D Irl 15297 Ed; Courtmacsherry Woods

Courtmacsherry is a seaside village in County Cork, not far from the town of Clonakilty. The village consists of a single long street on the southern shore of Courtmacsherry Bay, with thick woods on rising ground behind. The woods (planted by the Earl of Shannon in the late 18th century) continue beyond the village eastwards to the open sea, ending at Wood Point. Between the village and "The Point" the trees run right to the water's edge and there are several natural bathing coves along the way.

Around the time of the Norman invasion of Ireland the major townships in the area were those now known as Timoleague, Lislee, Barryroe and Dunworly. Among the Norman settlers were the De Barrys and the Hodnetts; the former built a castle at Timoleague, and the latter settled in Lislee. The Barrys flourished and gave their name to Barryroe, Rathbarry, etc., whereas the Hodnetts "degenerated into mere Irish", one branch changing their name to MacSeafraidh (son of Geoffrey), subsequently anglicised to MacSherry or McSharry. Although Barrys and Hodnetts still live in the district, there are no MacSherrys.

Courtmacsherry is the mildest place in Ireland, with a mean annual temperature of 11^o. (Source; Wikipedia)

The woods are well worth a visitat any time of year, but in springtime, when the bluebells and wild garlic are showing off their natural beaiuty, the woodsdisplay an unforgettable display. The odd beam of sunlight through the trees serves to bring the place even more vibrantly alive.