Glengarriff (Irish: Gleann Garbh, meaning ‘rough glen’) is a village of approximately 140 people on the N71national secondary road in the Beara Peninsula of County Cork, Ireland. Known internationally as a tourism venue, it has a number of natural attractions. It sits at the northern head of Glengarriff Bay, a smaller enclave of Bantry Bay. Located 20 km (~12 miles) west of Bantry, and 30 km (~18 miles) east of Castletownbere, it is a common stopping-point along the routes around the area. Primarily, the economy revolves around a combination of tourism, farming and local services.
Glengarriff is a small seaside village on the Ring of Beara surrounded by high rugged mountains pocked with old bogs being farmed for peat. Local tourist sites include the Italian Gardens on Garnish Island (Ilnacullin), which may be visited by boat trip. Offering a broad view of the surrounding area, the round Martello tower on the island was built to guard against a threatened Napoleonic invasion that never materialized.
In the nearby Glengarriff Forest is the glen that gave Glengarriff its name, (loosely translated as rough glen) containing some of the oldest and most extensive oak and birch groves left in Ireland. A short but steep trail leads up to Lady Bantry’s Lookout, which has views over Glengarriff and the west Cork area. Other tourist amenities include the Bamboo Park, behind Toad Hall, a local amenity area featuring a child’s playground and Blue Pool lagoon, the nearby Barley Lake and the historic Eccles Hotel. Walking trails in the area are extensive, kayaking on the bay is regularly scheduled, and live music is played at local pubs, particularly during the tourist season. Glengarriff also has several shops, art galleries, pubs, restaurants and other services.
Glengarriff harbour is a sheltered anchorage and has visitors moorings for visiting yachts. Glengarriff has an annual music festival, the Jim Dowling Uilleann Pipe & Trad Festival, which takes place in June and focuses on uilleann piping. Glengarriff Golf Club is a nine-hole course on the east side of the village. It is associated with the late Maureen O’Hara, the film actress, who had a home nearby.
[responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Ernst Werner Siemens was a German inventor and industrialist. Siemens’s name has been adopted as the SI unit of electrical conductance, the siemens. He was also the founder of the electrical and telecommunications company Siemens. After finishing school, Siemens intended to study at the Bauakademie Berlin. However, since his family was highly indebted and thus could not afford to pay the tuition fees, he chose to join the Prussian Military Academy's School of Artillery and Engineering, between the years 1835-1...
