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The islands and peninsulas of West Cork jut into the North Atlantic swell. They're a paradise for walkers and birdwatchers and are not yet swamped by tourists but it may not remain undiscovered for long.
The picturesque village of Baltimore, is situated at the end of one of these West Cork's peninsulas with the island of Sherkin providing a sheltered Harbour & bay ideal for watersports - diving, deep sea angling, sailing, boating, fishing, and ferries, and boasts of pubs, restaurants, hotels, and boasts of pubs, restaurants and hotels. Famed for its breathtaking scenery and wild life and with an abundance of things to do in West Cork, its easy to see why its a world renowned holiday destination. Gulls shriek and swirl above the beaches, gannets nest in crevices in rugged cliffs and whales, dolphins and seals are often seen in the West Cork Coastline.
Download Baltimore Walks Brochure
There are many fine walks in the Baltimore area offering great views, places of
historic and archaeological interest, the seashore and a wealth of flora and fauna.
Walks range from comfortable ambles to cross-country adventures and convivial company guaranteed. For a short stroll you could visit the pretty harbour with its ancient O’Driscoll castle now imaginatively being converted to a family home. This was the ‘Ti Mor’ of the name Baile Ti Mor. Baltimore was an important fishing and boat-building area and was dominated by the O’Driscoll clan who profited from the plentiful stocks of mackerel and pilchards. The history of the area can be read on the plaque erected in the harbour. Round the corner is the old railway station where up to 16 fish-laden trains departed for Cork daily. The fish was thence exported to the USA. Now the old station is the location for the Glenaans Sailing School.
A longer walk can take you on around the Cove and up the winding road to the Beacon…or Lot’s Wife (the pillar of salt) as it is called. Beacons and Signal Towers were erected all around the coast by the Government in the early 19th Century when they feared a European invasion. After the climb up to the Beacon please be very careful as strong winds could easily push the unwary over the high cliffs. However the climb is well worthwhile as the views over to Sherkin Island and out to sea are magnificent.
For a bird’s eye view of Baltimore there is another loop walk that passes The Community Hall and then turns inland towards Spain Tower – a gaunt example of one of the 19th Century Signal Towers. A system of signalling from one tower to the next was put in place so that the whole coast was watched. The coastal views along this route are superb.
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If flora and fauna interest you there is no better walk than across the bridge to Ringarogy island. A pleasant one and a half hour loop walk takes you first past the mud-flats where myriad birds are to be seen, most notably shelduck with their green heads, white breasts and red legs and beaks. Also curlew and oyster-catchers and green and redshanks are to be seen grubbing in the mud when the tide is out. The walk follows a quiet road around the island where fuschia, honeysuckle, rhododendron, hawthorn, montbretia and many kinds of seaweed can be identified.
It has an interesting history but nowadays justly famous as a holiday resort & fishing port - an ideal base for touring the magnificient West Cork Area.Most remarkable Baltimore Story is the tale of a Dutch-Algerian pirate who in 1631 sacked Baltimore and sold 160 inhabitants into slavery in the Middle East. Eventually a new village was founded, this time up the shallow river in Skibbereen, where pirate ships could not follow.
A ferry takes visitors out to the Islands of Heir, Sherkin, and Cape Clear. Cape Clear Island, the most southerly island off Ireland’s coast. Cape Clear was for a long time an important communication centre as ships from the North America dropped off their messages. It was from Cape Clear that the first news of the American Civil War and of Lincoln's assassination reached Europe.
Use the AA's route planner to work out routes, distances and journey times from other towns, cities, Airports, & Ferryports in Ireland.
Download Baltimore Brochure
Baltimore: A rough story of Baltimore through the ages
Baltimore (formerly an incorporated and parliamentary borough), the oldest town in West Carbery, was established 2000 years ago by Lug 11th. His decendents formed the O'Driscoll Clan, who at one stage owned all of the land from Kenmare to the Bandon river.
Baltimore is supposed to have been a sanctuary of the Druids and one of the principal seats of the Idolatrous worship of Baal, hence its present name,
Beal-Ti-More, signifying in the Irish Language, "the great habitation of Beal", is probably derived.
C. 1200 - O'Driscoll's ruled from Castlehaven to Roaring Water Bay.
C. 1210 - King John founded County Cork. He had a hunting lodge at Loughine.
C. 1215 - Dun na Sead castle built.
C. 1261 - The O'Driscolls obtained the castles in Baltimore, Sherkin, Reengarogy, & Loughine from Lord Slynie.
C. 1305 - The castle of Dun na Sead was burned and demolished by Domhnall Got MacCarthaigh after he had
taken it from the English of Desmond.
C. 1368 - O'Driscoll's raid Waterford, slaying the mayor, the sheriff, 36 burgesses and 60 strangers trading in
the town.
C. 1413 - Waterford sailors gained entry to the O'Driscoll castle in Baltimore during a banquet and took the
O'Driscoll's and some of their relations to Waterford as prisoners.
C. 1460 - The Friary & School of Sherkin were dedicated for the Franciscans of Strict Observance.
C. 1537 - Fineen O'Driscoll and his son Gilly Dubh went to the aid of 4 Portuguese bound for Waterford
with a cargo of 100 tons of wine and piloted them safely into Baltimore Harbour, put the Portuguese
in irons and confiscated the wine. In revenge Waterford attacked Baltimore with the force of 3 armed
ships and 400 men laid waste the island of Sherkin and its Franciscan Abbey,
set fire to the castle and the town of Baltimore.
C. 1545 - Dun na Sead and Dun na Long rebuilt.
C. 1552 - King Edward VI was advised by his parliament to erect a fort on the harbour and compel foreign
fishermen pay tribute: this proposal was not carried into effect.
C. 1576 - The O'Driscoll swore allegiance to Sir Henry Sydney as the Queens representative in Cork.
C. 1583 - Fineen O'Driscoll received his knighthood and called upon the privy Council in London expressing
anxiety that English fishermen might clash with his tenants at Baltimore. His concern was misplaced.
The fishermen wanted fish, his tenants wanted money. Consequent the tenants traded tackle,
supplies, and food, with the fishermen.
C. 1590 - English and foreign pirates began to visit Baltimore.
C. 1602 - A Spanish fleet entered Baltimore Harbour and took Dun na Long at Sherkin. Sir Finnen
O'Driscoll surrendered Dun na Sead to Spanish Commander Don Jean D'aquila.
C. 1602 - After an extremely cold winter, Spaniards left Baltimore for Spain. Sir Fineen O'Driscoll handed
over his castles to the local British Commander.
C. 1604 - British garrison left Baltimore.
C. 1605 - Sir Fineen O'Driscoll accepted £2,000 for a 21 year lease of Baltimore and its ploughlands from
Englishman - Thomas Cooke. No complaints from existing townsfolk.
C. 1607 - On July 3rd, Baltimore was authorised by His Majesty's High Court of Chancery to hold a Friday
Market and two Fairs on the 24th of June and the 28th of October.
C. 1612 - On the 26th of September the borrough received its official Charter from King James 1, appointing
Thomas Cooke Esquire to be the first Sovereign and James Salmon, Daniel Leach, Joseph Carter,
William Hudson, Joseph Hoskins, Stephen Hunt, Thomas Bennett (elder), Thomas Bennett (younger),
Roger Bennett, William Howling, Thomas German and Richard Commy to be the first 12 burgesses,
and a commonalty, the right of voting being in householders resident within the borough. It returned
two members to Parliament.
C. 1626 - Sir Walter Coppinger, a magistrate at Cork, of Viking ancestery, and a Roman Catholic, took control
of Dun na Sead and became owner return of an unpaid loan made to Sir Fineen O'Driscoll C.1616.
C. 1629 - Sir Fineen O'Driscoll died, at Clognan castle, Loughine.
C. 1631 - The Sack of Baltimore;
On June 19th, 2 Algerian warships under the command of Morat Rais (a Dutchman), arrived off the
Old Head of Kinsale and captured two Dungarvan mackeral fishing boats and their crews - the
skipper of one boat was called Hackett, who persuaded Morat Rais to keep away from
Dungarvan and Kinsale and to attack Baltimore instead. At 10 o' clock Sunday night, the Algerian
ships anchored at the Eastern Hole, and at 2 am Monday, June 20th the sack of Baltimore
commenced. The landing party was armed with muskets, scimitars, long knives, iron crow bars
and tar soaked strips of canvas wrapped around long sticks. They were accompanied by
John Hackett. The landing took place at the Cove from where the first captives were taken and
herded onto the Algerian boats. In the main part of Baltimore the Agerians broke open 40 houses,
looted 37 and took 109 captives. A planter named William Harris took defensive measures by firing
musket shots and beating a drum. Morat Rais found the drum beating to be disturbing and ordered
his men to return to their boats and set sail for Algiers, at the same time he released John Hackett.
On 10th August, Morat Rais arrived at Algiers with 89 women and children and 20 men from
Baltimore. The captives were brought to the Bashaw's Palace as 15 of the captives belonged to the
Bashaw by right. The others were sold on the open market.
C. 1632 - The Earl of Cork placed John Hackett on trial. Sir Walter Coppinger was obliged to hand over to the
military, Dun na Sead.
C. 1660 - King Charles 2nd. of England restored, to the O'Driscoll's, the lands & houses of Baltimore, in
recognition of their loyalty.
C. 1689 - James II granted Baltimore another charter and the borough continued to return two members to the
Irish Parliment until the Act of Union came into effect, when it was disfanchised and the £15,000
compensation was paid to Sir John Freke, who, in 1807 succeeded to the title of Lord of Carbery.
C. 1697 - H.M.S. Loo was wrecked during a gale, in Baltimore Harbour, on 30th. April. Hence, the Loo Rock
was named.
C. 1760 - 1785 Baltimore was a Port of Quarantine.
C. 1804 - A signal post tower was erected at Spanish point. It lodged a naval officer, assistants, & a
detachment of men. Constructed so as to be entered from the top by ladder.
C. 1819 - The church of St Mathew was built at Baltimore on a piece of land, granted by John, Lord Carbery,
who also contributed to the fund raised in the parish for the erection of same.
C. 1830 - The Beacon, known as Lot's Wife, was built by the Crowley Brothers. It is 52ft. high & 52ft.
in circumference at the base.
C. 1832 - School house for male and female children was built at the expense of Lord Carbery.
C. 1833 - A pier was built at the joint expense of the Fishery board and Lord Carbery. The trade of the
port consisted of exports of slate, copper, ore, flax, wheat, oats and potatoes and the import of
timber, iron, coal.
C. 1835 - Nine vessels of the aggregate burden of 2,030 tons entered inwards and the same number cleared
outwards as connected with foreign trade and 173 vessels of aggregate burden of 10,300 entered
inwards and 299 of the aggregate burden of 17,643 tons cleaned out.
C. 1850 - Over 1000 Baltimore residents emigrated to Canada, due to famine.
C. 1863 - Telegraph cable laid between Baltimore and Cape Clear.
C. 1879 - Father Charles Davis PP of Rath and the Islands took a deputation from Cape Clear and other islands
to London to meet Queen Victoria.
She put them in touch with Baroness Burdett-Coutts, who organised the setting up of an interest free
loan fund for the purchase of fishing boats towards which she paid £10,000. The cost per boat was
approx. £650-00.
C. 1887 - The Baltimore Industrial Fishery School was officially opened by Baroness Burdett-Coutts.
It was funded by the Grand Jury of Cork-£1,000.00, the Duke of Norfolk -£500.00, & the British
government-£5,000.00.
C. 1889 - Father Charles Davis was instrumental in having the Light Railway Act of 1889 passed through the
Westminster Parliament. The Act authorised the Government to provide a sum of £30,000 to finance
the building of the eight mile railway extension between Skibbereen and Baltimore
which was opened on May 2nd 1893. Unfortunately Fr Davis passed away in 1892 before he had
seen the line in action. The line was built by William Martin Murphy, founder of the Irish Independant.
C. 1890 - The Baltimore fishing fleet numbered 75.
C. 1912 - As many as 16 trains per day left Baltimore, carrying fish to foreign markets.
C. 1915 - The Baltimore Lifeboat Station was built.
C. 1917 - The railway line was extended to the pier by the Congested Districts Board at the cost of £10,000.
C. 1919 - The Lifeboat the "Shamrock" arrived at Baltimore Station.
C. 1920 - Skibbereen to Baltimore railway line closed due to Civil War difficulties.
C. 1923 - Railway line reopened.
C. 1925 - 20,000 barrels of mackeral exported from Baltimore to America.
C. 1931 - Baltimore station was reduced to halt status.
C. 1939 - 1945 Spain Tower was used as a submarine lookout post.
C. 1950 - The Baltimore Fishery School closed and BIM took over the operation boatyard.
C. 1953 - The Baltimore Sailing Club was founded.
C. 1957 - Steam trains were replaced by diesel-electric
C. 1961 - Last passenger train left Baltimore on Good Friday at 8.30 pm.
Ammendments & corrections to the above would be appreciated!
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