Carrigaline as a Base for South Cork

The case for Carrigaline

Carrigaline is not a destination town in the way Kinsale or Cobh are, and that is part of its appeal as a base. It is central, it is well served by buses, it has a four-star hotel and a guesthouse, and it has the single biggest practical advantage of any town its size in the area: Cork Airport is barely ten kilometres away, around twelve to fifteen minutes by road. If you are flying into Cork, a first or last night in Carrigaline saves you a fight through the city, and from here the whole of south Cork is within easy reach.

Cork city

The city is about fifteen kilometres north, twenty to thirty minutes by car depending on the Douglas and Rochestown traffic, or around twenty-five to thirty minutes on the frequent 220 bus straight into the city centre. That puts the English Market, the Glucksman, the pubs of the city and the wider Cork experience within an easy evening's reach without needing to stay there.

Kinsale

Kinsale, the gourmet harbour town to the south-west, is around twenty kilometres away, roughly twenty-five minutes by car. It is the obvious half-day or full-day trip: the narrow streets and painted shopfronts, the harbour, Charles Fort, and a serious concentration of good restaurants. Carry on a few kilometres further to the Old Head of Kinsale, around thirty kilometres from Carrigaline, for the dramatic headland and the Lusitania story; the famous golf links occupies the very tip.

Cobh and Cork Harbour

Cobh, the steep, colourful harbour town that was the Titanic's last port of call, is about half an hour from Carrigaline by road, with the Spike Island ferry leaving from its pier. Crosshaven, Camden Fort Meagher and the harbour beaches are even closer, just minutes away. The harbour, in other words, is your backyard.

West Cork

For a bigger day, west Cork opens up to the south-west. Clonakilty, the lively market town with its black pudding and its music, is around sixty kilometres, roughly an hour by car, and makes a good gateway to the beaches and headlands of the west Cork coast beyond. It is a longer run, but a rewarding one, and Carrigaline's position on the southern side of the city means you skip the worst of the cross-city traffic heading that way.

The beaches

Closer to home, the south Cork beaches are a few minutes from the door. Fountainstown, the Blue Flag family beach, is around fifteen minutes; Roberts Cove, smaller and more sheltered, a little further; and Myrtleville and Rocky Bay are in the same handy cluster near Crosshaven. For a touring base with the sea, the airport and a good night out all within half an hour, Carrigaline is hard to beat.