Just 6.5km west of Rosscarbery the village of Glandore has a beautiful location overlooking Glandore Harbour. It is a popular centre for yachting, with some pleasant pubs and a hotel overlooking the waterfront, making it an ideal haven for sailors and landlubbers alike to unwind. Across the water from Glandore, and linked to it by a fascinating bridge, is the busy fishing port of Union Hall.
Glandore, or Cuan Dor in Irish meaning ‘Harbour of the Oaks’, was one of the earliest settlements in West Cork. The Normans arrived around 1215 and built two castles in 1215 which have been more or less continuously inhabited up to the present day. The very attractive Church of Ireland (built 1860) with its quaint entrance gate through the rock is a much photographed feature. Nearby is the famous Drombeg Stone Circle which has been dated to 150 BC following archaeological excavation in the late 1950’s.
In 1995 Glandore was the base used by an Australian TV Company for a live broadcast to Australia, as part of a promotional campaign for Ireland.
There are two islands in the bay, one named Adam, the other Eve. Sailing instructions entering the bay used to be ‘Avoid Adam and hug Eve’. At the head of the inlet is the village of Leap (pronounced Lep).
