Gougane Barra

The hermitage

Gougane Barra sits on a hillside above a small lake in the Smerkistown area, on the border of County Cork and County Kerry, and the site is associated with St Finbarr — St Finbarr of Cork, the patron saint of the city — who, by tradition, established a hermitage here in the sixth century. The present stone oratory stands on a small island in the lake, beside the cave that the old stories give to him, and it dates from around 1700, when the priest Denis O’Mahony retreated to the island and built the structure that stands there today.

The setting does a lot of the work: the lake below, the mountains around, and a path that climbs steadily out of the forest and over the hillside to a place that feels considerably older than it is.

The walk

The walk from the car park to the oratory is a steady hill climb — about an hour up and down in total, over grass and rock, with the best view at the top looking back across the lake and the far mountains. It is not a difficult walk, but it is a real one: go in proper footwear, in any weather that will let you, and take the time at the top, which is the point of the trip.

Pilgrimage

For centuries people walked to Gougane Barra on pilgrimage, and the old pattern — the periodic pilgrimage walk — has been revived in recent decades. On pattern days the hillsides are full of walkers heading for the oratory and the well, and even on an ordinary day you will meet people making the walk for the same reason their ancestors did.

When to go

Any day of the year. Summer light is the best, but the place is at its most atmospheric in a low winter light, when the lake is flat and the mountains are close. The oratory is open; the site is managed and the path is waymarked.

Practical

Free to visit. The car park is at the foot of the hill; allow an hour up and down in good conditions, and more if the weather is against you. It is a day trip for most people — the nearest real bases are Castletownbere and Kenmare, an hour away either side.