I took a ferry over to Dublin a few years ago, and stuck my thumb out. I was hoping to get to Galway, but the way things worked out, I ended up on an estate full of smack-heads in the south of Dublin.

The next day, I got to a tiny village between Naas and Dublin, and a day or so later, with my cardboard sign saying "Cork, Galway or Waterford" looking increasingly dog-eared and bedraggled, as I did, I ended up in Waterford, and had a great time, playing my guitar in a Waterford Waterfront bar.

I never got to Cork, unfortunately, but quite a number of the people I spoke to on my travels descibed it as "Stab City"

so take from that what you will. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

There's been a few threads on this, one quite recently. A simple search should find it for you.

Oh, and read some of my old weblogs for details of our trip over there in 2002.

http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/forum/?thread=18889&offset=150

The above thread may help too. Fourwinds gave me a wonderful list of quality circles. .

Circles:
Reanascreena (You'll not want to leave!)
Drombeg (loads of people though)
Currabeha (N & S)
Derrynafinchin
Kealkil
Carrigagulla (1 mile walk to warm you up!)
Ballyvackey (an odd one)
Templebryan
Knockraheen
Glantane East
Knocknakilla

Found 'em all exept Carrigagulla, and this was because I didn't have an OS map. Burl's directions said 'stop by a gate under a tree'. As I drove up the lane there were two gates. . both under trees! see. . you have to have a map otherwise you could waste an afternoon wandering around like a prat. Like me!

Damon.

If you're camping I can strongly recommend the campsite at Ballylickey between Bantry and Glengariff - best I've ever stayed in. They have a webiste which you should be able find through a search engine. My two (under 10) boys taught the local campers how to play cricket and gave them a good footballing lesson on the footy pitch overlooking Bantry Bay.

IMHO you should make sure you find time to get to Reenascreena, Drombohilly (but be prepared for a trek through bogs and over barbed wire), Ardrah (ditto), Ahakista, Gurranes, and pop over the border to Uragh in Kerry. I've still not got round to posting my holiday snaps and fieldnotes from two weeks in Cork and Clare about 12 months ago but will do after your post stirred my memories. My advice is to plan ahead, consult the maps and TMA 'afore you go and if you can get to visit about a quarter of the sites you'd like to get to you'll have done well. Enjoy!