Courtmacsherry Dead End

Written August 29, 2006 in Beach, Cork, Courtmacsherry, Ireland, Photos, Sea, Sigma 10-20, Signs, Sky, Street, Urban

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The little town of Courtmacsherry in Co. Cork is a picturesque tourist village with pretty looking multi-coloured houses visible on the way into the town from Timoleague.

This makes the attitude of the people we met there all the more confusing. We parked in the middle of the town, Jacinta wanted to check out a pottery shop, and walked with Oscar down the road. We passed by several people, mostly tourists by their clothes, and unusually, they kept their heads down watching the ground and never said “hello” or even commented on Oscar! We’re used to people stopping us and asking about him so this was disconcerting.

Later on we rested on the wall of the harbour and a few people did greet us, but there is a strange ambience and uneasy feeling about the town. Next time we’ll head directly to Dunworley.

The image was processed using two layers. One for the sky and the other for the ground. Sky was burned heavily to bring out the clouds while the ground was dodged and brightened with the Curves tool.

I’ve geotagged this photo on Flickr. Works well enough. It even knew where “courtmacsherry ireland” was!

courtmacsherry map

13 comments on ' Courtmacsherry Dead End '

lol - Nice shot, good perspective. cheers for the background, oh and welcome to the world of maps

Written by Flickr: click_click on August 29, 2006 at 7:16am
Wow, I like this image and all the “extras” that go with today’s post.

Written by micki on August 29, 2006 at 9:46am
Ah CourtMac, the drinking village with a fishing problem

Written by Flickr: corksurf on August 29, 2006 at 11:39am
What a shot! I went fishing with my dad there when I was about 12. Fantastic time.

Written by Gavin on August 30, 2006 at 10:17pm
I am not Irish but I am living in courtmac for over 6 years now and think the people there are just fantastic. 6 years ago not many foreign people were to be spotted around little villages like this. Yet I and many after me (English, German, Dutch, Belgian) have been welcomed by the local people like I haven’t experienced it anywhere else. I recommend to go and visit again when the ‘locals’ are out and about. Best chance to meet them is in the pubs during the WE. The tourist season can be fun ’cause there’s more ‘going on’ but you will merely meet tourists. In the winter with a bit of luck - and after some drinks - you’ll end up taking part in a good oldfashioned all-curtains-closed music and singing session, but they have good bands and parties too by times.

Written by blowin on October 10, 2006 at 6:45pm
Courtmac is a fantastic place, A get away from it all type of place. The local people are lovely and you can join in or be left alone. Its full of hidden surprises, lovely walks and a summer festival which brings you back to good old fashon family fun. Its a place where Government ministers can holiday and people will leave them alone!
I recently visited with some American friends and it was during the summer festival, we entered a crab fishing competition and came second, everyone is a winner, and it was sponsored by the local shop Rits’a so sweets for everyone. The festival also has welly(rubber boot) trowing compeition where you have a better chance of being hit by a flying welly then actually trowing one, slow cycle race, slippery pole,pillow fights and chalk drawing on the pavement are only a small sample of the activities lined up each year in august. A Shop, Hotel and a number of pubs make this a unspoilt little town where the local residents and council take pride in the town and keep it in great order, and a little old lady called Peggy walks around picking up papers 24/7. A busy little pier with daily boat trips for fishing and rental and a local sailing school where you can rent sailboats and the like and you might even get given out to if you dont say please and thankyou. Rory Conlon a casual visitor.

Written by Rory Conlon on December 04, 2006 at 4:45pm
Courtmacsherry. Don’t go there it’s horrible, (actually it’s lovely and we would love to keep it that way). There is nearly always something going on….annual horse racing on the beach, the week long festival and regatta with out and out family fun, the annual Story-telling festival with stories being told in all the bars, culminating in the Concert in the hotel, the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. Couple all this with lovely beaches and walks, canoe, fishing and sail boat hire, world renowned fishing and most of all a friendly atmosphere.

Written by Gerry on August 01, 2007 at 3:39pm
What a lovely shot! Nice touch, indeed!

Written by background-check on February 10, 2008 at 4:54am
Great shot! I noticed that you mentioned the annual horse racing on the beach. Do you happen to have any photos from this for us to view?

Written by Horse Racing System on March 18, 2008 at 6:48pm
i dont understand.

Written by nature pictures on April 28, 2008 at 2:02pm
We have visited Courtmac since 2001 and have found this to be one of the most charming places in all of Ireland…so much so that if we could afford it, we would retire there! We have typically visited in late May-June and while there are not the high numbers of tourists, the local folks are quite open to conversation if one appears open to them. What we found that worked well for us is to visit the same pub during the week from about 9:30 on and we might meet some of the same folks making a friendly contact with repeated visits. Our origin from the South of the US(currently) makes it all the more likely to greet folks with a hello in passing on the street (singular). Please reconsider revisiting this most charming town and give it another chance. It’s too great an opportunity to pass.

Written by polly huber on May 08, 2008 at 5:32pm
Greeting someone with a “Hey, y’all,” alway invokes interest among the locals who are very interested in the fact that this is the most common greeting among the locals in Emerald Isle, NC. I must say, however, that the local knowledge of “grits and country ham” is truly woeful. ;0) Even though a Yankee transplant to Dixie, I have found the people in Courtmac very similar to my native Ohioans…willing to talk to anybody given the opportunity.(Jack Huber)

Written by polly huber on May 08, 2008 at 5:39pm