Take Me Home, Country Roads, West Of Bantry".

I went for about an eleven mile walk along the roads yesterday?  It was supposed to be ten miles but I ended up walking up an unknown track.  I did see some nice houses though.  Eh?

I live on the Sheeps Head Peninsula.  This is in County Cork, Ireland.  Its a good place to visit and be in the countryside next to the sea.  Bantry Bay to be precise.  I live on the North side.  Hence the title for my blog.  

You can walk the Sheeps Head Way which is sign posted or you can be like me and walk the roads and boreens in Winter.  Here's some photos I took on my saunter at the weekend.

 The Camelia bush in flower at a former Anglican church.  The church is built on a former ancient church site which was ransacked by the Danes in the ninth Century.  The present day church was built in 1866 following a design by William Atkins.  He also designed Cork Lunatic Asylum!   There were a lot of Cornish miners in the area at the time and it was an overflow church for Durrus church or St James.  My great great grandfather was a miner.  They worked the lead and silver mines.  

 The church closed its doors for the very last  time in the nineteen eighties.  It's been sold a few times since and was an artists studio at one point.  This was the church that my father's parents and their parents went to every week.  I can remember going to the services when we came on holiday.  

 Hungry Hill over on Beara.  Famous for the Puxleys and the novel and film Hungry Hill.  Its also said to be an extinct volcano,  the biggest one in Europe.

 One of the oak Sheeps Head Way finger posts.

 A deserted section of the main road.  Well its deserted while I took the photo.  I like how somebody mowed the verge and cut back the brambles on the stone hedge.  Wish all the roadside verges could be like the one above.  The Irish government could create lots of permanent rural jobs maintaining the road verges.  I met an elderly man picking up litter near here.  Aren't there some wonderful people?

Dunoir carpark.  I turned round at this point and walked the five miles back home.  

A new information board.  It would be a good place for a drinks and grub van ("Daves Dogs"), toilets and even litter bins!  May be a bench  or three?

Beware of livestock.  That's a good one.  I once walked five miles over hill and dale and met a GIANT bull and his wives grazing!  There was no way I was walking (or running) past him.  Oh no!  I had to turn round and walk the five miles back and I kept looking behind me in the process.

Any way.  There are three peninsulas where we live: Mizen, Sheepshead and Beara.  You can visit them any time of the year.  Especially if you walk the roads in Winter!  

I am toying with doing air B and B (or moving to Portugal?) and we have just renovated a two bedroom farmhouse.  Or you could pitch your tent in one of the fields?   I don't really want to rent the farmhouse out full time.  

I could also take you on one of my walks along the Sheeps Head Way or along the Northsider Dave roads and boreens way?  We could go for a pint and I could tell you some of my jokes?  Or sing the Manchester United Country Roads version?  Or just leave you in peace even?