Gougane Barra

Gougane Barra is a steep-sided valley in west Cork holding a dark lake at the source of the River Lee, with a small stone oratory on an island reached by a short causeway. A monastic settlement stood here from the sixth century; the chapel you see is early twentieth century and is a popular place for weddings. Around the lake lies a forest park laid out in the 1960s, the first of its kind in Ireland, with a one-way loop road through conifer and broadleaf planting and several waymarked walks climbing the valley sides. Sika deer live in the woods. The enclosed feel of the place is the point of it.

History

The name comes from Saint Finnbarr, who is said to have built a monastery on the island in the lake in the 6th century, and the ruins of a hermitage date from around 1700, when a priest, Denis O'Mahony, lived here. Reforestation began in 1938, and the forest park now covers 142 hectares (Wikipedia, Gougane Barra).

Highlights

• The island oratory - a small stone chapel on its causeway in the lake.
• The lake - dark water at the head of the valley, fed by hillside streams.
• The forest drive - a one-way loop road through the plantation.
• The hill walks - waymarked climbs to viewpoints over the valley.

When to go

Autumn colour in the broadleaf sections is the best reason to time a visit, and spring mornings before the coaches arrive run a close second. The valley holds mist, which suits it. Midges are bad on still summer evenings near the water. The forest park charges for cars and its gates close in the evening, so check the hour.

Before you go

The area is small and an hour or two covers the lake, the chapel and one walk. The oratory is tiny and often shut for a private ceremony, and photographs of it outnumber what is actually there. Paths are wet and rooty, the drive in is narrow, and summer weekends fill the parking. Rain in this valley is frequent and heavy.

Nearby

Ballingeary is a short drive east; the Sheep's Head and Beara roads run southwest.