Sheep's Head Retreat

Sheep's Head Retreat is a charming self-catering, rental cottage on the beautiful, wild, unspoilt Sheep’s Head Peninsula, in West Cork, Ireland. It has a colourful, attractively furnished sunny open plan room with Moroccan rugs and Indian kelim cushions, a new, easy-to-use and very comfortable double sofa bed and a single sofa bed, TV and radio/CD casette player. The cottage is fully equipped and has a new Farho central heating radiator, economical to run, which can be set to your own requirements and keeps the place warm even in winter. NO SMOKING.

An old converted farmbuilding overlooking Dunmanus Bay and the Mizen Head Peninsula, the retreat has a sense of remoteness, hidden from the road - a few steps away - but on the grounds of the owner's house and just under two miles from the village of Kilcrohane, with its church, pubs and post office/shop, wine bar, restaurant and light lunches (paninis, prawns, salads etc) served outside in the summer. The retreat is situated on the Sheep’s Head Way, an award winning network of walks all over the peninsula and one of the most specatacular coastal paths, it has been featured on TV and was the winner of the EDEN award in 2009.

Sheep’s Head Retreat, as part of the townland of Caher, is in the ‘Special Protection Area for Birds in Ireland’ - in this case for the Chough. The garden is left in its natural state in order to encourage wildlife: Foxes, otters and badgers are often seen in the area, as well as whales, dolphins and seals in Dunmanus Bay.

Enjoy nature, the constantly changing light, inspirational especially during the winter months, experience the seasons, discover the tiny coves, swim from the piers, fish for mackerel, enjoy the magic of this very special place including its history and ancient monuments.

The cottage has BROADBAND provided.

CASH

Cash can be obtained at the Post Office in Kilcrohane by those who have cards issued by an Irish bank account. The nearest ATM MACHINE is in Bantry.

PETROL

Petrol pump outside the Post Office, Kilcrohane. (unleaded and diesel)

or at

Barry's of Bantry, Cork Road, Bantry (Tel: 027 50023/50589)
At the end of the Sheep's Head Peninsular turn left, Barry's garage on the right. (unleaded and diesel)
Open: 9.00 am - 7.00 pm Monday/Saturday
Garage: 9.00 am - 6.00 pm Monday/Friday. Closed 1.00 pm - 2.00 pm for lunch

Caher, Kilcrohane, Bantry

Dwellings are situated in a townland, therefore do not have individual names, these are usually small and sparcely populated. Originally properties were named after their owners.

Caher (Cathair) means a circular stone fort but in the South West it may mean a homestead with basic fortification or “monastic enclosure”, which is possible as it has two burial grounds and it would have been preferable to have a graveyard on consecrated ground. Caher is situated on the Sheep’s Head (Muintir Bhaire - the people of Bhaire) which has a strong community spirit and is known as the caring peninsular.

There is a child’s burial ground, The Cíll on the Sheep’s Head path to the cove at Tra Ruiam, one of the walks from the Sheep’s Head Retreat. The burial ground may have been for babies who died before they were baptised or children who died of the famine and were not able to be buried in the village for fear of contamination.

There is a Fulacht Fiadh - a circa 2000 BC Bronze Age cooking place on the side of the Sheep’s Head Road opposite the bohereen to the Sheep’s Head Retreat. A Fulacht Fiadh was always situated next to a stream to provide water for boiling the meat - usually deer. A stone or wood-lined trough was made and filled with clean water. Stones were heated on a fire beside the trough, then were pushed into the trough until the water began to boil. A joint of meat wrapped in straw or rushes was placed in the boiling water, more hot stones being added until the meat was cooked.