A NEW walking guide shows off two of Ireland's most peaceful, unspoiled peninsulas.
The Beara and Sheep’s Head Peninsulas in the southwest of Ireland are pointed fingers of land wedged between the Kenmare River, Bantry Bay and Dunmanus Bay.
The guide, written by Adrian Hendroff, charts idyllic routes that take in points of interest such as Hungry Hill, the highest mountain in the Caha Mountains and Gouganebarra Lake, a natural anomaly with its dark blue waters that the impression of significant depth when it is actually no deeper than 11m (36ft).
The book describes Sheep’s Head Way, a walk founded by the late Tom Whitty, originally from Philadelphia, settled on the peninsula in the 1980s with his wife and family.
Inspired by the mountaineer Jim Leonard, Tom joined a small local walking group and at once fell in love with the landscape.
The idea of the Sheep’s Head Way was developed and completed within 18 months, and officially opened by President Mary Robinson in July 1996.
The Beara & Sheep’s Head Peninsulas – A Walking Guide by Adrian Hendroff is published by The Collins Press, price €14.99. It is available in all good bookshops and online from www.collinspress.ie
Click below to see the incredible pictures
