Favourite Beach in Cork?

The Peanut

I see that Inchydoney has been voted the best beach in Ireland by the good people on TripAdvisor. Whilst it is a lovely beach. the award is probably hugely due to the fact that it is heavily touristed having a hotel right on it. It isn't even my favourite beach in Cork

Personally, my favourite of the larger beaches is Barleycove. The setting down there is just stunning and the whole area, including Crookhaven, is very special.

What's your favourite beach?

Balmed Out

Its a toughy but of the big beaches its gotta be either inchadoney or barleycove. The thing is Inchadoney is very accessible so id use it a lot while barleycove is a massive effort to get to so the odd time I go is more memorable. Inchadoney is better for long walks, barleycoves river thing is nice and warm for going for a dip. Swings and roundabouts really, were lucky to have both.

podgemonster

There's a hidden beach down where I grew up. Very little people know about it bar the locals. Its at the end of a small boreen with no parking and its a bit of a dodgy steep downhill walk to get to but its a tiny little sandy cove that doesn't exist in high tide. Despite the high cliffs it is sun facing for most of the day and even has a little cave.

That's my favourite beach and I ain't tellin' ye where it is. :cool:

The Peanut

podgemonster wrote: »

There's a hidden beach down where I grew up. Very little people know about it bar the locals. Its at the end of a small boreen with no parking and its a bit of a dodgy steep downhill walk to get to but its a tiny little sandy cove that doesn't exist in high tide. Despite the high cliffs it is sun facing for most of the day and even has a little cave.

That's my favourite beach and I ain't tellin' ye where it is. :cool:

Would that be the small little spot not too far from Castletownsend? I know it as Sandy Cove but that's probably wrong. Kids love it; house or bnb quite close.

podgemonster

The Peanut wrote: »

Would that be the small little spot not too far from Castletownsend? I know it as Sandy Cove but that's probably wrong. Kids love it; house or bnb quite close.

No but that's a lovely beach.

The Peanut

podgemonster wrote: »

No but that's a lovely beach.

Some detective work for me this summer so.;)

I know I've been on a beach somewhere along that stretch of coastline that fits your description just can't quite recall where; keep it your secret. I can remember a lovely quiet, little suntrap of a spot.

Of course, the Cork coastline is very long; I could be miles off and I shouldn't be encouraging people to go looking for it.....

yellowlabrador

What's the story at Simons cove? We used to go there regularly till about 15 years ago. We went back last week and the old cottage at the top was rebuilt, there's a very narrow eroded path along the garden wall that's very dangerous now. Is there other access to the beach apart from through the garden? The house advertises as a holiday let with private beach?
Other wise Sheeps cove is lovely. I love going in the spring to watch the seagulls nest and there always used to be a pair of choughs nesting too.

The Peanut

yellowlabrador wrote: »

What's the story at Simons cove? We used to go there regularly till about 15 years ago. We went back last week and the old cottage at the top was rebuilt, there's a very narrow eroded path along the garden wall that's very dangerous now. Is there other access to the beach apart from through the garden? The house advertises as a holiday let with private beach?
Other wise Sheeps cove is lovely. I love going in the spring to watch the seagulls nest and there always used to be a pair of choughs nesting too.

Sheep's Cove is a lovely spot. Is Simon's Cove near Ballinglanna? Down a long narrow boreen? Only there once so not familiar with it. There are so many wonderful little coves off the beaten track; surprised some haven't been snapped up by naturists.

Or have they....

yellowlabrador

The Peanut wrote: »

Sheep's Cove is a lovely spot. Is Simon's Cove near Ballinglanna? Down a long narrow boreen? Only there once so not familiar with it. There are so many wonderful little coves off the beaten track; surprised some haven't been snapped up by naturists.

Or have they....

that's the one.
I'm too old to let it all hang out, but there were a few.
there's a square pool there, like a natural swimming pool that was great. you could dive, jump in and the shallow end was ideal for children, it felt safe. and easy to keep an eye on little ones.

chipsdave

Nothing beats Owenahincha , Summer or Winter.

The Peanut

Owenahincha could be the next big famous Cork beach, as in famous outside of the county; this could be a good thing and a bad thing. It is a beautiful beach and always seems to have very impressive waves. I can remember visiting there, probably early 80's, and it was so busy but it has really disappeared off the radar in the last 20 years. Busy in summer but nowhere close to the way it was; nicer in a lot of ways.

I think I read that there are fairly major plans to do a large overhaul of the caravan park. If any sort of hotel was re-instated there, it would transform the place, although maybe not in a good way. Hard to remember what Inchydoney was like before the hotel opened there and yet it was only the late 90's.

kingchess

the Warren is safer than Owenahinca for kids imo and is a lovely beach,Sandy Cove is very nice( and so is Tralispean if anyone knows it)

The Peanut

Owenahincha is wild; gets great surf. I think that's one of the things which makes it very appealing to walk on. Probably risky for smaller kids maybe. Never mad about the Warren; also seems to be busy for quite a small beach. The area around it nice for a ramble though; back up into Roscarbery for a pint of Guinness.:D

Tralispean is a lovely beach; far enough west and unknown to keep the crowds away.

podgemonster

The Warren has a challenging and affordable little pitch and putt course next to it and a cliff walk although I've never ventured up that.

There's two lovely beaches on Heir Island if you have the transport.

karenalot

Does anyone know where the nearest beach to Cobh is please? Or the nearest decent one?

The Peanut

podgemonster wrote: »

The Warren has a challenging and affordable little pitch and putt course next to it and a cliff walk although I've never ventured up that.

There's two lovely beaches on Heir Island if you have the transport.

I've heard really great things about the restaurant on Heir Island; never seemed to get around to going there. Great novelty in getting a ferry over for a meal!

I've played that pitch and putt course and challenging it certainly is; not helped by the fact I'm crap.

.red.

karenalot wrote: »

Does anyone know where the nearest beach to Cobh is please? Or the nearest decent one?

There are loads, all about the same time/distance from each other give or take a few mins or miles.
If you dont know the beaches im guessing you dont know gour way around east cork too well? If thats the case then Garryvoe might be the easiest and most convenient.
Come from cobh, head for waterford and go thru the roundabout at middleton. When you come into Castlemartyr take the right at the traffic lights. Just follow that road and you end up in Garryvoe. Not the nicest beach in the world at high water but its fine an hour after.
Either side of garryvoe beach you have Ballycrenane, Ballinwilling and Ardnahinch. All lovely beaches unless you rock up at high water.

JonathonS

I have great memories of Inchydoney in the late 80's when the Murphy's had the old hotel there. We spent a week with them several years in a row when our children were small, and many friends with kids took our advice and went there too. Having a lifeguard was a big plus. Very handy for a trip to Ballinspittle too.

-Toppy-

karenalot wrote: »

Does anyone know where the nearest beach to Cobh is please? Or the nearest decent one?

Garryvoe would be the first that springs to mind?

karenalot

.red. wrote: »

If you dont know the beaches im guessing you dont know gour way around east cork too well?
Either side of garryvoe beach you have Ballycrenane, Ballinwilling and Ardnahinch. All lovely beaches unless you rock up at high water.

Thanks. you are right I don't know East Cork too well but will be spending a lot of time there this summer. I want to bring the dogs out to as many beaches as I can, looking forward to seeing what the Cork coastline has to offer.

mordeith

karenalot wrote: »

Thanks. you are right I don't know East Cork too well but will be spending a lot of time there this summer. I want to bring the dogs out to as many beaches as I can, looking forward to seeing what the Cork coastline has to offer.

Pilmore is great for dogs when tide is out. Water very shallow for a long way out and acres of flat beach

NOS3

Near me there is a small rocky beach in a small cove. It is off the track but there is so many rock pools with loads of different living things in them. You can sit up on the cliffs and look down at the sand and all the rock pools.