Driving the Southwestern Peninsulas

Heading southwest from Cork city, we set out to see more Neolithic sites in County Cork. The Drombeg Stone Circle is a circle of 17 standing stones, believed to have been built around 3,000 years ago. Like most of the stone circles, the pillars are aligned so that at winter solstice the sun sets at a point on the horizon aligned with the central axis of the circle. Also at this site are the remains of several huts—one with a prehistoric kitchen with an adjacent well. The cooking site contains a rectangular trough which is presumed to have been used for boiling water to cook meat. Experiments conducted during excavation in 1957 showed that 70 gallons of cold water could be brought to a boil in 18 minutes by rolling fire-heated stones into the water. The water remained sufficiently hot for almost 3 hours.

We enjoyed talking with a couple of Office of Public Works (OPW) workers who were there to mow the grass. They were very knowledgeable about the site and appreciated the skill of the early occupants of this area.

Moving on, we arrived at the Gorteanish Stone Circle, located along a long-distance walking route on Sheep's Head peninsula. This set of 11 stones was unknown until the 1990s, when it was discovered during clearance work for the trail. No local stories or folklore have been recorded about it, and it is unclear why it has apparently been overlooked until recent times. In the early 2020s, University College Cork archaeology experts excavated the site, then faithfully restored the stones to their original standing position.

We continued circumnavigating the Sheep's Head peninsula, following the coastline of Bantry Bay, a large and calm inlet of the Atlantic. The road was very narrow and winding, but awesomely scenic. We stopped for a very gusty walk at “Fionn mac Cumhaill's Seat,” a high point along the route.

We stopped for the night in the village of Allihies, on the Beara peninsula. There’s only one restaurant in town (but 3 places to drink, we gathered).Read more