At the bottom of the hill, past the two old Sycamore trees in the middle of the road, in the small West Cork village of Castletownshend stands The Castle, home of the Townshend family since c1650. Known simply as “The Castle” since the village is named the same. Colonel Richard Townsend arrived in Ireland with Cromwell’s army, settled here, acquiring 8,000 acres of land and so the village grew in the beautiful sheltered setting ofCastlehaven harbour. Today only 90 acres remain, land having been sold over the years to pay the required inheritance taxes.
Today it is run as a Georgina Campbell award winning Bed and Breakfast. A boutique home with eight guest bedrooms, for couples looking for a quiet get away. The Castle has in fact been receiving guests for over 60 years, although some things have changed, with electricity, central heating and ensuite bathrooms all being added. The building still retains a lot of the old features, including the Front Hall surrounded in oak panelling and leather wall paper, the oil paintings of generations past, and the gong which used to be rung at meal times, which all give a sense of stepping back in time when you arrive at The Castle door.
In 2015 The Castle estate was handed to Justin Cochrane Townshend, now the 11th generation, to be guardian of the unique home. The business is managed by his partner Sharon Poulter, who having a Hotel & Restaurant Management degree and being a qualified Chartered Accountant seems to have the right credentials for the task ahead. A warm welcome awaits, with each guest room individually named and styled, just the sound of the lapping waves at night will insure a great night’s sleep.
Castletownshend is full of history. At the top of the hill is Drishane house, home of Edith Somerville, writer (along with cousin Violet Ross) of The Irish RM and The Real Charlotte. The Church that sits above The Castle is home to three of Harry Clarkes stained glass windows, commissioned by Edith herself. The village has the long running Mary Ann’s Restaurant and Bar and of course a Macarthys pub too, once known as the Townshend Arms. Just outside the village high up is Knockdrum Fort, a stone ring fort that predates the village and has amazing views of the area. The Three Fingers (were five, one is on the ground and one is rumoured to be on Townshend land) are standing stones that align for the winter solstice. If you follow the coast road from the village you can walk out to Toe Head coast line, where marked on the ground in large stones is EIRE, a warning to aircraft during the second world war that they have reached Ireland.
There is much to see and do locally and West Cork is well known for its artisan food. An old tourist brochure wrote;
Somebody said “West Cork is bigger than Ireland”, and after you’ve been around it for a while you’ll begin to think they’re right.