Feature Allihies
Sandy Cove of County Cork WITH A COLOURFUL
HAMLET PERCHED ON A HILL OVERLOOKING THE BALLYDONEGAN BAY, ALLIHIES IS A REMOTE VILLAGE IN WEST CORK.
WITH CHARM AND
CHARACTER, ALLIHIES IS HOME TO A SMALL LOCAL COMMUNITY, THOUGH HOLIDAY
HOMES THRIVE IN THE
SUMMER WITH A SANDY BEACH OF GOLD AND WATER, A STUNNING CARIBBEAN BLUE.
72 Irish Quilting | Volume 2 Issue 6
Photography for our Reconstruction quilt on page XX took us to this remote part of Ireland.
Once the base for the thriving copper mines in the area, its peak of production in the last century, Allihies has a gritty substance that adds a dark, intense backdrop for the brightly painted houses and four pubs on the hill, lined up one by one as if dressed and ready for a céilí.
Summertime brings sun seekers who regularly trek down the winding ½ mile road to relax on the unique beach cove. A byproduct of the years-ago mining, its sand is the crushed quartz resulting from the ore extraction process, washed down and deposited on the shore. All other times of the year, this section of the Beara peninsula is an otherwise a chilly first port of call for the north easterly-bound gulfstream.
Clann Lir
Near this village of Allihies is reputed, by folklore, where the four Children of Lír came ashore after spending 300 years adrift on the Atlantic. According to legend, they had been turned into swans and banished by their evil stepmother. Stepping onto ‘terra firma’, they became human once again, but aged immediately. Tey died soon after, but not before being converted to the new religion of Christianity, which had arrived in Ireland since their enchantment with St. Patrick. Te peninsula of Beara is an ancient, magical region where many believe the power of the past is ever-present and the present is always in bloom.
Nearby Castletownbere is Allihies’ nearest neighbourhood town.
Just 11 miles away,
it is the biggest white-fishing port in Ireland. Allihies is also well located for day trips to tour other places of interest like Kenmare, Killarney, Glengarriff, and Bantry.
From April to October, the Allihies Copper Mine Museum welcomes visitors. Find more information at
www.acmm.ie.
Visit Allihies online at
www.visitallihies.com. Ireland’s Cable Car
Inaugurated in 1969, Ireland’s only cable car is license to carry the weight of three adults and a cow. Locals regularly take to “crossing in a cupboard” to the Dursey Island. For tourists, the four-mile Dursey Island provides a great extension to the well-marked Beara Way walking trail and is located near to Allihies.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100