Kilcrohane () is a village in

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 a ...

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 North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

. It is the last coastal village on the

Sheep's Head Peninsula Sheep's Head, also known as Muntervary ( ga, Rinn Mhuintir Bháire), is the headland at the end of the Sheep's Head peninsula situated between Bantry Bay and Dunmanus Bay in County Cork, Ireland. The peninsula is popular with walkers, and t ...

after

Durrus Durrus () is a village and civil parish in West Cork in Ireland. It is situated from Bantry in County Cork, at the head of the Sheep's Head and the Mizen Head peninsulas. Durrus is on the Wild Atlantic Way driving route which spans the I ...

and

Ahakista Ahakista ( or ''Áth an Chiste'') is located approximately halfway along the Sheep's Head peninsula between Durrus and Kilcrohane in County Cork, Ireland. It is a wooded coastal village with a deep and sheltered harbour. History Archaeology Th ...

. Kilcrohane lies under the 'Shadow of Seefin' (the area's highest hill) and is also close to Caher Mountain. The village overlooks

Dunmanus Bay Dunmanus Bay is a bay in County Cork, Ireland. The bay lies between Mizen Head to the south and Sheep's Head to the north with the small village of Durrus at the head of the bay. The bay is out of the main tidal flow with no significant ri ...

Cill Crochain

'Cill Crochain' is Irish for the 'Church of Crochan'. Little is known about Crochan except that he is reputed to have lived around the time of

Saint Patrick Saint Patrick ( la, Patricius; ga, Pádraig ; cy, Padrig) was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Ireland, the other patron saints b ...

(mid 5th century). Some believe Crochan was from

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 ...

, near Caherdaniel where there are two ruined churches named after him and a village also called Kilcrohane. There is a ruined church in the grounds of the cemetery in Kilcrohane, thought to be where Crohan built his cell.

Tourism

The seaside village of Kilcrohane increases in population in the summer months. It has two

pubs A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

, a café gallery, three restaurants and a coffee shop (open in July and August). The local shop is a post office and

filling station A filling station, also known as a gas station () or petrol station (), is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold in the 2010s were gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Ga ...

. There is also a local co-operative shop selling local produce, arts and crafts. There are a number of Bed and Breakfasts, several self-catering holiday accommodations, and a garage/repair shop that also rents bicycles. The Kilcrohane pier is used for swimming, and there are a number of private coves along the coast. There is pollock and

mackerel Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of pelagic fish, mostly from the family Scombridae. They are found in both temperate and tropical seas, mostly living along the coast or offshore in the oceanic environment. ...

in Dunmanus Bay. Kilcrohane has a primary school and a church. There is daily transportation to secondary schools in

Bantry Bantry () is a town in the civil parish of Kilmocomoge in the barony of Bantry on the southwest coast of County Cork, Ireland. It lies in West Cork at the head of Bantry Bay, a deep-water gulf extending for to the west. The Beara Peninsula ...

and public transportation to Bantry twice a week. There is also a community field and hall and a children's playground with tennis court.

Sheep's Head Way

Kilcrohane is base for the hill walking route, the Sheep's Head Way. The Sheep's Head Way features over 60 miles of marked maintained hill and road walking routes with views of Bantry and Dunmanus Bays. The area also has marked road cycling route.

Museum and gallery

The Alice West Centre, a museum focusing on the life and art of the late English-born artist Alice West, is open during the summer months and is run by the Muintir Bhaire Community Council. Alice West bequeathed her estate to the community, and the museum displays local artifacts, crafts, and artwork. The White House Gallery and coffee shop is a gallery space that retains a few fixtures of the White House Bar. Situated one mile west of Kilcrohane, it lays at a crossroads at which, according to its website, people would "travel across the water from Beara and the Mizen to meet, play music, sing and dance".

Festivals

Kilcrohane has a number of festivals throughout the year, including the 'Craic on the Coast' traditional music festival which takes place annually on Easter weekend. A 'Kilcrohane Carnival' is also held every year on the third week of July (depending on the weather). This carnival features a number of events, races, a track and field event, and fishing competition.

Notable people

* Aonghus O'Daly (1570-1617), bardic poet, was born in the Kilcrohane townland of Cora *

Patrick Joseph Sullivan Patrick Joseph Sullivan (March 17, 1864April 8, 1935) was an American politician. He was the mayor of Casper, Wyoming from 1897 to 1898 and was a Republican member of the United States Senate from Wyoming from 1929 to 1930. Biography Sullivan ...

(1885-1935),

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and power ...

for

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to t ...

, was born in the area * J. G. Farrell (1935-1979), writer, lived in Kilcrohane *

Denis O'Donovan Denis O'Donovan (born 23 July 1955) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as a Senator for the Agricultural Panel since April 2011. He previously served as Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann from 2016 to 2020 and Leas-Chathaoirleach of S ...

(b.1955), senator, is from the area *

Ralph Fiennes Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes ( ; born 22 December 1962) is an English actor, film producer, and director. A Shakespeare interpreter, he excelled onstage at the Royal National Theatre before having further success at the Royal Shak ...

(b.1962), actor, briefly lived here in the 1970s and attended Kilcrohane National School *

Christy Moore Christopher Andrew "Christy" Moore (born 7 May 1945) is an Irish folk singer, songwriter and guitarist. In addition to his significant success as an individual, he is one of the founding members of Planxty and Moving Hearts. His first album, ...

(b.1945), folk singer, had a property here *

Ivor Callely Ivor Callely (born 6 May 1958) is an Irish former politician who served as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin North-Central constituency from 1989 to 2007 and a member of Seanad Éireann from 2007 to 2011, having been nominated b ...

(b.1958), former politician and senator, also has a holiday residence here

References

{{reflist Towns and villages in County Cork