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Beara Peninsula

Would anyone care to recommend some "must see" sites within striking distance of the Beara peninsula? I'll be staying there in September, but I've already done most of the sites on the peninsula itself. Also, I could use some pointers for castles/abbeys/general medieval stuff in the area. I'm a little underwhelmed by on-line resources in this regard.

Cheers :)

Heading a 'small bit' south to the Bantry area I'd suggest:

Mill Little, for its variety and wonderful boulder burials.
East to Kealkil and Breeny More, but you may have seen these before.
South to Dunbeacon, for a panoramic view and a genuinely ancient atmospere.
Northeast to Cullomane, for an imposing five stone circle, quartz boulder burial, standing stones and well.

These sites can be found on FourWind's website:

http://www.megalithomania.com/show/county/Cork

I've been meaning to put some pictures of Cullomane on here for quite a while but the ones I have are poor enough and I haven't got around to taking more. Excuses, excuses.

Mustard wrote:
I'm a little underwhelmed by on-line resources in this regard.
After a line like that I'm not sure I feel like answering :-)

These are the sites I've been to on OS map 85 (the one with Bantry on it)
http://www.megalithomania.com/show/sheet/85

If you like eclesiastical stuff then I'd head for The Dingle myself. Loads around there - Reask, Kilmalkedar, Gallarus, Maumanorig & more

If you want some inland eclesiastical stuff then the early monastic settlement at Ballyvourney has some interesting stuff and there's loads of other bits nearby.

Hi Mustard!

If you aint got a copy of Jack Roberts' 'Antiquities of the Beara Peninsula', see if you can find one (I've just had a quick scan on ABE books but can't find a copy) - it covers monastic settlements, holy wells, etc, along with the megalithic structures.

All the best - Paulus