Clonakilty is a busy market town located near to
several popular seaside resorts such as Inchadoney and Owenahincha.
See fine 19th century mill buildings have been nicely
adapted for modern use, and now house the town library and County Council
offices. Nearby, a small disused Presbyterian Church has been put to
service as the post office!
Local
planning authorities have encouraged the use of traditional hand painted
signs with a special emphasis on the Irish language on business premises
in the town. also the fine status of a pikeman. For a town of its size,
the Roman Catholic Church is impressive, with fine glass and mosaics.
A model village has been developed and includes a
reproduction of the West Cork Railway and
industrial development in the area during the period of World War II.
Michael
Collins, one of the great heroes of the 1916-1922 period, was born at
Woodfield, near here. He was General of the Free State Army, and his
dynamic and powerful personality made him a legend in his own lifetime.
The small West Cork Museum in Clonakility has many mementos of the hero.
The memorial to him at Sam's Cross was unveiled by General Tom Barry,
himself a prominent figure in the Republican Movement.
From Clonakilty westward the coast becomes bolder and more
rugged, the sea carving deep inlets and bays as it rolls in from the
Atlantic.
