Five things to do in West Cork this weekend

At what point do the yellow heat warnings stop being a novelty?

It’s set to be yet another beautiful weekend in the most beautiful part of the world. The weather will be hot – so it’s important to hydrate, protect yourself against the sun and be mindful of anyone vulnerable to the heat.

Once you’ve done all that, here’s five great things to do in West Cork this weekend.

Follow the Michael Collins Trail

As we approach the centenary of the death of Michael Collins, why not follow in his footsteps along the Michael Collins trail?

It consists of 140 waypoints across West Cork, linking locations of interest associated with the Irish revolutionary.

If you’d prefer to stay in – pick up a copy of this week’s Southern Star for a FREE 24-page supplement all about Michael Collins – or view it through our epaper here.

There’s also our brand new podcast focusing on Collins’ final day alive.

Festival season continues

It’s been a great summer of country festivals across West Cork, and another one kicks off this weekend in Timoleague.

The Timoleague Festival starts this evening and will have a host of events every day across the next two weeks.

On Saturday there will be music in the streets from 9pm, and Sunday will be a family fun day for all ages. More information can be found here.

Scout out some rare books

West Cork rare book fair kicks off this weekend for any bookworms out there. The weekend will feature three days of culture through rare books, maps, art & photography at the beautiful Inish Beg Estate in Skibbereen.

We recently featured an interview with organiser Holger Smyth which can be found here.

For anyone looking for something a little more mainstream, check out our guide to the best books for this month, as chosen by Kerr’s bookshop in Clonakilty.

Try some local produce

The best food is local, and West Cork doesn’t lack for great markets to try out some of the freshest produce.

Bandon farmers market takes place every Saturday in the Old Market Garden from 9.30am-1.30pm.

Skibbereen farmers market is also on a Saturday, in the Fairfield off bridge street from 9.30am-2pm.

And Schull’s great market takes place on a Sunday at the pier road from 9.30am-2pm.

Take to the sea

The forecast dictates the need for a cooldown, and there’s no better way to do so than in the sea.

West Cork has so many wonderful beaches and in Bantry you can even kayak around the harbour.

The Bantry Blueway takes you on a choice of a 2km, 6km, or 9km route around the picturesque harbour. See www.bantrybayport.com for more details.

And don’t forget to be safe!

For more ideas check out our ‘Things to see and do’ magazine.