What To Do Around Clonakilty. The Big Man & Big Surf.

Darragh Doran

27 Dec 2024 — 3 min read

Surfing at Inchydoney Beach in Cork

In the second of our 5 day trips from our Cork hub of Kinsale, you're heading west to Clonakilty, Courtmacsherry & Inchydoney

Clonakilty Market

Clonakilty was very nearly our Cork hub instead of Kinsale. Love this town. If you've had an Irish breakfast, Clon is home to the best known producer of Irish black and white pudding. I try not to think of what the black pudding is made of and just enjoy the taste.

There's a market here on Fridays from 9am-2pm and it's a perfect excuse to drive over to Clonakilty. While you're here, I like the Clonakilty Distillery. Their barley is grown on their own nearby farm. Does that make it Farm to Bottle?

De Barra's Folk Club Clonakilty

This is no hidden gem, it's known throughout the land, but rightly so. They've been playing live music for 40 years here. I love this quote by Christy Moore on their website "“There’s Carnegie Hall, The Royal Albert, Sydney Opera House and then there’s De Barra’s”. Check their schedule before your trip and book ahead for whoever is playing, even if you've never heard of them.

Get there early, but you'll leave late and very happy.

Surfing at Inchydoney Beach

Inchydoney Beach is possibly the most beautiful beach in all of Cork. And, it's a haven for surfing with fantastic waves. Inchydoney Surf School will get you riding.

Visit during weekday mornings for quieter waves and better surf conditions.

The Kilbritain Whale

In 2009, a 65-ft whale washed up in Courtmacsherry Bay. Despite efforts to save it, it died. Somehow its sizable skeleton is on show in Kilbritain not Courtmacsherry, who were left blubbering about it. You can read more about that territorial dispute in a poem at the whale.

While you're there, do the 4km Castle Walk that brings you by the, well yes, the castle.

It's these little villages that I love, you can easily drive by them, but once you stop and explore, you'll see how much there is so see. And the locals are so friendly because it is under visited. Authentic Ireland by locals.

The Fuschsia Loop

We're off to the Clogheen Marsh Nature Reserve for this walk. It's only 5km and is colorful in season, as the name would suggest. This brings you through farmland, forest, coastline, cliffs, and yes, fuchsias.

Keep an eye out for rowers from the nearby rowing club. While Olympian rowers hail from Skibereen, they're still decent here too.

You can go whale watching from Courtmacsherry too.

Michael Collins Centre: A Leader in Ireland's Fight for Freedom

This center is dedicated to the life of Michael Collins, one of Ireland’s most influential historical figures. He’s a very big deal in Ireland, also called The Big Man. Remember the Julia Roberts/Liam Neeson movie?

Tim, who runs the center, is a passionate character who has dedicated his life to this. It’s different but absolutely worth a visit for the history buff. It’s a remote enough spot, so you’ll enjoy some tiny villages en route. Michael Collins Centre

Get Lost in Cork

We'll point you in the right direction, but the real adventure is when you wander off on your own. Because in Ireland, there's no such thing as a wrong turn. Just don't ask the locals for directions unless you've got time for a chat.

Explore 9 More Cork Day Trips

There's 5 day trips in our central Cork guide. And we have 5 more Cork day trips in our West Cork guide. You'll be speaking like a Cork native if you do all ten!