Situated in the spectacularly scenic Caha Mountains, Bonane offers visitors a multitude of activities including hill walking, cycling, fishing, swimming, golf and sea sports. Bonane’s proximity to the warm gulf stream results in its sub tropical climate giving an abundance of rare wild flowers and fauna. Bonane links the RIng of Kerry and the Ring of Beara.

Bonane is steeped in ancient history being home to over 250 archaeological sites. Some of these have major astronomical significance. There is a stone circle in the townland of Dromagorteen as well as various tombs, standing stones, boulder burials and ring forts.

This year’s events involve Irish master fiddlers, Martin Hayes, Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, Caoimhin O Raghallaigh, Brid Harper and Michelle O’Brien. US fiddle player Darol Anger, Cape Breton legend Jerry Holland, Norways Annbjorg Lien, Galician band Berroguetto, Dutch jazz fiddlerer Tim Kliphuis to name but a few name.

This event is supported by the Arts Council, Failte Ireland and Cork County Council. Further information is available on the website www.fiddlefair.com.

West Cork Calling has a number of members in Baltimore including Inishbeg self catering, Caseys of Baltimore, Aquaventures and Glebe Gardens.

On 5th July and 3rd August, Fairbank Productions will host Tom Crean – The Antartic Explorer. The intrepid antartic explorer and one of Ireland’s unsung heroes, is brough to life in this dramatic and humorous solo perfomance by Aidan Dooley.

Due to popular demand, The Tailor and Ansty will return for three weeks in the month of August – Tuesday to Sunday nightly at 8.30pm sharp.

Tickets are euro 23 and seniors euro 18.

Interesting Packages

Stay, eat and attend (bed and breakfast, early bird dinner and show tickets) is euro 120 per person sharing. Add on an extra night’s accommodation to make it euro 175 per person sharing for 2 bed and breakfast, one early bird and a ticket to the teathre.

All of the West Cork Calling members have been impacted by the loss of this ferry.  For those who are accommodation providers, the lack of a ferry means that guests from the UK have to travel to Dublin or Rosslare for alternative routes.  They often cut short the length of their stay by one or two nights because of the travel distance involved to the ferry port added to the distance that they may have to travel once they arrive in Wales.

Since 2006 we have had much talk but no action regards a replacement.  It’s time to lobby for the ferry’s return!  West Cork is very much dependant on tourists from Scotland, England and Wales and for those coming for more than a weekend,  they need the option of driving.  We need to have the ferry reinstated.

The author, Catherine FitzMaurice of Kilbrogan House Bed and Breakfast and Self Catering is a member of West Cork Calling

TAMS (Tourism Accommodation Management Services) will be the organisation responsiible for inspecting and approving new and existing properties on behalf of Failte Ireland.

Properties who enter the scheme will be eligible to use the term ‘Approved to Failte Ireland Standards’ and will continue to have access to discover ireland

A schedule of workshops has been set up across the country to familiarize self catering providers with the new structure.

West Cork Calling members offering self catering accommodation include Kilbrogan Coach House Self Catering in Bandon, Inchydoney Lodge and Spa, Clona Holiday Homes, Inishbeg and Coolbawn Lodge.

The students work under the supervision of expert staff and courses range from as short as one day to one week. Tkae a look at what courses Rossmore Pottery, Kinsale Pottery and Crackpots have to offer and take the plunge. These courses are suited to groups as well as individuals.

• Bandon Golf Club
• Bantry Bay Golf Club
  
• Berehaven Golf Club – 9 holes
• Dunmore Golf Club – 9 holes
• Glengarriff Golf Club
• Kenmare Golf Club
• Kinsale Golf Club
• Lee Valley Golf Club
• Lisselan Golf Club – 9 holes
• Macroom Golf Club
• Old Head of Kinsale Golf Club
• Skibbereen Golf Club

Some like the Old Head of Kinsale, Bantry Bay Golf Club, Berehaven, Glengariff, Dunmore and Kenmare all have views over the ocean whereas in others such as Bandon, Macroom and Lee Valley you have magnificent views over the countryside.

West Cork Calling member, Inchydoney Island Lodge and Spa and the Old Head of Kinsale Golf Club have joined together to offer interesting packages to the visitor.  Inchydoney also offers golf at Bandon, Dunmore (9 holes) and Lisselan (9 holes).

Bandon Golf Club is an 18 hole golf course about three miles from the town of Bandon.  One of the highlights is the hole next to the ruins of Castle Bernard.

Bantry Bay Golf Club is a West Cork Calling member.  It is an 18 hole course with fantastic views over the ocean arguably the best coastal golf experience at an affordable price!

Kinsale Golf Club is an 18 hole golf course just 3 miles from Kinsale

Lisselan is a nine hole golf club between Bandon and Clonakilty.  Golfers have to take a motorised raft from the 8th fairway to the green.

Skibbereen and West Carbery Golf Club has 18 holes is just a mile outside Skibbereen

Bantry House is a member of west cork calling.

There are a host of participants including Dervla Murphy, Alannah Hopkins,  Jennifer Johnston, Carlo Gebler, Julia van Middlesworth, John Waters and Colin Dexter

Cuba is the theme.  It will be an evening of music, salsa, food, film, fun and cocktails in the beautiful setting of Ballinacurra House.  You will get the chance to party the night away to the sounds of the brilliant Cuban band Havana Son.  There will be everything from salsa lessons, flamenco guitar, a buffet, a barbecue and even a suckling pig.

Tickets are available from West Cork Calling members, Friars Lodge and Kinsale Pottery

Regional Branding is increasingly recognised as a valuable aid to regions marketing their products. One of the main challenges facing West Cork has been the decline in economic activity as agricultural employment has continued to fall and there has been a drain in population to the cities. The food and tourism sectors are key strengths in the region and the Fuchsia evolved as a way of exploting these key strengths by creating a network.

The Fuchsia represents a symbol of quality for food and tourism products of the region. The products marketed under the Fuchsia Brand are firmly rooted in the unique traditions and influences of the region. High standards of product and service excellence reflect passion and enthusiasm and a strong commitment to training, networking and a code of best practice. Almost 200 businesses are now approved to use the logo.

The following West Cork Calling members are also members of Fuchsia Brands Ltd.

Kinsale Pottery and Art School

Rossmore Country Pottery – Clonakilty

Aquaventures, Baltimore

Courtmacsherry Sea Angling

West Cork Sailing, Adrigole

Kilbrogan House Bed and Breakfast and Self Catering, Bandon

Caseys of Baltimore Hotel

Inchydoney Lodge and Spa

Quality Hotel and Leisure Centre, Clonakilty

Clona Holiday Homes, Clonakilty

Coolbawn Lodge,Skibbereen

Skibbereen Heritage Centre

Participants who enter the scheme will be eligible to use the term ‘Approved to Fáilte Ireland Standards’ and will have access to www.discoverireland.ie.  Tourism Accommodation Management Services will be the body responsible for inspecting and approving the properties.

West Cork Calling members who offer self catering accommodation include Kilbrogan House Self Catering in Bandon, Inishbeg in Baltimore, Clona Holiday Homes in Clonakilty, The Quality Hotel in Clonakilty, Inchydoney Lodge and Spa and Bantry House and Gardens.

The base is Bantry, a market town that is home to two other West Cork Calling members namely, Bantry House and Bantry Bay Golf Club. The cycle tour will include Sheeps Head which is almost devoid of traffic, Mizen Head, one of Ireland’s most westerly points with Mount Gabriel and Schull, a busy yachting port in the summer. In land the tour will visit Lough Allua and the gaeltacht Irish epaking are of Ballingeary and nearby Gougane Barra with its monastic church and West Cork Calling member, The Gougane Barra Hotel.

Sustainable tourism seeks to reduce environmental impacts, particularly the use of non renewable resources and seeks to improve tourism contribution to sustainable development and environmental conservation.

Many of the West Cork Calling members have been concentrating on providing environmentally friendly facilities. Inchydoney Lodge and Spa near Clonakilty secures well over 40 percent of its energy from a renewable resource and won The Sustainable Energy award for a Renewable Energy Project for 2007. The hotel developed a combination system of solar panels, wood pellet boiler and heat recovery system which make a sizeable impact in reducing their annual fuel bill.

The town of Clonakilty formed a Carbon Countdown group in December 2006 in response to the realization that global warming is happening. The aim of the group is to bring about local practical and sustainable action to address the issues.

Bantry House, another West Cork Calling member, made garden allotment space available within the walled garden of the estate.

Transition Town Kinsale is a voluntary community initiative working to help make the transition from dependency on fossil fuel to a low carbon future.

The Renewable Energy Information Office for Sustainable Energy Ireland is based at Shinagh House in Bandon.

Bantry is a region of lush vegetation, palm trees and semi tropical flowers.  It is hemmed in by high mountain ridges.  The climate is very mild with the moist sea breezes providing a generous amount of rainfall.  The influence of the gulf stream has a pronounced effect on the vegetation in the surrounding area and encourages the growth of semi tropical plants that are not seen elsewhere in the country.

West Cork Calling member, Bantry Bay Golf Club has an 18 hole championship course with spectacular views over the water towards the Beara peninsula, Sheeps Head and the mizen peninsula.  The course is open all year.  The course architects were Eddie Hackett and Christy O’Connor jnr of Ryder Cup fame.  The course was founded in 1975 and more than 100 of the members reside abroad.

Bantry House is a stately home overlooking Bantry Bay.  It is owned by the Shelswell White family who open the house to the public.  The rooms open to the public include drawing rooms with tapestries from Versailles, the dining room and the library.  Bed and Breakfast accommodation is provided in the East and West Wings of the house and all the rooms have fabulous views over the gardens.  Self Catering accommodation is provided in the gate lodge and there is a tea room which serves light lunches, teas and coffees etc.

West Cork Leader encourages the achievement of economies of scale through effective use of cooperative marketing.

It provides assistance for the targeting of higher spending and/or longer stay visitors from identified source markets.

It looks at projects achieving a balance between the demands of the local community with the competing interest of external visitors and tourism operators.

Full details of all the projects supported to date and the amounts allocated can be found on West Cork Leaders website www.westcorkleader.ie/ruraltou.html. Projects supported under Rural Tourism include:-

A euro 50 fee applies for those participating in the programme.

The remit of Failte Ireland no longer includes promotion of tourism to Ireland as this now falls under the remit of Tourism Ireland.  Instead Failte Ireland’s focus is the development of tourism in Ireland hence the desire to part with the Ireland of the Welcomes magazine.

Author:  Catherine FitzMaurice, Kilbrogan House Bed and Breakfast and member of West Cork Calling