Skibbereen, County Cork.

Skibbereen, County Cork.  Property 7483

In the heart of West Cork, a 20-minute drive will take you the 18 miles to Bantry in one direction or Dunmanway in the other. That's if you can tear yourself away from this fabulous house set amidst rolling fields in wonderful privacy and seclusion - dogs and children will love the freedom, and walkers, cyclists and country lovers will relish their surroundings. On not so lovely days, the wood burning stove will keep you cosy. Ideal for friends or families travelling together, or for a large family group.

Shop 2 miles. Pub. Restaurant 5 miles. Beach 6 miles. Lakeside 2 miles.

GF: lounge, kitchen/diner, study, utility room, sun room, twin with ensuite shower room. FF: 3 doubles 2 with ensuite shower room, child bunk, bathroom with shower over bath and jacuzzi bath.

Electricity and oil central heating included, wood burner with starter pack, linen and towels included, cot, high chair, stair gate, TV, satellite tv, sky, dvd player, freezer, microwave, dishwasher, w/machine, dryer, babysitting on request, welcome pack, open plan garden, garden furniture, picnic bench, off road parking. Pets welcome. No Smoking.

Extra Details...

* TV has Irish channels.

FESTIVALS
Cobh will host the European Sea Angling Championships in the summer of 2008.
Schull Arts Week is in July.
Bandon Musical Festival is in early June.
Clonakilty hosts the International Guitar Festival, the Michael Collins Festival and the West Cork rally during the summer.
Dunmanway has the Ballabuidhe Races and Horse Fair in early August.
There is a writers' week in Listowel, Co Kerry, late May/early June.
Kinsale (the gourmet capital of Ireland) - Flavours Festival in autumn and Fine Food Festival in October.
Castletownshend has a regatta in July.
Bantry has the West Cork Literary Festival in June/July.
Baltimore has the Wooden Boat and Seafood Festival in May.
There are many more festivals held in West Cork. Information on the various festivals will be available at the holiday home.

LOCAL TOWNS
Skibbereen has many wonderful pubs, such as Annie Mays and the Paragon, which serve food every day. There are several Chinese and Thai restaurants and take aways. There are many arts and crafts shops.
There are many pubs and restaurants in the area, serving a variety of food.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
There are eight islands off the West Cork coast: Dursey, Bere, Cape Clear, Sherkin, Whiddy, Long, Heir and Garnish Island. All are accessible and beautiful. Many are noted for their sub-tropical vegetation, especially Garnish Island in Glengarriff, and Whiddy Island, Bantry. They offer breathtaking views, bird watching, nature trailing, boat trips and angling, swimming and all water sports. Heir Island has a restaurant and Ireland's smallest cookery schools.
Angling - some of the best angling in Ireland is in the Cork/Kerry region. Castletownbere offers shark and conger angling, while Bantry, Ballydehob and Courtmacsherry and other inlets offer sea bass, sea trout and mackerel. There is salmon fishing in the River Ilen in Skibbereen.
Sailing schools - Baltimore, Bantry, Glandore, Schull and Kinsale offer between them sailing, yachting, keelboats and catamarans, sea kayaking or inland water canoeing.
Surfing conditions are excellent, with big rollers in autumn and spring. The gulf stream means that the waters are particularly mild.
Beaches - there are Blue Flag beaches nearby.

West Cork Model Railway Village - this miniature village depicts life in Clonakilty in the 1960s, open July-August. This includes a train ride round Clonakilty.
West Cork Garden Trail - A garden trail of 15 gardens, large and small, for a week in June.
West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen - This centre exhibits modern and contemporary visual art and a range of education and community programmes.
Schull Planetarium, Schull - this is the only planetarium in Ireland. Open May to September.
Skibbereen Heritage Centre - historic exhibitions as well as genealogical archaeological and wildlife information available.
Mizen Head Visitor Centre - The Mizen Head lighthouse is located at the most south westerly point of Ireland. It has the famous arched bridge, the 99 steps and many displays.
Glengarriff Bamboo Park - this park is unique, with 30 different species of palm trees and bamboo. There are beautiful coastal headland walks on 13 acres of parkland.
Dursey Cable Car, Allihies, Beara - this is Ireland's only cable car, which takes you 250m above and across the spectacular Dursey Sound. It takes several minutes, and takes six people at a time.
Bantry House and Gardens - originally built in 1690 and houses tapestries, furniture and art treasures collected in the 1800s. The garden is home to subtropical plants and shrubs. Tea rooms.
Charles Fort, Kinsale - This is a wonderful surviving example of a 17th-century star-shaped fort.
Fota Wildlife Park, Carrigtwohill - just outside of Cork City. A great day out for all of the family.
Fota House and Gardens - Fota Arboretum and Gardens are internationally known for one of the finest collections of rare and tender trees and shrubs grown outdoors. The Regency style house has recently been refurbished.
Ceim Hill Museum, Unionhall - this houses a private collection of artefacts from the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages. Prehistoric animal jaws and bone tools form some of the exhibits on show.
Gougane Barra Forest Park - This was Ireland's first forest park. The River Lee rises in the lake here. St Frinbar had a hermitage here - St Finbar's Holy Island - the Romanesque chapel still exists and pilgrimages are made to it each September. The park has a drive-around trail. Picnic tables are provided in this 350 acre park.

Walking - Easy 1 miles. Traditional Music, Fishing - Lake 2 miles. Childrens Playground 5 miles. Swimming Pool, Pitch & putt, Walking - Hill 8 miles. Horse riding, Golf, Dolphin watching 10 miles.

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