South-West Region, Ireland

城市概覽

Great tides of influx and emigration have marked this region, and they literally were tides for the earliest settlers landing in small coves and creeks to populate the lowlands. Celtic tribes coalesced into petty kingdoms then into the entity of Munster. Vikings and Normans staked their claims but didn't get much beyond Cork before being repulsed, so it was only in Tudor times that England took a grip. Munster in the 12th century had fractured into a north and south kingdom: Deasmhumhain or South Munster, hence "Desmond", resisted long and hard until subdued in the 16th century. It only remained to divvy up the best of the land to loyal English nobles, which was how Sir Walter Raleigh came to be mayor and landowner in the east of County Cork through into Waterford. The rugged southwest was ignored: by boat you could get around it or go fishing but inland had poor farming and no mineral resources, all it was good for was breaking your cart axles. It had a precarious, subsistence way of life even in the good years, so the famine years struck very hard. Those who could, fled. Population outflow continued even after the famine, as much by "pull" of the British and North American city economies as by the "push" of poverty. It was for those emigrants that Titanic called at Cobh westbound. What brought people back was tourism. This was attempted as early as 1750, but it only took off in the 19th century with the arrival of the railways, the growth of a middle class with time and income for leisure, and the Romantic movement which re-painted a barren, stony landscape as fine scenery. Postcards, railway posters and tea-towels publicised the area, and the Irish diaspora became its ambassadors. Cork, Blarney Castle, Killarney and its lakes, and the Ring of Kerry, all became established on the tourist circuit, and they still are. South West Ireland is one of the eight regions of Ireland for statistical and planning purposes, and more snappily known as "IE053 - NUTS Level III".

如何抵達

By plane 1 Shannon Airport (SNN IATA) north across the Shannon estuary is a major portal of entry into Ireland. It has many flights from Europe, UK and the United States, with US border pre-clearance, and in summer from Toronto. The largest operators are Ryanair and Aer Lingus. There are several car rental agencies. 2 Kerry Airport (KIR IATA) is midway between Tralee and Killarney. It has daily flights from Dublin, and year-round from London Stansted and Luton, Manchester, Frankfurt-Hahn, plus seasonal Med destinations. 3 Cork Airport (ORK IATA) has a range of flights from the UK and Europe but is too small for transatlantic traffic. Dublin Airport (DUB IATA) is often a good option because of its wide range of flights and competitive fares, compensating for the extra drive.

By train Trains run hourly from Dublin Heuston, taking 2 hr 40 min to Cork via Kildare, Portlaoise, Ballybrophy, Thurles, Limerick Junction (for Tipperary or Limerick) and Mallow. A branch-line from Mallow connects to Killarney, Farranfore (for Kerry Airport) and Tralee.

By bus Buses run hourly from Dublin Airport and Busáras to Cork, with three operators competing on the route. Dublin Coach M7 runs hourly from Dublin city via Limerick, Adare, Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale to Killarney and Tralee. City Link runs every 3 hours from Galway via Shannon Airport and Limerick to Cork city centre and airport. The slower Bus Éireann 51 runs hourly from Galway via Ennis, Shannon Airport, Limerick and Mallow to Cork. Expressway Bus 40 runs hourly from Rosslare harbour (for ferries from Wales and the Continent) via Wexford, New Ross, Waterford, Dungarvan and Youghal to Cork, where it takes a break then continues west to Macroom, Ballyvourney, Killarney, Farranfore and Tralee.

當地交通

By train Commuter trains fan out from Cork to Fota (for the wildlife park) and Cobh, to Midleton (for Jameson Distillery) and to Mallow (for Cork racecourse). There's usually one direct daily train from Cork to Killarney and Tralee, otherwise change at Mallow for the branchline service.

By bus See above for the inter-city routes from Dublin airport and city, Limerick, and Wexford / Waterford. Expressway Bus 40 trundles right across Ireland, and within this region links Youghal, Cork, Macroom, Killarney and Tralee. Other services from Cork are Bus 251 for Blarney, 220X for Crosshaven, 226 for Kinsale, 237 for Clonakilty, Skibbereen, Baltimore and Schull, and 236 for Bantry, Glengarriff and Castletownbere. Cork also has an extensive urban network. Killarney has buses to Kenmare and to Tralee, which in turn has buses to Dingle, Listowel and Ballybunion. That leaves some major gaps, the most gaping being between the Kerry and Cork coasts. A bus runs between Glengarriff and Kenmare in summer but there's no other connection over the hills between them - it doesn't help that the tunnel on the main road is too small for HGVs and coaches. So to bus from Killarney to Bantry normally means backtracking all the way to Cork city. There is likewise no service that circles the Ring of Kerry or its offshoot Ballinskellig Ring. If you want to explore these areas and don't have your own wheels, best join a coach tour - these run from Cork, Killarney and even Dublin. See individual towns for details of local buses. Away from the radial main roads these are sparse, sometimes only one day a week. For instance the bus from Tralee along the north Dingle peninsula to Castlegregory and Cloghane only runs on Friday, and there's no onward transport to Dingle on the tip.

By road Most visitors bring their own car. The airports are better for car hire than the towns, but have small fleets so you should pre-book.

必看景點

Cork highlights include St Fin Barre's Cathedral, Shandon bells, the public museum, Fota wildlife park and Barryscourt Castle. Youghal is an old walled port at the east edge of County Cork where Sir Walter Raleigh was once mayor. Glengarriff is the unlikely spot for Italianate gardens, reached by a short boat ride. Killarney is the tourist capital of Kerry. It's got the lot: a well-repaired castle by the lake, an atmospherically shabby abbey, grand gardens and a museum of country life, Ogham stones inscribed with runes, and Ireland's highest mountains rearing up to the west. Prehistoric sites are clustered near Dingle. Ardfert near Tralee is an extensive early Christian site, but the most remarkable is isolated Skellig Michael.

體驗活動

Boat trips: Fungie the dolphin is no more, but he sparked wildlife tourism in this region. Dolphins, porpoises, orcas and basking sharks patrol the coasts. Kiss the Blarney Stone, or to be historically faithful, just invent a whopper about doing so. Go to the races at Mallow, Listowel or Killarney. Hike: Mount Brandon above Dingle is one of many scenic ascents, the culmination of an ancient pilgrim trail. The Wild Atlantic Way is a long-distance motoring and cycling route along the entire western seaboard of Ireland. See county and city pages for more det