5 Reasons Why You Need to Visit Sheep’s Head Ireland

Sheep’s Head Peninsula is one of the most unspoiled areas in Ireland.

In fact, some of the Irish don’t really know much about it.

However, Nathan Kingerlee — a Kenmare native and owner of Outdoors Ireland — told me it is his favorite of the 5 southwest peninsulas.

That’s saying something.

So have you heard of Sheep’s Head?

Well, I think you should read on because this is a very special piece of Ireland.

And while my time here was limited to a few hours, I know I’ll go back to explore more.

Let’s get started.

 

Where is Sheep’s Head Peninsula?

If you look at a map of Ireland you can see County Cork in green.

3 of Ireland’s southwest peninsulas are in County Cork — Mizen Head, Sheep’s Head and Beara.

That’s the order from south to north.

Then there’s the Iveragh Peninsula — the Ring of Kerry — and the Dingle Peninsula which are in County Kerry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sheep’s Head is the smallest and least visited of these 5 peninsulas so you can make a short side trip to it or spend more time here (we’ll get to this).

It’s a bit more barren but has that stark, desolate beauty that destinations like the Aran Islands or Connemara have.

I personally like places like this.

And it’s not far from towns like Bantry, Schull or Glengarriff so it’s actually easy to get to.

 

5 Reasons to visit Sheep’s Head

Let’s dive into 5 reasons why the smallest peninsula in the southwest of Ireland needs to be on your list.

Ready?

Good.

Because after you read this list, I think you’ll really want to visit Sheep’s Head.

 

Great Trails

The Sheep’s Head Way is one of the best walking trails in Ireland.

The trail is around 175km long.

I know.

You probably don’t want to walk for multiple days nor do you have that kind of time.

But you can walk pieces of it, starting and ending where you want.

The trail takes in a variety of terrain with old narrow rural roads, open grassy and heather-filled hills, rocks, paths through fields, quiet roads and short stretches in wooded areas.

You’ll pass by historic sites and you may see some whales or dolphins out at sea.

And yes, there are plenty of sheep!

There is good information on the Irish Trails website for the entire trail as well as different sections of it.

You’ll find linear trails as well as loop walks of varying lengths and levels.

Trails are well marked and some sections will go through private land.

But the owners allow this.

Just be respectful.

If you do decide to walk the entire trail, it will take about 6-7 days.

And you can have the support of a tour company that will set things up for you, like what I had for the West Highland Way in Scotland.

I didn’t get the chance to do much walking here, as my time was limited.

But I will go back to Sheep’s Head and tackle part of the trail — if not the whole thing!

 

The Lighthouse

So there’s this fabulous lighthouse way out at the tip of the peninsula.

I started to walk to this, but the weather wasn’t looking great and I realized part way out the trail that I didn’t really have the proper gear with me.

Ooops.

I think I just didn’t take it out of the car.

The trail is pretty exposed so be prepared.

If you walk all the way to the lighthouse, you’ll tackle some stairs.

I don’t recommend folks do this who aren’t ready for weather and for the terrain and stairs.

Sheep’s Head Lighthouse is not that old as it was built in the mid-1960’s (hello…I was born in the mid-1960’s).

It was put into commission in October 1968.

The lighthouse is taken care of by a part-time attendant who lives nearby.

The attendant does routine maintenance but major maintenance work is taken care of by Navigation and Maritime Service engineering technicians.

While the lighthouse is not big, it sits out in a beautiful location.

I will note that the drive to the end of the peninsula — which is where you’ll park to take the trail to the lighthouse — is very narrow.

Be prepared for a single lane road with minimal places to pull off to let someone pass.

But the scenery — if the weather is decent — is so worth it!

I can’t wait to return to visit this lighthouse.

 

Historical sites

There are some historical sites and ruins for you history buffs.

I missed the stone circle at Ahakista (face palm 🤦‍♀️) and the Farranamanagh Standing Stones which is too bad because these look really cool.

I love sites like this.

But I did see some ruins of an old signal tower and an old school.

There are some copper mine ruins on the north side of the peninsula as well.

While there aren’t a lot of sites, there are a few, especially given the fact that Sheep’s Head is pretty small.

There are a couple of lovely churches in the towns.

I also found a memorial to the 1985 Air India disaster near Ahakista.

For some reason I didn’t take photos of the memorial itself but did take some pics of the surrounding landscape.

Anyway, there are definitely some historical sites on Sheep’s Head.

 

Heron Gallery Cafe and Gardens

Don’t miss a stop in the Ahakista area and Heron Gallery Cafe and Gardens.

Annabel Langrish is an incredibly talented artist who has made West Cork her home.

You’ll find her work at shops in Schull, Kinsale and Kenmare as well as here on Sheep’s Head.

The Heron Gallery is special because of both the cafe and the gardens.

At the cafe you’ll find some healthy and organic local food, delicious teas and tasty treats.

Some of the food is grown out back!

Lunch is served from 11:30am to 4:30pm, but the cafe is open from 10:30am to 5:30pm.

However, the season is short — from Easter to mid-September.

The cafe has Annabel’s work displayed and you can, of course, buy a gift for a special someone back home or for yourself.

Outside you’ll find the garden which is gorgeous.

There are all kinds of plants and flowers, a pond, sculptures and places to sit and meditate if the spirit moves you.

A lovely meadow spreads out beyond.

It’s quite beautiful and very tranquil.

You’ll even find some Kunekune pigs which is a small breed of domestic pig.

I had some fresh mint tea and a tasty gluten-free cake on my way back to Schull.

I highly recommend a stop at Heron Gallery Cafe and Gardens.

 

It’s peaceful

There’s no doubt about it that Sheep’s Head is a tranquil destination.

It sees far fewer visitors than the other southwest Ireland peninsulas so it’s easy to have time to yourself, communing with nature.

You’ll find some artisans here as well that have found it a peaceful place to work on their crafts.

There’s definitely something special about this wee Irish peninsula that draws people in.

And I really wish I had spent more time here.

But I know I’ll go back and do just this.

 

 

 

Are you sold on a visit to this gorgeous destination in Ireland?

I will say that if you want to get out on some trails, then you have to put Sheep’s Head on your list.

And if want to visit a tranquil part of Ireland, then you should be sure to take a detour here — even if you just make the drive to the lighthouse and walk out to it.

These are the destinations in Ireland that so many folks skip over, but those that do travel here, fall in love.