Lios na gCon, ‘Ringfort of the Hound’, was once a popular tourist attraction in Darrara. In 2002, 12,000 people visited the site, which is believed to be the oldest farmyard in the area still in its original location.
The site has been closed for a decade now but recently support for its reopening has been growing due to the work of the Friends of Lios na gCon and the backing of Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodivesity Christopher O’Sullivan.
The subject was raised again at this week’s meeting of the Council’s Western Divisional Committee, when a joint motion was put forward by Cllr John Michael Foley (FG), Cllr Daniel Sexton (Ind Ire), and Cllr John Collins (Ind Ire).
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Cllr Foley outlined the cultural importance of the site, saying the aim must be “to preserve Lios na gCon, reopen the site and develop it as a valuable historical, educational, heritage and tourism amenity for our area.”
He explained how in 1993, the Director of Teagasc, Pierce Ryan, committed to take over the running of the site, with the intention of using it as a training facility for students from Darrara Agricultural College.
“Unfortunately, this never happened,” he added.
“As a past pupil of Clonakilty Agricultural College myself, I feel I have a particular responsibility for the potential of this site.Teagasc is currently promoting farm diversification and alternative farm enterprises. I would therefore ask Teagasc to come on board here and support the reopening of Lios na gCon.”
“Farmers need practical examples of alternative enterprises, and Lios na gCon could provide an ideal example [by] combining agriculture, heritage, education, tourism and community involvement.”
Cllr Sexton said there is “nothing like it in West Cork” and added that he spent a lot of time there as a child. He called on the council to act quickly as the longer this goes on the more likely the site falls into disrepair.
The fort was open to tourists from 1990 to 2016, with a brief closure between 2007 and 2009. With the facilities mostly in place, Cllr Collins said that “there is no reason it can’t be done again.”
Cllr Foley called on the council to meet with the Friends of Lios na gCon, Teagasc and other relevant national bodies because he believes the ringfort “deserves a future, and I believe we should work together to make that happen”.
Cllr Ann Bambury (SD) supported the motion, saying that anything this historically significant should be pursued.
The council agreed to reach out to Teagasc to discuss the barriers that could be faced in opening the site.
They also agreed to involve the Friends of Lios na gCon, who Cllr Foley described as a “wealth of knowledge”.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
