runs through the centre of Macroom, to which it provides drink ...

in the

Derrynasaggart Mountains The Derrynasaggart Mountains are a mountain range in counties Cork and Kerry, Ireland. They are situated from mid-Cork to Kerry, and can be seen on the N22 road in the Kerry direction. They are also viewable from towns like Clondrohid, Macroom and ...

Geography

Cúil Aodha townland is in the

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...

Ballyvourney Ballyvourney ( ga, Baile Bhuirne , meaning 'Town of the Beloved', also spelled ) is a Gaeltacht village in southwest County Cork, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the barony of Muskerry West, and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Cat ...

, and is an official

area, where the

Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...

is used alongside English. The village of Cúil Aodha is close to a number of wind farms which are located on the mountains which mark the border between

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 ...

and

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 ...

. The area is mountainous and is led to by mainly narrow roadways. Cúil Aodha lies within the Cork North-West Dáil constituency. According to the 2016 census, of the 216 people living in Cúil Aodha and the small area surrounding it, 86% were able to speak Irish. In the Gort na Tiobratan electoral division, in which the village is located, 45% of that population (353 people) stated that they speak Irish on a daily basis outside the education system.

Economy

Coolea cheese Coolea is a type of cow's milk cheese that consists of a smooth, Gouda-like texture with rich, sweet, caramelly flavours. Like Gouda, Coolea cheese is covered in a thick, solid wax rind which contributes to the cheese's flavour and texture. Si ...

is produced in the area. The ''Mark Éire'' factory, which specialises in climate control technology, opened in 1987 and is still manages its Irish operations from Cúil Aodha village. There are no amenities such as bars, shops or restaurants in the village. These can be found in nearby

Culture

The area surrounding Cúil Aodha was used as a filming location for both ''

Song for a Raggy Boy ''Song for a Raggy Boy'' is an 2003 Irish historical drama film directed by Aisling Walsh. It is based on the book of the same name by Patrick Galvin and is based on true events. Plot In 1939, on the brink of World War II, the St. Judes Refor ...

'' (2003), directed by Aisling Walsh, and '' The Wind That Shakes the Barley '' (2006), directed by

Ken Loach Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a British film director and screenwriter. His socially critical directing style and socialist ideals are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as poverty (''Poor Cow'', 1967), homelessne ...

. In 1986, Cúil Aodha was twinned with the village of

Peumerit-Quintin Peumerit-Quintin (; br, Purid-Kintin) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in northwestern France. Population Inhabitants of Peumerit-Quintin are called ''peumeritois'' in French, and ''puridiz'' in Breton. Breton langua ...

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...

in northwestern France.

People

Seán Ó Riada Seán Ó Riada (; born John Reidy; 1 August 1931 – 3 October 1971), was an Irish composer and arranger of Irish traditional music. Through his incorporation of modern and traditional techniques he became the single most influential figur ...

(1931–1971), Irish composer, lived in the area between Cúil Aodha village and

until his death, and a bronze monument commemorating him was erected in the area in 2008. His son, Peadar Ó Riada, still conducts the

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...

'Cór Chúl Aodha'. * William Hedges (1632–1701), first governor of the East India Company) *

Iarla Ó Lionáird Iarla Ó Lionáird (born ) is an Irish singer and record producer. He sings in the traditional Sean-nós singing, sean-nós style. He was a member of the Afro Celt Sound System and is a member of the Irish-American supergroup (music), supergroup ...

(b. 1964), singer and record producer *

Páidí Ó Lionáird Páidí Ó Lionáird (born 17 August 1968) is an Ireland, Irish television presenter and columnist from Cúil Aodha, County Cork. Since 1997, Ó Lionáird has been the presenter of current affairs and entertainment shows on the Irish language ...

(b. 1968), television presenter and columnist * Donncha Ó Céileachair (1918–1960), writer and biographer * Síle Ní Chéileachair (1924–1985), short story writer

Transport

The area is rural and has a dispersed population around the valley. No bus service operates to the village. The nearest

Bus Éireann Bus Éireann (; "Irish Bus") is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Ireland, with the exception of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subsidia ...

route is the

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

Tralee Tralee ( ; ga, Trá Lí, ; formerly , meaning 'strand of the Lee River') is the county town of County Kerry in the south-west of Ireland. The town is on the northern side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula, and is the largest town in County ...

route which passes through

which is approximately 2 miles from Cúil Aodha village.

References