GO explore on Heir Island
Heir Wildlife Project gives visitor an interactive Heir Island experience explaining the natural fauna and wildlife. Check out their website or Facebook for more information.
Relax on one of the 3 main sandy beaches or venture further afield to the shell laden Donkey Beach. You might even find the rare and coveted cowrie shell
Discover “an Dun” which is Irish for “The Fort” and other national monument sites on Heir Island, which are listed below. Breathtaking views of the Fastnet Lighthouse, Cape Clear and as far down the coast as the eye can see, it’s a must see spot.
Run or walk the island. Heir Island has its own 5km running route and where the annual Heir Island 5k fun run takes place.
View from the water. Some of the best views of Heir Island are from the water, guests can rent a kayak for the day and discover some of the most beautiful coves West Cork has to offer.
Take a seaweed safari with seaweed expert Christine Thery. Forage the beach for one of the world’s most abundant and free produce there is available. Christine is a master and can show you the best time and place and even what to do with your freshly harvested seaweed afterwards.
Take an Angling Trip with Heir Island Angling. Get out on the open water and catch the freshest fish you can get. Deep sea angling and family fishing trips available. Contact Daniel on 0861519295 to book!
National Monuments Sites
Mass Rock
In rough gorse and heather-covered grazing, on a S-facing slope overlooking a sandy beach. According to Daly (2000, 47), an irregular-shaped boulder (3.7m N-S; 1.2m E-W; H 0.8m) was used as a mass-rock in the past. A rectangular hollow (10cm x 8cm) on the upper surface of the boulder was, according to the landowner, used to hold a chalice.
Holy Well
In rough gorse and heather-covered grazing land, on a SW-facing slope overlooking a beach known locally as ‘Trá Bhán’, on the S side of Hare Island. A spring well called ‘Tobar a’ Luibín’ emerges from the base of a SW-facing field boundary and flows into a naturally occurring hollow (0.6m NE-SW; 0.5m NW-SE; D 0.4m) from which it flows in a SW direction towards the seashore. In the 1930s it was recorded that people with sore eyes used to visit the well, say prayers there and bathe their eyes in the well water (Daly 2000, 45). People suffering from pains and other illnesses also used to visit the well (ibid.)