The Sheeps Head Way

The Sheep’s Head Way is a Long Distance Walk over 100km encompassing the Sheep’s Head Peninsula and the general Bantry area.

It is a ridge and shoreline walk, so that you can start and finish the walk anywhere you wish. For the sake of convenience, this guide will take it that you will begin in Wolfe Tone Square, Bantry, go out west on the northern (Bantry Bay) side of the peninsula, all the way to Sheep’s Head, and then back east to Bantry on the southern (Dunmanus Bay) side of the peninsula via Kilcrohane, Ahakista and Durrus, or to continue to the Beara Way via Kealkill and Carriganass.

Whiddy Island is a 6-hour circular walk, accessed by ferry from Bantry Pier. We recommend sturdy walking boots for the Sheep’s Head Way – preferably waterproof/resistant as there may be some wet patches along the way.

Obviously, be prepared for the inevitable changing weather of West Cork; bringing along rain gear, adequate food and water, maps etc. would be prudent. Also, fog can come down quickly along the coast at the end of the peninsula and at the top of the hill along the Bantry Bay side. In such conditions map reading ability and the use of a compass would be required; carrying a whistle is a basic safety measure, we recommend carrying a mobile phone.

In keeping with the special beauty of our peninsula, we have signposted the Sheep’s Head Way differently from that of most other walks. We have used local stone and Irish oak for our ‘walking man’ markers, and again have used Irish oak for our own routed fingerboards. The 17th century Book of Survey and Distribution has described much of this peninsula as “being all rocky and frequented only by eagles and birds - never to be inhabited by reason of the rough incommodities.” Sounds like the perfect walking terrain to us!

THE PEOPLE OF BHÁIRE

Muintir Bháire is the ancient name for the Sheep’s Head peninsula. Bháire was a descendant of Fodhradh Canaan of the Corca Luighe or the race of the Lughaidh, who settled in this country in the pre-Christian era.

Muintir Bháire are “the people of Bháire”. The land holds many reminders of the early inhabitants - lioses or dúns, promontory forts, earthen caishils and stone alignments. Cill Chrochain - Kilcrohane - means the Church of Crochan. Little is known about Saint Crochan, but he is believed to have lived about the time of Saint Patrick in the mid-fifth century. Tradition has it that he came from Catherdaniel in County Kerry (where there are two ruined churches called after him and a village, also called Kilcrohane) and erected a church or cell. This church is most probably on the site of the ruined church that stands in the centre of the cemetery in Kilcrohane.

The history of the earliest settlers, the Bardic School and the clans of O’Mahony’s, O’Daly’s, MacCarthy’s and O’Donovan’s is well researched and documented in “The Story of Kilcrohane” by Frank O’Mahony, published in October 2000, and available in bookstores in Bantry and the general grocery
store in Kilcrohane.

There is also a paper entitled “An Irish Rural Parish - Past and Present - Muintir Bháire” by T. J. Walsh who was a parish priest in Muintir Bháire in the late 1960’s. It was published in the Capuchin Annual of 1972 and is available in the reference section at Bantry library.

DO’S AND DON’TS

While we are reluctant to fill these pages with Don’ts and Cannots, some things need to be said:

• No dogs are allowed on the Sheep’s Head Way at any time or place!
• Please respect our farmers’ right to make a living. Leave fences, grass, herds etc. unmolested and the Walk as you found it.
• Where a farmer has been kind enough to allow access across a grassfield, please keep to the edges of it.
• There are times when the Walk leads you close to private houses – please respect people’s privacy.
• There are also times when the Walk goes near cliff edges; while there are warning signs at such places, please be very careful, as there are other cliffs if you stray off the signposted Way.
• Please guard against the risk of fires on Coillte lands and any wooded area. The same precaution applies to the hills.
• During gales/bad weather or for the inexperienced walker at any time, we suggest an alternative route using county council roads from the Crimea Cross to the Cove. This is on the north and western side of the peninsula, and is duly noted on the map.
• We strongly advise that walkers do not attempt the more remote parts of the Walk on their own.
(Care should be exercised at all times to avoid accidents as neither the Sheep’s Head Way Ltd., local committees, landowners, nor any other people or agencies mentioned in the acknowledgments, can be held responsible for any accidents or injuries which might occur due to usage of the Sheep’s Head Way).

USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS

In case of emergency:
Bantry Garda Station: [027] 50045
Bantry Hospital: [027] 50133
Goleen Coast & Cliff Rescue: [028] 35318
Or dial 999 and ask for the appropriate emegency service.

TOURISM
INFORMATION OFFICE

Cork/Kerry Tourism Information
Office, Skibbereen:
[028] 21766 (all year)
Tourism Information Office,
Bantry:
[027] 50229 (during the season)

TRANSPORTATION

Bus Eireann, for timetables:
[021] 508188
(Daily bus service from Cork to
Bantry and on Saturdays from
Bantry to Durrus, Ahakista,
Kilcrohane.)
Iarnród Eireann (rail), enquiries:
[021] 506766
Bantry Rural Transport:
Please check locally for timetables
[027] 52727
Hackneys:
There are numerous hackneys
available - please ask locally.
Cork has an international airport
and a ferryport at Ringaskiddy
which connects with Swansea in
Wales, and St. Malo, Roscoff and
Le Havre in France