West Cork is one of the most attractive places Ireland has to offer. The pleasure of places like Baltimore, Castletownbere, Kinsale and Skibbereen have been well documented, but it’s a lesser known spot, namely Coomhola that must be regarded as one of the country’s natural highlights.

Coomhola
Drive to Ballylickey, not far from Bantry and you will come across the Coomhola crossroads. From here take the mountain road up to an area known as ‘Priest’s Leap’.

It is called a road, but really this is nothing more than a track with room for one vehicle going in one direction only and a drop to the side that is as steep as it is narrow. Take this ‘road less travelled’ during the week and the only traffic you are likely to encounter is hairy sheep with fluorescent markings on their back.

The site of Priest’s Leap is marked by a singular cross. It was at this spot during Penal Times (when Roman Catholicism was outlawed) that a priest, hounded by English soldiers, ran free from his pursuers and leapt to his freedom down the mountain. On the day I visited, the only hostility I encountered at the Leap was a stubborn ram.

Pick a clear, bright day to visit Coomhola and you will be rewarded with the sweetest sensations. Over soft, boggy soil, it’s a relatively short climb to the craggy peak of Knockboy.

This is Cork’s highest point, straddling the Cork and Kerry borders. Great swathes of both counties stretch in front of you and you’ll need more than the fingers of one hand to count all the mountain peaks which encompass this awe-inspiring location.

The silence upon reaching Knockboy is overwhelming. Unburdened by thought, the mind chooses to meditate on the vast panorama that envelops you. Not a single dwelling inhabits the landscape. The only sound to assail your eardrums is likely to be the chirping of a passing skylark or the buzzing of an occasional bee.

It is a natural wilderness unchanged by centuries of civilization. Sitting amidst the plateau of Coomhola, it is impossible not to be moved by a landscape as solid and spectacular as this.

Schull
There are two large anchors on the seafront in Schull. They help frame the harbour and provide a link to this small town’s deep-rooted affections for the Atlantic Ocean. The nautical theme of the town was matched by the weather on my arrival, the sky could best be described as battleship grey. Soon afterwards, the sun burst through leaden cloud and the sky formed a near reflection of the shallow waters in Schull harbour.

Beside the slipway, my gaze fell upon a white-haired man digging in the small sandy cove. Curiosity got the better and I ambled over to make his acquaintance. When I bid him good morning, he carried on loading stones into a satchel without reply. Enquiring upon the nature of his business, he continued to load up his quarry, ignoring my question completely. A stony silence indeed. Moments later as if to answer my queries, I saw my man of stone empty the contents of his bag straight into the sea.

I moved along at a loss to explain such odd behaviour. Along the shoreline, walking towards Schull lighthouse, I looked beneath me and caught sight of a large common gull.

Beneath his claws lay the remains of a large monkfish. The gull picked at the carcass slowly, looking up constantly to watch out for avian intruders. When another gull approached his prized catch, he simply flew off without protest, leaving the second gull to help himself. Not quite the fight to the finish I was expecting.

Further along the coast, junior seafarers on baby boats calmly navigated the harbour bay, their linen white sails resembling a flotilla of swans as they glided gracefully across still waters.

Overhead, a solitary gannet patrolled the skies. His slow circuit of the bay seemed to be in tandem with the languid rhythms of the maritime men and women below.

The town itself has plenty of pretty, pastel-coloured shops just waiting to be explored. Get your timing right and you can also take a boat out to Bantry Bay and explore nearby Whiddy Island or Long Island.

There is a lovely, unhurried air to Schull. If you ever want to slip your city moorings, it is worthwhile spending some time here, under the influence of the glorious Gulf Stream in southwest Cork. And if you see a man with white hair uprooting stones in the harbour, see if you can figure out what he is doing.