North Cork: Nature, history and hospitality on a trip through The Good Country

Irish Examiner

15 hours ago

It takes ten minutes to pack my overnight bag and swimming gear. I then stuff a few snacks into my handbag, fill a water bottle, and jump into the car.
With my teenage son as a travelling companion – he packs in less than two minutes - we hit the road to North Cork.
Along the way, we enjoy blue skies and high temperatures, bringing nature out in all its blooming glory – drifts of hawthorn and flamboyant horse chestnut trees in full spring swagger.
We pulled into Ballyhass Adventure Park outside Mallow in under an hour. The place is a hive of activity, with adults and children moving in all directions.
Wild and wonderful activities include a giant aquapark, axe throwing, cliff climbing, kayaking, and wakeboarding. It radiates positivity here, largely thanks to the upbeat and helpful staff.
An aerial view of Ballyhass Adventure Park, Mallow, Co Cork
We are booked in for a wood-fired sauna. A quick change into our swimsuits in a welcome, if rustic, changing room, and we are ready to go.
The heat inside our Hobbit-style hut is like nothing I've ever experienced - a scorching 100°F and climbing. We tough it out for all of three minutes.
My teenager walks straight down to the water's edge and jumps in. I take the scenic route via a ladder, submerging myself in the freezing water one slow step at a time.
When I look over my shoulder to find a patient queue, it is now or never to make the final plunge. The benefits are immediate — every cell tingles, my head clears, and every worry vanishes.
A sauna at Ballyhass Adventure Park
We complete two more rounds of savage heat, followed by cold immersion, and our time is up.
We belt up the road to the highly recommended Thatch and Thyme restaurant in Kildorrery, run by owner and cook Joanne McEldowney.
It is peak lunchtime, so have a wait before our food arrives, but every bite and spoonful is worth it. My spinach and basil soup is a joy — packed with flavour and satisfying goodness.
The always-hungry teenager orders the classic BLT toasted sandwich, which comes with a large side serving of salad.
I watch in quiet amazement as he horses into the salad – a first. When I comment on his breakthrough, he shrugs and says it tastes good.
Doneraile Court, Doneraile, Co Cork
Doneraile Court
With full bellies and a 2.30pm appointment at Doneraile Court and Estate, we are met by over 400 acres of bucolic landscaped gardens punctuated by shrubs and trees.
Head guide Mary Leamy takes us on an extended tour of the house in which generations of the St Leger family lived from the 1600s to 1969. Her free-flowing knowledge of the Georgian-style house is impressive as she reveals, room by room, its layered history.
Duhallow Hunt and Whalebone display Doneraile House, second floor. Picture Clare Keogh
Elizabeth St Leger, believed to be the world's first Lady Freemason, looms large in the estate's history.
It's believed that in 1712, while still a teenager, she fell asleep reading in the library and, upon waking, overheard a Freemason's meeting in the adjacent room.
She attempted to leave unnoticed but was spotted by the butler. After a heated debate, the Freemasons, which included her father and brothers, decided to initiate her.
Elizabeth fully embraced the opportunity, going on to become a Master Mason.
In the drawing room, with the original 1870s floor-to-ceiling mirror still in place, it is moving to see a photograph of the last St Leger to live in the house, Mary, Lady Doneraile, taken in the same room.
Munster Plantation Room; Walter and Elizabeth Raleigh, Doneraile House. Picture Clare Keogh
She looks lost in the grand room built for another era. The estate was sold to the Land Commission in 1969. History was not on her side.
We stay almost three enchanted hours — you would easily need a day to explore the depths of the house and grounds —but we are on a tight schedule.
Grub's up at Ciara O'Brien's Barnahown B&B, Mitchelstown
Barnahown B&B
Our next stop is the new Barnahown B&B in Mitchelstown, run by entrepreneurial Ciara O'Brien.
The makeover from a hollowed-out house to a fully functioning business was featured on RTÉ's At Your Service, presented by hoteliers Francis and John Brennan.
The remodelled house looks better in real life, with the imposing Galtee Mountains playing a showstopping role. O'Brien is rightly proud of its high-quality finish.
Two singles at Ciara O'Brien's Barnahown B&B, Mitchelstown.
Our boutique-style bedroom, located at the rear of the house, offers an elevated view of the mountains.
The mattresses are 'princess and the pea' high, and the bed linen is to five-star hotel standard. The room and the en suite are spotless.
Though small, every nook and cranny earns its space with cleverly designed fittings and furniture.
We unpack and change for dinner at the Market Place in Mitchelstown, a short drive away by car. We are so hungry, we would have happily eaten the menu for starters.
My son orders prawn pil pil (again, a first), which arrived on a smoking-hot griddle. My tomato and red pepper soup is light and brimming with flavour.
We follow with a melting butter chicken masala for him and a herb-crusted seabass dish, served with a chorizo tomato sauce and greens, which had just the right bite.
Portions are generous, so we skip desserts, delicious as they sound. Our food arrived promptly, and owner John O'Connor and staff offered a relaxed service with plenty of easy conversation.
With the blazing sun setting, we walk the town's historic streets, making our way to the limestone-cut buildings dating from the 18th century.
The frozen-in-time Georgian quarter, set around King's Square, looked familiar – it featured in RTÉ's DIY SOS: The Big Build Ireland in 2022, when six houses were upgraded for families seeking refuge from the war in Ukraine.
We sleep like royalty and - blame the fresh mountain air - wake ready for breakfast.
My son asks for the 'full Irish' and locally sourced perfection arrives on a plate. Of particular note are the moist scrambled eggs.
I opt for a lighter breakfast, consisting of natural yogurt with berries, granola, porridge, and gluten-free bread.
Adding an unexpected but welcome kick, tiny bowls of peanut butter (Harry's) and a cashew and chilli crush (Rivesci), both pack a big taste punch.
Earl Grey tea comes in a large pot, followed by a cafetière of coffee—abundance from start to finish.
Annes Grove house and gardens, Castletownroche
Annes Grove Gardens
I drop the well-fed teen off at the bus stop so he can meet up with friends in the city as planned.
Next on the agenda is a visit to Castletownroche to explore the historic Annes Grove Gardens, which have been home to the Annesley family since the 1600s, until it was gifted to the State in 2015.
The 30-acre gardens found a new splendour under Richard Arthur Grove Annesley, who took over in 1892.
He was deeply influenced by Irish-born gardener and writer William Robinson, who rejected neat Victorian landscaping, prioritising natural lines instead.
To realise this 'let them be' vision, plant hunter Frank Kingdon-Ward travelled extensively, gathering exotic plants from Tibet, Burma and Bhutan for Annes Grove.
The layered, wild setting, with flowers, shrubs and trees tumbling down to the Awbeg river is the remarkable and enduring result.
Though the look is wild, every plant has its place in the tapestry, framing views and offering glimpses of what lies beyond the line of sight.
Hellebores at Annes Grove Gardens
Some of the spectacular flowering shrubs dating back to the Robinsonian era include Cornus kousa (east Asia), Eucryphia (South America), and Hoheria (New Zealand).
The garden is in blousy bloom and with riotous colours — hydrangeas, wisteria, and rhododendrons.
A personal favourite is the Siberian crab apple trees in full white flower, abundant and glorious.
Head OPW guide Aileen Spitere rattles off their common names with ease, as if referring to extended family members—Mrs. G.W. Leak, Chorus Girls, and Chilean Fire Tree.
My trip coincides with an open-air performance from the Verdant Troupe.
While site foreman and horticulturist Colm O'Shea brings us on an intriguing tour of the gardens, the reenactors seamlessly interject, playing characters who had previously lived on the grounds.
Among a disparate cast, we met Richard and Hilda Grove Annesley, cook Molly O'Reilly, stable hand Daly and novelist Elizabeth Bowen. A delightful experience, bringing history to life. (The next tour is on Saturday, October, 5.)
Lough Gur, Co Limerick
Lough Gur
I have one final destination on my agenda: a trip to the mystical Lough Gur in Co Limerick. (Unfortunately, there is not enough time to call into the highly rated Juniper for lunch in Mallow.)
It's one of the country's most significant architectural sites, with evidence of settled human habitation dating to 3,800 BCE. Now a protected wildlife sanctuary, the calm waters and scenic setting radiate serenity.
The site has proven to be a portal into our ancient past for archaeologists, who have uncovered ancient dwellings and other artefacts.
And in a case of history meeting mythology, the lake and surrounding area are ribboned in folklore, many of which are about the 14th-century Third Earl of Desmond, known locally as Geároid Iarla.
It is said he gained his power of sorcery from his mother, the Celtic goddess Áine, a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, who was renowned for her power over crops and animals.
I am met by Brian Collopy, the operations manager of Lough Gur Visitor Centre, a few miles away at the Grange Stone Circle.
With a background in folklore, he is well placed to understand the significance of the 113-stone circle, pointing out how it draws people of all creeds and ages.
The summer solstice celebration typically draws an eclectic crowd, from local farmers to pagan spiritualists and drumming dancers, he tells me.
Grange Stone Circle, Lough Gur, Co Limerick
The stones resemble giant jagged teeth. The largest one, Rannach Chruim Duibh (Dark Stoop), stands over four meters in height (about 2.5m above and 1.5m below soil level) and weighs a hefty 40 tons.
We walk to the monumental stone-lined entrance – it faces the rising sun on the summer solstice - two centurion portal stones, around 2m (6.5 ft) high, guard both sides of the entrance.
The imposing entrance is matched by two majestic stones on the southwest side, whose sloping sides form a V-shape. The discovery of carvings on a nearby stone in 2022 suggests it's aligned with sunrise at the solstice.
Collopy is a walking and talking encyclopedia about the area, moving seamlessly from local folklore to ancient history. The place begs for more time and conversation, but I have to turn the car around and head home.
By the time I roll into my driveway, I've clocked up some 270km— a road trip that has revealed new and intriguing parts of the country all within shouting distance.
Escape Notes
Ballyhass Adventure Centre: ballyhass.ie
Doneraile Court: doneraileestate.ie
Annes Grove Gardens: heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/annes-grove-gardens/
Lough Gur: loughgur.com
Barnahown B&B: barnahown.com
Irene was a guest of Fáilte Ireland.
For more things to do in North Cork, see discoverireland.ie