Macroom

An ancient town in the west of the county, Macroom is halfway between Cork city and Killarney, Co. Kerry and lies just east of the Irish language speaking area of Gaeltacht Mhuscraí. It has a turbulent but fascinating history – this area was hit extremely hard during the Irish famine in the 19^th century and was caught up in fierce battles from the War of Independence and Civil War to the Battle of Macroom (1650 AD) and historic clan warfare.

These days Macroom is a thriving market town with the impressive façade of Macroom Castle and its parkland demesne taking centre stage - Admiral William Penn, founder of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania is among the castle’s former owners.

A must-see nature reserve just outside the town is The Gearagh, a partially submerged, ghostly glacial woodland with a beautiful walk. This incredibly quiet and peaceful area has a diverse eco-system and is home to huge variety of fish, birds, plants, and animals such as kingfishers, otters, and whopper swans.