Glengarriff
| Glengarriff Irish: Gleann Garbh | |
| County Cork | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Blue Pool, Glengarriff | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | V925564 |
| Location: | 51°45’0"N, 9°33’7"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 138 (2016) |
| Local Government | |
| Website: | glengarriff.ie |
Glengarriff is a village of approximately 140 people on the N71 road in the Beara Peninsula of County Cork. 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. Its name is the Irish Gleann Garbh meaning 'Rough glen'.
The village stands twelve miles west of Bantry, and 18 miles east of Castletownbere. It is a common stopping-point along the routes around the area.
Primarily, the economy revolves around a combination of tourism, farming and local services.
About the village
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, which may be visited by boat trip. Offering a broad view of the surrounding area, the round Martello tower on the island was built to guard against a threatened Napoleonic invasion that never materialized.
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, art galleries, pubs, restaurants and other services.
The harbour here is a sheltered anchorage and has visitors moorings for visiting yachts.
Events
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, the film actress, who had a home nearby.[1]
Glengarriff GAA Club [2] was founded in 1981 after breaking away from neighbouring Adrigole GFC. It fields Gaelic football teams from Junior ‘A’ level to Under 6s. Teams compete in leagues and championships run by the Beara GAA division.
Cultural references
The poe Letitia Elizabeth Landon wrote poetical illustration, Glengariffe (in 1832) which accompanies an engraving of a view over Garnish Island looking towards the mountains in the west.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Glengarriff) |