West Cork Islands

Go on, get out there!

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Summer on the Islands Festival 2019!

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Experience the best of West Cork’s island life at the summer-long Summer on the Islands Festival 2019!

Spend the summer making vivid memories as you visit eight West Cork islands, meet seven island communities, and immerse yourself in the experience of the Wild Atlantic Way. The Summer on the Islands Festival is a wonderful way to savour the best of island life!


Here are just a few of the Summer on the Islands Festival events to tempt you across the water.
Go on … Get out there!

JUNE

ISA Sailing Courses for Young People  HEIR
Dursey Island Festival (June 15th-16th) DURSEY
Samradh Le Cheile – Community Art Exhibition (June 13th-24th) SHERKIN
Bere Island Heritage Bus Tour  BERE
West Cork Islands Soccer Tournament (June 22nd) BERE

 

JULY

Sherkin Island Regatta (July 1st) SHERKIN
Yoga and Kayaking Weekend with Lisa Fahy (July 13th-15th) HEIR
Sherkin Island Vocal Workshop [Experienced](July 15th-22nd) SHERKIN
Sherkin Island Vocal Workshop [Beginners] (July 22nd-27th) SHERKIN
Imogen Hermes – Readings on Whiddy Island [West Cork Literary Festival] (15th July) WHIDDY
Travel Writing Workshop on Whiddy Island [West Cork Literary Festival] (17th-19th July) WHIDDY
Pop-up Choir (July 22nd) HEIR
Bere Island Midsummer Run (July 14th) BERE
Yoga and Mindfulness Retreat with Claire Osborne (July 14th-16th) HEIR
ISA Sailing Courses for Young People  HEIR
Heritage Bus Tour   (July 20th) BERE
Sherkin Island Vocal Workshop [Novices] (July 23-28th) SHERKIN
ISA Cara na Mara for 7 to 10 year olds [Sailing] HEIR
A Celebration of Renowned Artist Percy Hall (July 28th-29th) HEIR

AUGUST

Heir Island Regatta & Heir Island 5k Run (August 1st) HEIR
Rithigí Linn – Cape Clear 5k Run (August 3rd) CAPE CLEAR
Cape Clear Fun Week (August 3rd-10th) CAPE CLEAR
West Cork Fit-up Theatre Festival Performance HEIR
Bere Island Festival BERE
Mass on Heir Island HEIR
Heritage Week on the Islands (August 17th-25th) Events to be announced: BERE, WHIDDY, SHERKIN
Bantry Bay Adventure Race (August 31st) WHIDDY

SEPTEMBER

Cape Clear Storytelling Festival (August 30th-September 1st) CAPE CLEAR

Find the full Summer on the Islands Festival programme on https://westcorkislands.com/calendar

Heritage on the Islands

Away from the mainland, but connected to the currents of world history, our islands have fascinating stories to tell. Visit the heritage centres on Bere Island and Cape Clear to find out about shipwrecks and military history.
Or join the walking trails on Bere, Sherkin and Whiddy Islands to explore their amazing unspoilt landscapes.

Bere Island’s Heritage Event series and bus tours give fascinating insights throughout the summer.
For details, see https://westcorkislands.com/calendar

Culture & Creativity

The West Cork Fit-Up Theatre Festival is bringing an exciting programme of plays to Sherkin, Bere, Heir, and Whiddy islands this summer. They make magical locations for these popular events! Sherkin – the island of the arts – also has a busy programme of art and photography exhibitions planned. Performance, exhibition, and tour details will be added here as they become available.

Runs & Regattas

Summer sees the islands celebrate sailing skills in a series of colourful and entertaining regattas, runs and adventure races. Check out Active Islands for more details!

SEPTEMBER

Tall Tales

The Cape Clear Storytelling Festival (August 30th to 1st September) is a captivating event for storytellers and story-lovers alike! Over more than 20 years, it has become a must-visit event for anyone with a passion for the spoken word.

Food for Thought

September is also the perfect time for foodies to pay visits to our islands. We hold a series of ‘Taste of West Cork’ events to give you a real flavour of island life: from smoked mussel tastings to farm visits and beach barbecues, there’s something to suit every palate!

Heir Island yoga retreats and Bere Island’s Music and Silence Festival offer time for quiet contemplation and the appreciation of the peace our islands offer.

West Cork’s islands are the jewels of the West Cork coastline. Set in the pristine Atlantic waters that shape Ireland’s south-west peninsulas, their unspoilt landscapes are home to thriving communities with great stories to tell. West Cork’s islanders are waiting to welcome you into a series of events throughout the summer that will celebrate island heritage, and give you the chance to enjoy fabulous local produce, music, and creativity.

There’s something for everyone in our packed Summer on the Islands programme, from island runs and regattas to festivals that celebrate story-telling and Celtic traditions … Throughout the summer, we have a varied and intriguing programme of events on offer. Check out the full programme online at https://westcorkislands.com/calendar

Keep up to date with what’s on

Follow us on Facebook (West Cork Islands) and on Twitter at @westcorkisland. And sign up to our West Cork islands newsletter to stay in the loop about island news and events all year round!

Tel. 086 303 0991 with enquiries, or email us via our contact form!

Heading West at Cork Airport

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See an exhibition by Jo Ashby at Cork Airport this June!

The ebb and flow of arrivals and departures at Cork Airport will echo the beautiful sea and landscapes of Sherkin Island artist, Jo Ashby. Her solo exhibition, ‘Heading West’ opens at the airport on Saturday 1st June and runs until 28th June.

Jo Ashby’s work is rooted in observation and drawing, capturing the patterns and rhythms of nature; in particular, the changing sea and landscapes of Sherkin island in Roaring Water Bay, WestCork.

She works in series, investigating and exploring a particular aspect of the landscape or sea, such as patterns on the water surface, how the wind and weather impact on sea, trees and landscape, or the effect of light playing on water.

Jo first came to Sherkin Island over twenty five years ago, where she has a home and studio. She has consistently drawn her inspiration from the coast, having spent  time in her early years with her artist parents in Cornwall and Devon. Coming to Sherkin and West Cork has enabled her to develop further her visual relationship with land and sea.

“My work is all about my responses to being in a particular place and getting to know it in all its guises from repeated small sketches and allowing my memory to crystallize my thoughts,” she said.

“I’m interested in the patterns of nature, when land and sea meet sky and the complexities of sharp focus and detail with softened wider horizons and blurred edges. It makes you realise how insignificant we humans are. I am a small speck finding ways to record transient moments of vastness.”

Jo has exhibited widely in the UK and Ireland. She has won numerous awards and prizes and is an elected Member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. She was invited to have a solo exhibition at Cork Airport after successfully curating the Taste of West Cork Festival ‘West Cork Creates’ showcase exhibition at Cork Airport in 2017.

Jo will also curate the 2019 exhibition when it returns to Cork Airport in August to show work by creatives from across West Cork and to signpost visitors to the main annual West Cork Creates exhibition in Skibbereen.

“There is a palpable creative energy in West Cork. Sherkin Island, in particular, has a thriving community of artists and crafts people inspired by the breath-taking scenery and sense of space and peace there,” Jo said.

The Sherkin Island community is currently preparing for its annual ‘Samhraidh le Cheile’ art exhibition as part of West Cork Islands Festival from 13th – 24th June when Jo and other island artists will open their studios to visitors.

Sea painting by Jo Ashby

Find the Best Creative Things to Do on the West Cork Islands this Summer!

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The West Cork islands inspire great creativity. And there’s a packed programme of creative events for you to dip in to this summer!

Check out our list of some of the most exciting creative things to do on our West Cork islands in the months ahead.

1) Learn to Sing with an Expert Vocal Coach

Workshops run from 14 – 26 July (Sherkin Island)
Find your voice in a wonderful week of vocal workshops with expert vocal coach, Brian O’Donnell. There are weeks set aside for beginners as well as more experienced singers. Brian is a professional singer, voice teacher and Music Director who currently serves on the faculty of SUNY Brockport in New York. An advanced workshop takes place on Sherkin the following week!
Find out more.

2) Travel Writing on Whiddy Island – West Cork Literary Festival

adam weymouth

15 -19 July (Whiddy Island)

Immerse yourself in a five-day travel writing workshop on Whiddy Island and nurture your writing skills in a stunning West Cork setting

Adam Weymouth will be leading the travel writing workshop as part of the West Cork Literary Festival 2019. Adam’s work has been published by a wide variety of outlets including the Guardian, the Atlantic and the New Internationalist. In 2010 he walked from England to Istanbul as an exploration of pilgrimage.

Find out more

3) West Cork Fit-Up Theatre Festival

July – August (Bere, Heir, Sherkin and Whiddy islands)
One of the highlights of a West Cork summer is the opportunity to see great actors putting on wonderful performances against the backdrop of a West Cork island. We’ll post details of theatre performances on Bere, Heir, Sherkin and Whiddy islands on our events calendar just as soon as the programme becomes available!

4) Ceolchoirm Rúnda – A Secret Concert!

Whiddy Island

25 August (Whiddy Island)
Enjoy a secret concert on Whiddy Island as part of the Masters of Tradition Festival – a celebration of the very finest traditional Irish music. If you want to find out who’s performing, you’ll just have to come along! Booking essential.

Find out more

5) Cape Clear Story-Telling Festival

30 August – 1 September (Cape Clear)

Cape Clear Storytelling Festival
The Cape Clear Story-Telling Festival celebrates one of the world’s oldest art forms. It brings story-tellers and listeners together for amazing experiences in the unique setting of Ireland’s southernmost inhabited island.
Find out more
 

 6) Visit an Island Art Gallery

A visit to the Island Art Gallery on Heir Island – open all summer – or visits to the art studios on Sherkin Island are lovely things to do.

You’re sure to be inspired by our creative communities when you visit our West Cork islands. Join one of the wonderful creative events on the West Cork islands and be part of our glorious and inspiring summer!


Keep up to date with what’s on by following us on Facebook and Twitter!

Summer on the Islands Festival West Cork

The West Cork Islands Run Series 2019

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Put on your running shoes and take in spectacular coastal views by joining the ongoing series of West Cork Island summertime runs!

Whether you’re committed to running and looking to beat your personal best in stunning surroundings, or you’re looking for a fun and energetic day out with your running buddies in a unique location, we’ve got a run for you. Each island’s course has its own challenges and amazing views to spur you on.

There are distances to suit everyone, with a mixture of courses and distances for all types of runners.

Be part of some great runs on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way!

Choose one race to work towards, or be an island-running hero and tackle them all!

And there’ll be plenty of craic after each race with music & BBQs too!

Bere Island’s weekly parkrun

If you can’t make it for one of the summer run series events, why not join Bere Island’s regular parkrunners for an experience of island running? You’ll take in spectacular views across the island, Bantry Bay and the Sheep’s Head and Beara peninsulas as you run.

Bantry Bay Adventure Race 2019

The summer’s greatest island challenge will take place on August 31st with the third annual Bantry Bay Adventure Race drawing competitors from far and near to tackle running on Whiddy Island, kayaking on the Bantry Bay Blueway, and cycling on the Sheep’s Head peninsula which flanks Whiddy and Bere islands.

With limited spaces, an amazing course, and wonderful views, it’s going to an event to remember for competitors and spectators alike!

Remember, there are regattas on throughout the summer too, so if sailing’s your thing, check out our events calendar for details.

Bantry Bay Adventure Race

Active Islands West Cork

Get a Taste of West Cork on the Islands

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A Taste of West Cork Food Festival is coming to the islands this September to give visitors a real flavour of West Cork island life

West Cork’s inhabited islands have some great flavours to offer as well as amazing stories to tell, so sign up for events throughout the award-winning foodie festival which runs from 7th to 16th September 2018.

Make sure you book in for what are set to be sell out events!

1. Sherkin Island Barbecue with Derry Clarke

Saturday 8th September: 1pm-5pm
Award-winning chef Derry Clarke will once again be behind the coals cooking up a feast at this annual fundraiser barbecue in aid of RNLI Baltimore’s lifeboat station. Find out more

2. Tarte Tatin Demonstration and Tasting with John Desmond

Sunday 9th September:2pm & 2:30pm (Heir Island)
Enjoy a demonstration and tasting on Heir Island with John Desmond of Heir’s famous Island cottage restaurant. John will share his secrets for making tart tatin in two free demonstrations. Find out more

3. Long Island Discovery

Monday September 10th: 10am-2pm
Reconnect with nature on an island where nature rules, and enjoy a gorgeous home-made lunch after your guided tour!
<Find out more

4. Bere Island and the Great Famine

Wednesday September 12th: 12-2pm
Bere Island – strategically situated as a buffer to the mainland – has an fascinating history that can be told through its stories of food and famine. Learn more on this fascinating guided tour. Find out more

5. Tea and Tales on Dursey Island

Thursday September 13th: 2:30pm-5:30pm
Journey across Dursey Sound to get a taste of life on this storied island which is accessed by Ireland’s only cable car! Find out more

6. The Palette and the Plate: A Guided Sherkin Island Art Tour

Friday September 14th [SOLD OUT]
Explore the links between the palette and the plate as Sherkin Island’s artists invite you into their galleries on a tour as part of A Taste of West Cork Festival 2018.
Find out more

7. Cape Clear Caper

Saturday September 15th from 10:30am – 4:30pm
Explore Cape Clear Island with a local historian and biologist, visiting a local farm and the heritage centre which celebrates the Fastnet Lighthouse before enjoying a delicious meal that ends with seaweed-flavoured ice-cream.
Find out more

8. Wild Weed Feed on Heir Island

Saturday September 15th: 12pm-3:30pm
Learn about the many edible varieties of seaweed found all around Roaringwater Bay with Heir Island resident and seaweed expert Christine Thery. Find out more

9. Explore Whiddy Island: Guided Walk & Lunch

Saturday September 15th: 11am ferry, 4pm or 6pm return.
Join Whiddy Island’s Tim O’Leary for a guided walking tour and a seafood lunch on Whiddy Island – it’s a great opportunity to learn about island traditions and Whiddy’s intriguing military past. Find out more

10. Bere Island and the Great Famine

[REPEAT EVENT] Saturday September 15th: 12-2pm
Bere Island – strategically situated as a buffer to the mainland – has an fascinating history that can be told through its stories of food and famine. Learn more on this fascinating guided tour. Find out more

11. Inspired by the Island: Alicia ní Ghráinne at the Jolly Roger

Saturday 15th September: 7pm-11pm
The Jolly Roger on Sherkin Island, in association with the West Cork Supper Club, hosts an evening inspired by the island’s seascape and landscape. Using local, seasonable and sustainable produce, guest chef Alicia ní Ghráinne with Geraldine Swift, will produce a series of courses featuring, seafood, foraged island ingredients, seaweed and local vegetables.
Find out more

12. Good Things Cafe goes to Heir Island

Sunday September 16th from 12:00pm onwards
Carmel Somers, proprietress of Good Things Cafe, grew up spending lots of time on Heir Island with her family. Join her as she brings her famous food to a place dear to her family’s heart.
Find out More.

And, to stay healthy with all this great food around, why not head a Bere Island parkrun one Saturday morning during your visit?

A Taste of West Cork Festival is the perfect excuse to visit the West Cork islands. For full details of Festival’s island events, see https://westcorkislands.com/calendar.

For the full festival programme which includes events across the region, see http://atasteofwestcork.com

To keep up to date with events on the West Cork islands, subscribe to our West Cork Islands newsletter!

Get Set for an Active Summer on the West Cork Islands

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Get set for an active summer on the West Cork islands when you sign up to take part in one of the great events we have planned on land and sea!

The 7 inhabited islands on West Cork’s coastline are buzzing with activity as the islands get set for a summer packed with runs, regattas, and adventure races.

An island run series will take in 5k events on Cape Clear (4th August) and Heir Island (16th August), while the Bantry Bay Adventure Race on 25th August involves an island run as well as kayaking on Bantry Bay and cycling too. Bere Island’s Midsummer Run (14th July) and Sherkin’s Do Run Run (11th August) are already firmly established as favourites with Cork runners, and the weekly Bere Island parkrun – named as one of the best parkruns in the world – regularly attracts visitors from across the world to run, jog or walk an island route.

‘The active islands events are a great way of bringing islanders and visitors together’, says Sherkin Island’s Aisling Moran. ‘Whether people are running, jogging, sailing, or hiking on the islands’ trails, they have the chance to mix with islanders as well as take in the spectacular views.’

‘The Wild Atlantic Way is really capturing people’s imaginations,’ adds John Moore of Heir Island Sailing School. ‘More and more people are looking to take on the challenge of exploring the islands in active ways, whether that involves learning to sail on Roaringwater Bay, practising yoga at a Heir island retreat, or taking in the sights at an island regatta.’

Island Regattas & Walks

Regattas on Sherkin Island (1st July) and Heir Island (16th August) are annual events popular with the sailing community, but islanders are also seeing a strong rise in the number of visitors coming to stay on the islands to make the most of their walking trails.

‘Each island has its own distinct character and terrain and people really enjoy discovering that for themselves’, says Whiddy Island’s Tim O’Leary, who provides guided walks on Whiddy Island every bank holiday weekend throughout the year. ‘When the Bantry Bay Adventure Race takes place or when people come out to visit for a family walk, people are absolutely in awe of the fantastic views and the peace they find here. The island setting added a whole new dimension to the experience. There’s definitely growing interest in events that give people the chance to explore our bays and islands.’

The ‘active islands’ concept captures the work done to date by the West Cork Islands Community Sports Hub, a Sport Ireland initiative coordinated by Cork Sports Partnership and supported locally by the island communities.

To register for events or find out more about the programme on offer, see https://westcorkislands.com/active-islands or contact 086 303 0991.

Contact:
086 303 0991 info@westcorkislands.com

West Cork Fitup Theatre Festival 2019

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Theatre returns to the West Cork islands this summer as the West Cork Fit-Up Theatre Festival brings actors, props, costumes and drama to our shores

The Fit-Up Theatre festival brings the best of modern theatre to small venues on the islands, and the performances throughout July and August are always enjoyed by islanders and visitors alike. It’s a great chance to see fantastic actors and productions in intimate West Cork venues.

The festival, now in its eleventh year, has seen audience figures grow from 400 in its first summer to almost 2500 people in 2018. An even bigger turnout is expected this year. The programme, which features plays on Heir, Bere, Sherkin, and Whiddy islands, has some great treats in store, with comedy and thought-provoking drama on offer for our island audiences.

Special ferry trips are scheduled around these events to give mainland visitors the opportunity to enjoy the Fit-Up Festival on the islands. Why not call out for a great evening of entertainment?

It’s all part of a packed Summer on the Islands Festival programme across West Cork’s seven inhabited islands.

For full details of what’s on, venues, and ferry times, check out our performance listings calendar.

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