Kilcrohane
| Kilcrohane Irish: Cill Chrócháin | |
| County Cork | |
|---|---|
 Village and Church | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | V 820378 |
| Location: | 51°34’52"N, 9°42’12"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 127 (2016) |
| Local Government | |
Kilcrohane is a seaside village in County Cork, and the furthermost coastal village on the Sheep's Head Peninsula after Durrus and Ahakista.[1] Kilcrohane lies under the 'Shadow of Seefin' (the area's highest hill) and is also close to Caher Mountain. The village overlooks Dunmanus Bay.
Name
The name of Kilcrohane is from the Irish 'Cill Crochain', meaning 'Church of Crochan'.[2] Little is known about Crochan except that he is reputed to have lived around the time of St Patrick (in the mid-5th century).[3] Some believe Crochan was from County Kerry, near Caherdaniel where there are two ruined churches named after him and a village also called Kilcrohane.[3]
The ruins of a church are found in the grounds of the cemetery in Kilcrohane, thought to be where Crohan built his cell.
About the village
The seaside village of Kilcrohane increases in population in the summer months. It has two pubs, a café gallery,[4] three restaurants and a coffee shop (open in July and August). The local shop is a post office and filling station. There is also a local co-operative shop selling local produce, arts and crafts. There are a number of Bed and Breakfasts, several self-catering holiday accommodations, and a garage/repair shop that also rents bicycles.[5]
There is a pier at Kilcrohane and there are a number of private coves along the coast. Pollock and mackerel are caught in Dunmanus Bay.
Kilcrohane has a primary school and a church. There is daily transportation to secondary schools in Bantry and public transportation to Bantry twice a week. There is also a community field and hall and a children's playground with tennis court.
Sheep's Head Way
Kilcrohane is base for the hill walking route, the Sheep's Head Way. The Sheep's Head Way features over 60 miles of marked maintained hill and road walking routes with views of Bantry and Dunmanus Bays. The area also has marked road cycling route.
Museum and gallery
The Alice West Centre, a museum focusing on the life and art of the late artist Alice West, is open during the summer months and is run by the Muintir Bhaire Community Council.[6] Alice West bequeathed her estate to the community, and the museum displays local artifacts, crafts, and artwork.
The White House Gallery and coffee shop is a gallery space that retains a few fixtures of the White House Bar. Situated one mile west of Kilcrohane, it lays at a crossroads at which, according to its website, people would "travel across the water from Beara and the Mizen to meet, play music, sing and dance".[7]
Festivals
Kilcrohane has a number of festivals throughout the year, including the 'Craic on the Coast' traditional music festival which takes place annually on Easter weekend.[8] A 'Kilcrohane Carnival' is also held every year on the third week of July (depending on the weather). This carnival features a number of events, races, a track and field event, and fishing competition.
References
- ↑ "Sheeps Head Peninsula West Cork Tourism Information". Travel Ireland Network. http://www.cork-guide.ie/sheepshead/index.html. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
- ↑ Cill Chrócháin / Kilcrohane: Placenames Database of Ireland
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sheeps Head Way Committee: The People of Bháire
- ↑ "Gallery and Coffee Shop - Summer Opening Hours". The White House. http://www.thewhitehouse-gallery.com/coffee.html. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
- ↑ "Peninsula locals love one-stop café shop". Irish Examiner. 11 June 2015. https://www.irishexaminer.com/farming/analysis/peninsula-locals-love-one-stop-cafe-shop-336197.html. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
- ↑ "Black Gate: Alice West Centre & Café". Sheep's Head & Bantry Tourism Cooperative. 4 January 2014. http://livingthesheepsheadway.com/black-gate/. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
- ↑ "White House Wine bar & Gallery". The White House. http://www.thewhitehouse.gallery/. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
- ↑ "Craic on the Coast". Sheep's Head & Bantry Tourism Cooperative. 6 July 2015. http://livingthesheepsheadway.com/event/craic-on-the-coast/. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
- Frank O'Mahony (2000). The Story of Kilcrohane. Litho Press.
- Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, Vol 1, West Cork. Office of Public Works. 1992. ISBN 0-7076-0175-4.
- Donal Fitzgerald. "Bantry Historical and Archaeological Society Journal". Townlands 2: 106–119. SSN 07916612.
- Donald Grant (1974). White Goats and Black Bees (Classics from the Southwest Ireland Series). New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-06522-1. https://archive.org/details/whitegoatsblackb00gran.
- Sean Sheehan (2007). Jack's World: Farming on the Sheep's Head Peninsula, 1920-2003. Cork University Press. ISBN 9780955226113.