Clonakilty was founded by Richard Boyle, Great Earl of Cork in 1588 and is usually flush with colour from the traditional shop fronts to the many flowers and plants blooming along the narrow bustling streets. Close by are Inchydoney Beach, West Cork Model Railway and the small West Cork Museum with many mementos of Clonakilty in bygone times. A number of festivals take place in Clonakilty every year including The West Cork Rally, an International Guitar Festival and the Michael Collins Festival. Music, good food and a bit of craic can be had in the many hostelries in this delightful town.

A long list of restaurants, café’s and bars, all serving the very best of what West Cork has to offer will make sure you are well looked after while the wide range of amenities, leisure activities and attractions will ensure your experience of Clonakilty is truly memorable.

There is so much to see and do in the area that Clonakilty is the perfect hub for all the family.

Michael Collins, one of the great heroes of the 1916-1922 period, was born at Woodfield near here. He was General of the Free State Army, and his dynamic and powerful personality made him a legend in his own lifetime. The Michael Collins Centre commemorates him. The memorial to him at Sam’s Cross was unveiled by General Tom Barry, himself a prominent figure in the Republican Movement. A life size statue of Michael Collins stands on Emmet Square in Clonakilty town.

A statue of Tojo the monkey was erected in the west Cork town, where he and a US Air Force crew made an emergency landing in a war plane in 1943. Tojo, named after the Japanese prime minister of the time, was plied with food and drink – alien to a monkey diet – as the locals welcomed him and the crew into the community. When Tojo died a number of days after their arrival, he was given a traditional Irish wake and funeral with military honours.