The most southwesterly point in Ireland is now welcoming thousands of visitors each year, who travel from all over to enjoy the incredible views, the history, and of course the famous bridge, writes Terri Lieber
THE Mizen Head Visitor Centre has recently reopened to the public after a two-year major revamp, and with major changes made to the infinitely popular site, The Southern Star paid a visit to Ireland’s most southwesterly site, adding to the 100,000 visitors who visit Mizen annually.
Mark O’Mahony, one of the original architects on the first Mizen visitor centre building. (Photo: Terri Lieber)
The centre is the brainchild of Sue Hill, who moved to Goleen in 1985 and was looking to get involved in a local community project, when neighbours told her that the historic lighthouse at nearby Mizen Head was about to close.
As well as employing three keepers, the light provided much secondary employment in the area, and so Sue decided to set up a community co-operative to repurpose Mizen Head as a tourist attraction.
Rosscarbery’s Ted and Sally with their dad Pat Culhane, at the moment they spotted a whale. (Photo: Terri Lieber)
The plan was to showcase the natural beauty of the place and its fascinating history, and to create a tearoom, shop and a children’s play area and of course give people the authentic, spine-tingling experience of crossing the famous bridge spanning the churning waters between the mainland and the lighthouse buildings.
Mary Coughlan from Ballydehob with three of her four-legged friends at Mizen. (Terri Lieber)
After years of work, the centre opened to the public in 1993 with paths and fencing in place and a cabin at the top for refreshments.
That winter, local artist Jules Thomas created the beautiful illustrations of local flora and fauna that are part of the display in the lighthouse buildings to this day. As she and Sue worked away through the howling winter nights to ready the exhibition, they got a sense of how truly elemental Mizen Head can be.
The project proved that ‘if you build it, they will come,’ because since then visitor numbers have continued to increase.
In 2001, the cabin café was replaced by a purpose-built building and in 2024, major renovations began to the whole site, including the new double-height restaurant space that now houses a giant screen showing drone footage of the area taken by film maker Peppe Foti: viewers really do feel like a gull swooping over the cliffs and sea as they watch it. The new children’s play area, meanwhile, was built as a ‘thank you’ to the children who have sat in the car all along the winding road to make the visit!
It has not always been plain sailing of course. The bridge had to be rebuilt in 2009, then there was a landslide in 2023. There was also Avian flu, and struggles to gain a longer lease. However, the centre has endured and proved a major success.
On, the day that The Southern Star paid a visit, the sun was shining, families with dogs, who are very welcome on leads, were strolling around, sitting both in and outside the café, enjoying the exhibits and history. The waxwork lighthouse keepers and simulated ship’s control room are popular with children, but everyone’s favourite is crossing the bridge from cliff to cliff.
Volunteer guide David Gibbs, accompanied by his French bulldog Mango, told of tales of storms and shipwrecks, and creating ‘hare doors’ in the fencing to allow hares to pass safely across the landscape.
Two visiting children, Ted and Sally Culhane, pointed out where they had spotted a pod of dolphins leaping at the foot of the cliffs.
Mizen guide David Gibbs and his French Bulldog, Mango. (Terri Lieber)
The management team, including Stephen O’Sullivan who was a light keeper himself, are still plotting to keep things fresh.
The promotion of the Wild Atlantic Way and the YouTubers who post videos about Mizen, have been a great boost to business, but Sue will be retiring shortly and would like to find someone to run events such as weddings, Christmas parties, and the like.
She also hopes that the area might one day be declared a marine wildlife park to help preserve the biodiversity for future generations.
Bungee-jumping from the bridge has also been suggested.
A growing number of camper vans also visit, despite the fact there are not yet facilities for them and the road is narrow.
Celebrities such as Mel Gibson have been spotted at Mizen, RTÉ’s TV show Ultimate Hell Week was filmed there, and they did get to jump off the bridge!
Bus tours run from Cork city, and the local bus 265 runs from Goleen and Skibbereen so there are many ways to get there even if the roads are a deterrent to the cautious driver.
‘It is such a special place’, says Sue, and The Southern Star is very much inclined to agree.
