Overview
Ballylickey is a scatter of houses where the Ouvane River slips into the head of Bantry Bay, on the N71 between Bantry and Glengarriff. Its whole worth is where it sits. The Beara Peninsula is a short run west, the Sheep’s Head peninsula is within reach, and the coach traffic that clogs Glengarriff in July mostly passes you by on the main road. There’s no village centre to speak of and no crush of visitors. Come for a base, not for a day out.
The Irish is Béal Átha Leice, ‘mouth of the ford of the rock’. If you have one afternoon, drive out onto the Sheep’s Head road and walk a stretch of headland; if you have one evening, book a table over the bay and watch the light go.
History and heritage
The name best known here is Ellen Hutchins (1785–1815), a marine botanist. She grew up at nearby Ballylickey and spent years collecting and illustrating the seaweeds, mosses and lichens of Bantry Bay in the early 19th century. Her specimens and drawings went to the botanists working on the plants of Britain and Ireland, and three lichen species still carry her name: Lecania hutchinsiae, Pertusaria hutchinsiae and Enterographa hutchinsiae. She died at twenty-nine. The Ellen Hutchins Trail guide explains the places she studied.
The village’s most prominent building is Ballylickey House, built as a shooting lodge for Lord Kenmare and restored by the Graves family in the late 1940s. It remains a local landmark. Other threads run out to journalist Philip Graves, the traditional singer Seán Ó Sé, and sculptor Jeanne Rynhart, who made Dublin’s Molly Malone statue.
Walking and the outdoors
Two long-distance trails run through this part of West Cork, and you can reach either from the village by car. Neither starts on the doorstep, so check the route and your trailhead before you set out.
- Sheep’s Head Way – the waymarked route follows the headlands of the Sheep’s Head peninsula past holy wells, promontory forts and small coastal settlements like Ahakista.
- Beara Way – a 120-mile (193 km) loop around the Beara Peninsula, through fishing villages, mountain passes and out to Bere Island.
- Derryclogher and Conigar bogs – both are Special Areas of Conservation, wetland habitats with rare flora and birdlife, and usually no one else about.
For a longer walk close by, use a signed trailhead or visit the public paths at Glengarriff Woods.
Angling and water sports
The Ouvane and Coomhola rivers both reach the bay here and have a long reputation for salmon and sea trout. Fishing on much of this water is private or permit-only, so arrange access through a local source before you go, and do not assume you can fish or launch a boat from any bank or shore. The inner bay is calm enough for coastal paddling and for watching seals and seabirds, but check the tide and the weather first, and use a recognised launch point.
Golf and nearby gardens
Two golf courses sit within a short drive: Bantry Bay Golf Club, a parkland course above the bay, and Glengarriff Golf Club, a hilly nine-holer. The bigger draw is the run of West Cork gardens within reach. Bantry House and its terraced gardens are a short drive north; the Italian garden on Garnish Island and the lakeside hermitage of Gougane Barra are short drives south and inland. Check current opening times with each before you go.
Food, drink and where to stay
For its size, the village is reasonably supplied with places to stay and eat. Check current details and book ahead in summer.
- Seaview House Hotel – a country-house hotel with rooms over the bay.
- Eagle Point Camping – a caravan and camping park on a peninsula on the bay. Check its current rules and booking arrangements before you travel.
- B&Bs and self-catering – places like Aran Lodge, Ard na Greine and Ouvane Falls B&B offer family-run rooms and cooked breakfasts.
- Eating – Manning’s Emporium is the café and deli to know, strong on West Cork cheese, bread and sandwiches.
Getting there and practical notes
Ballylickey is on the N71, about 5 km from Bantry and 5 km from Glengarriff. Cork city is roughly two hours by road.
- Public transport – TFI Local Link route 232 (Castletownbere to Kilcrohane) stops at Ballylickey near Ouvane Falls and links the village with Bantry and Glengarriff. Check the timetable for your return.
- Road safety – the village straddles a busy national road, so take care crossing.
- Accessibility – village streets are level, but the Beara and Sheep’s Head ways run over uneven, steep and sometimes muddy coastal ground that won’t suit wheelchair users.
- Weather – bring waterproofs whatever the forecast, and check the tide before kayaking or coastal walking.