![Sheeps Head Way](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Sheeps_Head_Way.jpg)
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
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 ...
and
Dunmanus Bay 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 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 peninsula is popular with walkers, and the Sheep's Head Way is an 88 km long-distance trail which follows old tracks and roads around the peninsula from
Bantry to the headland and back. The trail is very accessible and is well signposted (see image on right). The route combines low and rugged hills with coastline and cliffs.
The walkway is straightforward and can be walked during any time between April and October. The trail is divided into eight stages—each representing a half-day's walking. Among those responsible for establishing the Sheep's Head Way were Tom Whitty, an American, local farmer James O’Mahony, and Jim Leonard.
The Sheep's Head Way network of trails includes 20 looped walks, and extends eastwards to include
Kealkill,
Drimoleague
Drimoleague (historically ''Drumdalege'', ) is a village on the R586 road at its junction with the R593 in County Cork, Ireland. It lies roughly halfway between the towns of Dunmanway and Bantry, within the civil parish of Dromdaleague. As of ...
and
Gougane Barra
Gougane Barra () is a scenic valley and heritage site in the Shehy Mountains of County Cork, Ireland. It is near Ballingeary in the Muskerry ''Gaeltacht''. Gougane Barra is at the source of the River Lee and includes a lake with an oratory built ...
where it intersects with 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 ...
.
A Sheep's Head Way cycle trail also exists, and begins in
Ballylickey
Ballylickey or Ballylicky () is a village on the N71 national secondary road and Bantry Bay near Bantry, County Cork, Ireland. The Ouvane River flows into Bantry Bay at Ballylickey.
Tourism
There is a caravan park at Eagle Point. The Seavie ...
, County Cork. It extends around the coastline of the Sheep's Head peninsula, and ends in Ballydehob.
The peninsula has three villages,
Durrus (six miles from Bantry),
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 ...
(twelve miles from Bantry), and
Kilcrohane
Kilcrohane () is a village in County Cork, Ireland. It is the last coastal village on the Sheep's Head Peninsula after Durrus and Ahakista. Kilcrohane lies under the 'Shadow of Seefin' (the area's highest hill) and is also close to Caher Mounta ...
(sixteen miles from Bantry). Durrus has been identified as one of the key staging posts on 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 ...
driving route along the Irish coastline and is the home to
Durrus Cheese.
Awards
The peninsula was named as a European Destination of Excellence for Sustainable Tourism in 2009. In March 2015, the Sheep's Head won Silver at the Irish Responsible Tourism Awards, and was longlisted for 'Best Destination' in the World Responsible Tourism Awards 2015.
The area's tourism cooperative won a special judge's commendation at the Irish Tourism Industry Awards in 2015.
Archaeology
Durrus
*Boulder Burial, Ballycomane
*Burial Ground, Brahalish, Clashadoo, Coolcoulaghta, Dunbeacon, Kilvenogue,
*Cairn, Coolcoulaghta, Moulinward
*Castle, Dunbeacon
*Church, Moulinward (in repair 1639; ruins 1699)
*
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 ...
a (cooking pit), Dunbeacon (Celtic Iron Age, 600 BC - 400 AD)
*Graveyard, Moulinward
*Holy Well, Dunbeacon
*Mill Stone, Brahalish
*
Promontory fort, Coolcoulaghta (Celtic Iron Age, 600 BC - 400 AD)
*Ring forts, Ballycomane, Brahalish, Clonee, Drumtahaneen, Dunbeacon, Gortyalassa, Kealties, Rushineska (Celtic Iron Age, 600 BC - 400 AD)
*Shell Midden, Dunbeacon
*Standing Stones (Gallauns), Ballycomane, Coolcoulaghta (Stone Pair, Bronze Age, 2200 - 600 BC, Kealties, Parkana)
*Stone Row, Moulinward (Bronze Age 2200 - 600 BC
*Stone Circle, Dunbeacon (Bronze Age 2200 - 600 BC)
*Tower House (medieval post 1200 AD), Rossmore (O'Mahony/McCarthy?)
Kilcrohane
* Ardahill, Ardintenant, Caher, Caheragh, Derrycluvane, Drumnea, Faunmore, Gortalassa, Gortaneish, Killoveenogue, Knockroe, Raferigeen, Letter East, Rossnacaheragh, Tullig Ringfort (Celtic Iron Age, 600 BC - 400 AD)
* Aughaleigue, Gouladoo, Laherandota, Letter East, Holy Well
* Ballytransna, Kilcrohane, Cashel
* Ardaneig, Caher, Farranamanagh, Gortnakilla, Killonoveenogue, Letter West, Kilcrohane, Burial Ground
* Caherurlagh, Holed Stone for healing
* Dooneen, Galladoo, Keelovenogue, Promontory Fort (Celtic Iron Age, 600 BC - 400 AD)
* Dromnea, Bardic School Medieval post 1200 AD, Ornamental Tower erected Lord Bandon, Holy Well (tober na nduanairidhe well of the poets), possible fulach fiadh
* Farranmanagh, Stone Row Bronze Age, Children's Burial Ground, Souterrain, Tower house (O'Daly), Gallaun (standing stone
* Gouladoo, Holy Well
* Letter West, Children's Burial Ground
* Kilcrohane, Souterrain
* Signal Towers, Tooreen
Natural history
* Owen's Island c. 1 hectare
* Sheep's Head, Coastal heathland includes rare plants ''
Viola lactea'' (pale dog violet), ''
Tuberaria guttata'' (spotted rock-rose) and also has
choughs and
fulmars
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 ...
.
* The Sheep's Head peninsula contains Special Areas of Conservation for peregrine falcons and choughs.
In literature
* Sheep's Head features as a central location in
David Mitchell's 2014 novel ''
The Bone Clocks
''The Bone Clocks'' is a novel by British writer David Mitchell. It was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize 2014, and called one of the best novels of 2014 by Stephen King. The novel won the 2015 World Fantasy Award.
The novel is divided i ...
'', being referenced throughout and providing the setting for the book's final section. A character in that section, Mo Muntervary (also a main character in Mitchell's debut novel ''
Ghostwritten''), takes her surname from the headland.
* Following his retirement from active writing, novelist of Irish descent
JG Farrell moved to Sheep's Head, where he was later swept away to his death in a storm at the age of 44.
Bibliography
* Amanda Clarke, Walking the Sheep's Head Way, 2014.
* Donald Grant (lived in Dooneen), White Goats and Black Bees. (Editions: New York: Doubleday, 1974 ; London: Joseph, 1975 ; Schull: Mizen Books, 1990 )
* Barry Keane: The Beara, Sheep's Head, and Mizen Peninsulas: 40 walks and scrambles. Cork: Collins Press, 1997. 87 p.
* Wolfgang Keller: Off the beaten track: the Sheep's Head Way as an example of rural tourism in the South West of Ireland. University of Goettingen (Germany), 2003. 128 p. (Dipoloma thesis)
* Ann McCarthy: Under the Shadow of Seefin. 2001
* Frank O'Mahony: Kilcrohane. (Book 1: Kilcrohane - the Holy Ground—Book 2: O'Mahony - the diary of Frank). Dromkeal: Frank O'Mahony, 1990. 148 p.
* Westropp, Thomas Johnson: Fortified headlands and castles in western County Cork. Vol. 1: From Cape Clear to Dunmanus Bay. Dublin, 1915. (Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy / C. Vol. 32, no. 17)
See also
*
Extreme points of Ireland
This is a list of the extreme points of Ireland – the points that are farthest north, south, east or west in Ireland. It includes the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Often the term " Malin to Mizen" is used when encompassing the enti ...
*
Durrus Cheese
References
External links
Walk Ireland- official site of the Waymarked Ways of Ireland with map of Sheep's Head Way
WhiteHouse Café- a bar-themed artisan coffee shop
Visiting the wild west of Corkaround the Sheep's Head
Living the Sheep's Head Way- area website listing trails, activities and accommodation
Guided hill walkson the Sheep's Head
{{Irish long-distance trails
Headlands of County Cork
Tourist attractions in County Cork
Long-distance trails in the Republic of Ireland
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 ...