Glengarriff () is a village of approximately 200 people on the N71

national secondary road A national secondary road () is a category of road in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. These roads form an important part of the national route network but are secondary to the main arterial routes which are classified as national primary roads. Nat ...

in the

Beara Peninsula Beara () or the Beara Peninsula is a peninsula on the south-west coast of Ireland, bounded between the Kenmare River (which is actually a bay) to the north side and Bantry Bay to the south. It contains two mountain ranges running down its ce ...

County Cork County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. Known internationally as a tourism venue, it has a number of natural attractions. It sits at the northern head of Glengarriff Bay, a smaller enclave of

Bantry Bay Bantry Bay () 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 miles) wide at the head and wide at the entrance. Geograp ...

. At northwards along the N71 road from

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 i ...

, and eastwards along the R572 road Castletownbere, it is a common stopping-point along the routes around the area.

Economy

Primarily, the economy revolves around a combination of tourism,

farming Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

and local services.

Attractions

Glengarriff is a small seaside village on the Ring of Beara surrounded by high rugged mountains pocked with old bogs being farmed for peat. Local tourist sites include the Italian Gardens on Garnish Island ( Ilnacullin), which may be visited by boat trip. Offering a broad view of the surrounding area, the round

Martello tower Martello towers are small defensive forts that were built across the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the French Revolutionary Wars onwards. Most were coastal forts. They stand up to high (with two floors) and typica ...

on the island was built to guard against a threatened

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

ic invasion that never materialized. Glengarriff Shops and Restaurants 2009 09 08

In the nearby Glengarriff Forest is the glen that gave Glengarriff its name, (loosely translated as ''rough glen'') containing some of the oldest and most extensive oak and birch groves left in Ireland. A short but steep trail leads up to Lady Bantry's Lookout, which has views over Glengarriff and the west Cork area. Other tourist amenities include the Bamboo Park, behind Toad Hall, a local amenity area featuring a child's playground and Blue Pool lagoon, the nearby Barley Lake and the historic Eccles Hotel. Walking trails in the area are extensive, kayaking on the bay is regularly scheduled, and live music is played at local pubs, particularly during the tourist season. Glengarriff also has several shops, pubs, restaurants and other services. Glengarriff harbour is a sheltered anchorage and has visitors moorings for visiting yachts. Glengarriff has an annual music festival, the Jim Dowling Uilleann Pipe & Trad Festival, which takes in June and focuses on uilleann piping.

Sport

Glengarriff Golf Club is a nine-hole course on the east side of the village. It is associated with the late

Maureen O'Hara Maureen O'Hara (; 17 August 1920 – 24 October 2015) was an Irish-born naturalized American actress who became successful in Hollywood from the 1940s through to the 1960s. She was a natural redhead who was known for playing passionate b ...

, the film actress, who had a home nearby. Glengarriff GAA Club was founded in 1981 after breaking away from neighbouring Adrigole GFC. It fields

Gaelic football Gaelic football (; short name '')'', commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA, or football, is an Irish team sport. A form of football, it is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score ...

teams from Junior ‘A’ level to Under 6s. Teams compete in leagues and championships run by the Beara GAA division.

Notable inhabitants

John Annan Bryce John Annan Bryce (1841 – 25 June 1923) was a British businessman and Liberal Party politician. Background and family He was the son of the politician and geologist James Bryce and his wife Margaret Young, daughter of James Young. His elder br ...

(1841–1923), British businessman and politician who purchased

Garnish Island GarinishGarinish/Garinis
Placenames Database of Ireland. or Garnish Island () (also k ...

in 1910. *

(1920–2015), Irish-American actress, had a home in the area

Cultural references

Letitia Elizabeth Landon Letitia Elizabeth Landon (14 August 1802 – 15 October 1838) was an English poet and novelist, better known by her initials L.E.L. Landon's writings are emblematic of the transition from Romanticism to Victorian literature. Her first major b ...

's poetical illustration, ''Glengariffe'' in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1833, accompanies an engraving of a view painted by

William Henry Bartlett William Henry Bartlett (26 March 1809 – 13 September 1854) was a British artist, best known for his numerous drawings rendered into steel engravings. Biography Bartlett was born in Kentish Town, London, England on 26 March 1809. He was appren ...

over Garnish Island looking towards the mountains in the West.

References

External links

Visitglengarriff.ie

Glengarriff.org

Glengarriff on Facebook
{{County Cork Towns and villages in County Cork