West Cork, September 2025

2025-09-17 Travels in Ireland

Not sure why, but this year we’ve found ourselves heading out to the western reaches of County Cork more often than in all five previous years of living in Ireland. Maybe it’s the weather: more often than not, the forecast for the southwest coast promised low cloud and light rain, which, by local standards, is practically a blessing.

This trip was no exception—my usual trio of weather apps all agreed on scattered clouds, the odd drizzle, and a strong wind that stopped short of being a storm. Expecting anything more pleasant in autumn is a fool’s game, so we booked an attic over someone’s garage on AirBnB, packed our bits, and pointed the car towards Schull.

Three Castles Head

The main let-down at Three Castles Head is that, despite the name, there’s only the one castle. That said, the castle itself – Dunlough – is built with three towers, so really it’s more the “Head of Three Towers” than anything else. From a defensive point of view, it’s brilliantly placed: its single wall stretches between sheer cliffs rising out of the Atlantic on one side, and a boggy lake on the other. There’s no record in history of Dunlough ever being attacked, let alone taken.

A day stroll in Farmleigh Park

We’re at the tail end of summer (according to Irish folk calendar it’s technically autumn already), so winds coming from the Atlantic are brining sputtering of rain every now and again. Still, I try to catch an occasional spot of sunshine and do a quick stroll around Farmleigh park a few minutes away from home.

Newcastle

Newcastle’s got that sweet spot kind of location—mountains on one side, the sea on another, and tucked into the third corner, a cozy little nature reserve with sandy dunes covered in ferns and heather. It’s like nature couldn’t decide what to show off, so it gave us a bit of everything.

The walk from town to the reserve is just about 1.5 to 2 kilometers along the beach. Just enough to stretch your legs, soak up the salty air, and build up an appetite before diving into one of the many cafés lining the main street. You can sit down for a bite, or grab some fish and chips or a classic “99” ice cream to go, then head back to the beach and watch the sun dip behind the mountains.