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This section aims to give you some ideas about the area and what to do.

Nature

Most important of all: Around the house you will find the Ocean and unspoiled Nature! Nothing blocks the view, no houses in front of you, no noise, no pollution, just the ocean.

Fastnet Lighthouse

The only building you see from the house is the Fastnet Lighthouse which is known as 'The Teardrop of Ireland' because it was the last sight of Ireland for emigrants sailing to America.

Altar Wedge Tomb

Oh, yes, there is another 'building' you can see from the house if you go upstairs and 'stretch' you neck: The 4000 years old Altar Wedge Tomb. There are a lot of mysteries about prehistoric Megaliths and I was told more than once that there is a very relaxing and peaceful energy around the Stone Tomb.

Toormore Bay

If you don't want to use your car, you will find in walking distance: The Ocean and a very secluded sandy beach are right in front of the house, the whole shoreline in front of the house is great for walking and climbing and you will find many secluded and intimate places.

In addition to well appointed Supermarkets in Schull village (6km) there is a small Shop for Papers, Milk and other necessities within a five minute walk from the house. If you feel like dining without driving, an Italian Restaurant is also a short walk from the house.

But most likely you will have a car and want to discover the area. Let me start with a quote from the 'New York Times":

West Cork

"For many, West Cork is Ireland's ultimate destination - not quite as crowded with tourists as Kerry, yet every bit as charming. It shares with Kerry the photo-friendly craggy topography and jagged coastline. It's impossible to make good time on the roads here, as they tend to be narrow and sinuous, twisting along rivers, through valleys, around mountains, and passing through lovely small towns. Those willing to slow down and go with the flow are amply rewarded. You'll probably come across at least one puzzling rural intersection that's completely unsignposted, and have to slow down for a herd of sheep slowly making its way down a country lane. In places, the public route that hugs the coast narrows to just one lane and delivers heart-stopping views. Over time, you may even come to think of the roads here as one of West Cork's great pleasures."

Here is a selection of things to do, all of them in fairly close distance:

Allihies

Allihies was once the base for the thriving copper mines in the area, which reached the peak of production in the last century. It looks out on Ballydonegan Bay from which the copper ore was exported by sea. The drive from here along the north coast of the Beara Peninsula to Eyeries and Ardgroom following the signposted 'Ring of Beara Drive' offers superb views of the coast and mountains of Iveragh, the peninsula across the Kenmare Bay and the Ring of Kerry route.

Bantry Bay

Bantry at the head of Bantry Bay is the principal coastal town in this part of West Cork. It is delightfully situated with a spectacular back-drop of mountains. This is an old town with many historical connections. Chief amongst these is that Bantry was the destination of two French Invasions - 1689 and 1796. In the former, the French landed some 2,500 troops and supplies before engaging the British fleet in the famous battle of Bantry Bay.

Bantry House is on the edge of the town of Bantry. This Georgian house was built around 1750 for the earls of Bantry. It holds furniture and objets d'art from all over Europe, including tapestries said to have been made for Marie Antoinette. The gardens, with original statuary, are beautifully kept - climb the steps behind the building for a panoramic view of the house, gardens, and Bantry Bay. The house also holds an exhibition on the ill-fated Spanish armada which attempted to invade the country near Bantry House in 1769.

Ballydehob

Ballydehob looks out on a 12-arch railway bridge built in the late 19th century to carry passengers, copper and fish. Abandoned in 1947, the bridge is now a pedestrian walkway overgrown with wildflowers.

Baltimore

Baltimore with picturesque cottages, and hanging baskets of fuchsia, geraniums and daisies ornamenting its narrow streets, is the home of a French sailing school, thus ensuring a wonderful anomaly: authentic French cooking in the heart of a remote Irish fishing village.

Barley Cove Beach

Barley Cove Beach is very popular with families and wind surfers because of its fine sandy beach. Because of the high quality sand system and a wide variety of habitats and associated wildlife, it is designated as a Special Area of Conservation (S.A.C.) under the European Habitats Directive.

Beara Peninsula

Beara Peninsula, the massive mountains of the Caha range fill the central part of the peninsula, dividing Cork from Kerry. Hungry Hill towers above all the other peaks.

Blarney

Blarney known as "the biggest little village in Ireland", is one of Ireland's most picturesque villages. In Tudor style, the village has developed around the square. Some great sights to visit include the legendary Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle. Tradition holds that those who kiss the Blarney Stone will be endowed with the gift of eloquence - "the gift of the gab", as the locals call it.

Castletownbere

Castletownbere lies at the entrance to Bantry Bay on yet another sheltered harbor. A headquarters for the Irish fishing fleet, this town has managed to re-establish itself as a commercial center in spite of its isolation. The bustling waterfront is lined with bars, tackle shops and small factories.

Castletownshend

Casletownshend is like a village in Cornwall, England. It slopes steeply down to the sea and the Episcopal Church of St. Barrahane's.

Clonakilty

Clonakilty is a town which has an excellent sense of what is best in terms of environmental presentation. It is noted for the excellence of many of its shop fronts which use traditional materials. Michael Collins, one of the great heroes of the 1916-1922 period, was born at Woodfield near here. He was General of hte Free State Army, and his dynamic and powerful personality made hima legend in his own lifetime.

Conor Pass

Conor Pass is the highest pass in Ireland, which provides spectacular views of Dingle Harbour to the south and Mount Brandon to the north.

Cork

Cork is the second city of the Republic of Ireland has a population of over 160,000 people. Like Venice the city is built upon the waters, and Cork centre is built on an island in the River Lee, just upstream of Cork Harbour.
The two channels of the River Lee which embrace the city centre are spanned by many bridges, and this gives the city a distinctive continental air.  It is often said of Cork City that it has all the amenities of a large city, but still manages to retain its pleasant atmosphere and extreme friendliness, which you will experience on your visit. Cork is a city of remarkable charm with hilly streets, bumpy bridges and peaceful backwaters. St. Fin Barre's Cathedral is a splended triple-spired example of French-Gothic architecture.  Tradition has it that a monastery was founded on the site in the 7th century by St. Fin Barre. The English Market is located in the heart of the city and the visitor will find a variety of shops here.

Crookhaven

Crookhaven has a naturally protected harbor so typical of West Cork. The string of row houses painted in warm pastels stands out against the deep green slope that stretches between Streek Head and Brow Head. This strategic site was once a thriving settlement in the heyday of the sailing ships. Marconi came to Crookhaven in 1902 to supervise the building of a radio transmission station.

Dingle

Dingle is a beautiful and charming fishing port and is the most westerly town in Europe Gaily painted houses and busy streets lead you to the harbour, where you can meet Fungi, a playful bottle-nosed dolphin.

Dingle Peninsula has the greatest concentration of archaeological sites in Ireland. Step back in time as you visit such treasures as the Kilmalkedar Church, The Dún an Óir Fort or Fort of Gold, and the Gallarus Oratory. Shaped like an up turned boat, the Oratory is the most perfectly preserved example of early Irish architecture. The Fahan Group is a community of clocháns or beehive huts, souterrains, standing and inscribed stones, sculptured crosses, and earthen ring-forts.

Drombeg Stone Circle

Drombeg Stone Circle, a ring of 17 standing stones is the finest example of a megalithic stone circle in County Cork. The circle dates from 153 B.C., and little is known about its ritual purpose. Just west of the circle are the remains of two huts and a cooking place; it is thought that heated stones were placed in a water trough (which can be seen adjacent to the huts), and the hot water was used for cooking. The cooking place dates from between A.D. 368 and 608.

Fastnet Lighthouse

Fastnet Lighthouse marks Ireland's most southerly point. Local folklore relates how a giant picked up the rock which is now the Fastnet from Mount Gabriel near Ballydehob and hurled it into the sea. The Fastnet is invaluable as a mark for large ships following Atlantic routes, and it is also useful to locals who judge what the weather is about to
do by checking on the rock's visibility. You can check the visibility by simply looking through the living room windows.

Fastnet Marine Centre Schull

Fastnet Marine & Outdoor Education Centre at Schull Community College is providing sailing courses with a broad range of teaching, and sailing facilities. Sailors from Schull Community College have been winners of the Irish National 420 Championships on a number of occasions and have won the World Mirror Championships.

Fishing

There are excellent fishing possibilities in West Cork, ranging from Offshore fishing right in front of Toormore House to salmon and troutfishing in Glengarriff and deep sea fishing in Schull. Just check the Schull website for detailed information.

Food and Restaurants

Food and Restaurants: There is a good variety of restaurants in the area but wherever you go, there are two 'musts' for all visitors: Irish soda bread and one half-pint of Guinness, which tastes entirely different in its home country from the weakened stuff (even on draft) sent abroad.

Garinish Island

Garinish Island is close to the village of Glengarriff. Very Italian, very beautiful.

Gaeltacht

Gaeltacht is an Irish Speaking area, where the traditional language, folk customs, crafts and lore are very much alive today. Dingle Peninsula is one of them.

Glandore

Glandore is on one side of a long fjord and driving there is visually striking. Facing it on the other side is a town called Union Hall, a serious fishing harbor.

Glengariff

Glengarriff is one of Ireland's most beautifully situated villages and an area which is of special interest to botanists, because of the mild climate which the area enjoys. Glengarriff is one of the few areas in Ireland which still has some of the original oak forest which totally covered the country.

Glengariff Golf Course is a 9 hole short but challenging course always maintained to a very high standard. The course has been voted among the most picturesque in the country, with views over Bantry Bay, Glengarriff Harbour and the Caha mountains.

Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve is located approximately 1km from Glengarriff vilage on the Kenmare Road. There are a variety of walking trails including the Waterfall Walk and Lady Bantry's Lookout.

Golf Courses close to Toormore House

Golf Courses: A 25 minutes ride to Skibbereen G.C. or 30 minutes to Bantry G.C. Check the Schull website for detailed information.

Gougane Barra

Gougane Barra was Ireland's first National Park when it opened to the public in 1966. This contributes greatly to the reputation which Gougane Barra has as an area of wild and beautiful scenery. The Forest Park covers an area of over 400 hectares (1,000 acres).

Inchydoney Beach

Inchydoney Beach boasts a large sandy beach great for walking when its windy and wet as the Inchydoney Hotel offers a restaurant, Health Spa and Pub to warm up again.

Kenmare

Kenmare is a bustling village and has earned the title of the only town in Ireland with more restaurants than pubs.

Kinale

Kinsale is known as the Capital of Food in Ireland and owes its unique character to the fact that it was a garrison town and port of consequence for over 300 years, hence its magnificent Georgian houses and the Dutch influence of its architecture. The original town market and focal centre was on the level of St. Multose Church, Desmond Castle, and the Courthouse with narrow streets and quays radiating from it.

Killarney

Killarney is one of the world’s best-loved tourist spots and became a town about 1750 when the local magnate, Lord Kenmare, developed the tourist business and four major roads were built to the outside world.

The Lakes of Killarney. The three main lakes of Killarney occupy a broad valley stretching south between the mountains. The three lakes and the mountains that surround them are all within the

Killarney National Park. Nearest the town is the Lower Lake (Lough Leane) studded with islands and having on its eastern shore the historic Muckross Abbey and Ross Castle. The wooded peninsula of Muckross separates the Lower from the Middle Lake. At the tip of the Muckross Peninsula is the quaint Brickeen Bridge and Dinis Island further on with its sub-tropical vegetation and views of the 'Meeting of the Waters’.  A narrow straight called the Long Range leads to the island-studded Upper Lake. Around these islands are luxuriant woods of oak, arbutus, holly and mountain ash, while beneath grows a profusion of fern and other plants. Added to the beauty of the three main lakes are many other lakes in the folds of the mountains, and the numerous picturesque cascades such as Torc Waterfall.

Lough Hyne

Lough Hyne is the only inland sea lake in northern Europe. Surrounded by spectacular undulating hills, this lake is a marine biologist's playpen, owing to the unusual organisms that haunt its salty waters. Among its curiosities is an asymmetrical tidal cycle; it takes four hours to rise and eight and a half to fall. There are forest walks in the Lough Hyne area, with the highest viewing point at 200m above sea level.

The Mizen

Mizen Head is the southernmost point in Ireland. The land falls into the Atlantic breakers in a procession of spectacular 700-foot sea cliffs. A suspension bridge permits access to the old signal station, now a visitor center. Whales, seals, dolphins, and seabirds contribute to the spectacle.

Mizen Ring bends to the north and cuts across the stretch of land and water known as Barleycove, where layers of foamy breakers extend for hundreds of yards. The northern stretch of the Mizen Ring route from Three Castle Head to Dunkelly, Dunmanus and Durrus follows a ridge overlooking sloping pastureland that ends abruptly in black rock plummeting to the sea. Layers of land and water , Dunmanus Bay, Sheep's Head, Bantry Bay and the Ring of Beara line the horizon and appear and disappear as banks of fog, rain and clouds drift in from the sea.

Outdoor Markets close to Toormore House

Outdoor Markets are at several places, including Schull, Bantry and Skibbereen There you will find locally produced high quality food including: Home baking, Smoked pork products, Free-range eggs, Farmhouse cheeses , Organic vegetables, Flowers and plants , Smoked fish, Cream, yoghurt and soft cheese, Seeds, Organic Beef...

Peter Somerville-Large

Peter Somerville-Large's If you have time to read one book try "The Coast of West Cork" (Appletree Press).

Restaurants

Restaurants: There is a huge variety of fine restaurants in the area. Some of them include:

-- Blair's Cove Restaurant in Durrus is in the stable of a restored Georgian house and serves (dinner only) among other things good fish and shellfish.

-- Chez Youen, on the quai in Baltimore, is a genuine French bistro with French chefs cooking French food.

-- Jagoes Restaurant in Schull has a hidden beautiful garden and offers mediterranean food.

-- Liss Ard Lake Lodge near Skibbereen has a restaurant suited to its owners' ecologically conscious vision, with food that is entirely free of cholesterol.

-- Mary Ann's Restaurant in Castletownshend has delicious crabmeat, scallops and mussels, and won the Egon Ronay award last year for the best Irish soda bread.

Ring of Kerry

Ring of Kerry offers spectacular scenery, dramatic coastline, colourful towns and ancient archaeological treasures which have been featured in film, poetry and song. Each twist and turn on the road will reveal new sights -  windswept cliffs, breathtaking scenery, spectacular lakes, rich flora and fauna, green and yellow chequered hills and unspoilt beaches. There is evidence of the region's unique heritage and culture everywhere, in the place names, the standing stones and the many archaeological sites.

Sheep's Head

Sheep's Head and Kilcrohane is a splendid ring route . At the village of Ahakista the road plunges into tall woods in one of the lush, almost tropical settings that characterize West Cork. At Sheep's Head, an easy walk from the car park brings the visitor to a view that extends from Mizen Head to the Kerry mountains.

Schull

Schull, the gateway to the Mizen Ring and one of Ireland's loveliest seaside villages has a famous yachting port. Schull's southerly view encompasses the harbor, the large Roaringwater Bay beyond, Clear Island, Long Island and Calf Island in a tapestry of shapes.
In the summer, a series of annual racing fixtures i.e. Calves Week Regatta, attracts sailors from all over the world.

Schull Planetarium is the only Planetarium in the Republic of Ireland. It has a 8 metre dome and a Carl Zeiss single sphere sky projector.

Skellig Michael

Skellig Michael is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 6th century beehive huts. The past echoes forward in the place names, standing stones, ancient Celtic ring forts, and ruins of medieval castles. With over 1,500 documented archaeological sites, the Skellig region has the highest concentration and best preserved examples of monastic settlements in Ireland today.

Skibbereen

Skibbereen offers a local market,bright-painted houses, bustling streets, and several antique and pottery shops.

Slea Head

Slea Head Drive twists and turns through some of the most ruggedly beautiful landscape in Ireland, offering dramatic views of the Three Sisters and the Blasket Islands.

Three Castle Head

Three Castle Head is north of Mizen Head in a stunningly beautiful location. Located on the head itself this ruin of three towers is connected by a curtain wall dating from the 15th century.

Whale Watching

Whale Watchning, Dolphin Watching and Seal Watching attracts enthusiasts the world over. Following a proposal made by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group the Irish government declared the coastal waters of Ireland a whale and dolphin sanctuary - the first of its kind in Europe.
Coastal waters off the south and west of Ireland are a summer feeding area for a number of whale species and a year round home for several resident dolphin species including the harbour porpoise. Baleen Whales commonly seen off the south coast include Fin Whales, Humpback Whales and Minke Whales, which makes whale watching in Ireland some of the best whale watching in Europe. These large marine mammals feed in Irish waters for over seven months of the year on a variety of small shoaling fish and may be seen just a few kilometers offshore. In addition, there are frequent sightings of different dolphin species at different times throughout the year including Bottlenose Dolphins and Risso's Dolphins. There are some opportunistic sightings of Killer Whales (Orca) and Pilot Whales. Other marine mammals that are regularly sighted include the Atlantic Grey Seal and the Common Seal.

And here are a few places you should visit if you are planning a longer trip:

The Blaskets

The Blaskets are the most westerly islands in Europe located off the coast. Ionad an Bhlascaoid Mhóir – The wonderful heritage centre at Dún Chaoin celebrates the lives of the Islanders and the Irish language and culture.

Boyne, Newgrange

Brú na Boinne is a historic landscape on the banks of the Boyne, dotted with prehistoric monuments. The largest are Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth. Not around the corner but well worth to visit.

The Burren

The Burren is wedged between the rough beauty of the Aran Islands and the university city of Galway. Ancient monuments and bizarre rock formations and the feeling you are standing on the surface of the moon. Some spectacular sights can be taken in by driving next to Galway Bay. Again, not around the corner.

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher is one of the most spectacular coastal areas in Europe. The landscape suddenly ends in a sheer drop of more than 650 feet, straight down to the Atlantic. If you visited Mizen Head and want more, this is the place to go.

Dublin

Dublin City is relatively small and is best explored on board of one of the numerous bus tours or on foot. It is rich in history as well as full of sights and museums. And it has a lovely atmosphere. If you don't want to drive, get a train in Cork in the morning and come back in the evening.

The Giant's Causeway

The Giant's Causeway is Northern Ireland's top sight. Strangely regular basalt columns point the way towards Scotland, seen on the horizon on good days.

Glendalough

Glendalough offers a setting which is simply beautiful, in a valley beside tranquil lakes. Here you will find one of the most important early Christian sights. Lovers of history and architecture can indulge in two round towers, St Kevin's Kitchen (actually a church) and a cathedral (ruin). Best to visit when you plan a trip to Dublin.

And finally, here is a place I am not too sure about:

Bunratty Castle

Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. The tower house of Bunratty was built in 1467 by the O'Brien family and has been renovated with no expenses spared. A medieval banquet is offered in the evenings, complete with period entertainment. During the day the adjoining Bunratty Folk Park aims to allows a glimpse into Ireland's past. The only problem is that it feels like Disney world. But than again, maybe you don't mind.

There a tons of other things to do and this list does not nearly cover them. But I am sure you understand that now I am tired of typing...