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Castletownsend
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The picturesque
village of Castletownsend is situated on the coast about 8km from
Skibbereen in West Cork. The village developed around the castle,
which was built in the mid 1600s by Richard Townsend, whose
descendents still reside there. The main street of the town, lined
with large homes from the 18th century, runs down a sharply sloped
hill leading to the castle, the quayside and the harbour.
The village lies on the northern side of Castlehaven Harbour in the
parish of Castlehaven, which owes its name to the castle that
protects the haven. A rather unique feature of Castletownshend is
the two sycamore trees growing in the roundabout in the centre of
the village. The present sycamores replace two trees planted in the
1800s.
Castletownsend's claim to literary fame is that it was the home of
the writers and cousins, Edith Somerville and Violet Martin Ross.
The work of these writers, most notably "The Irish RM" provides a
hilarious fictional chronicle of a bye-gone way of life. Both are
buried in the graveyard of the lovely little Church of Ireland of
St. Barrahane at the seaward end of the village. St. Barrahanes
Church itself is noted for its stained glass windows, and for the
classical music festival it has sponsored every year since 1980.
There are three pubs in Castletownshend: Collins's Bar is a good
venue for traditional sing songs. Just across the street is Lil
McCarthy's and at the bottom of the village is Mary Ann's - a pub
renowned for its seafood.
Castletownsend provides a sheltered harbour for inshore fishing
boats and yachts. It is a popular port of call for cruising yachts
in the Summer months. |
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Castletownsend Holiday Homes - County Cork, Ireland