Free Museums in Clonakilty

"Big Little Lies may have given model train lovers a bad name, but we adore the Model Railway Village in the town of Clonakilty. About an hour from Cork proper, this unique site features a handsome, handmade scale model of all the adorable villages along the old West Cork Railway line (closed in 1961). Watching the trains traverse a miniature Cork County is mesmerizing, and all the building details are really fantastic."

"The West Cork Model Railway Village, Ireland's only Model Village, is a fully scaled handmade model of the historic West Cork Railway Line with fully working trains and the towns that the railway served during the 1940's. Take a spin on the iconic Choo Choo through beautiful Clonakilty. Indoor and outdoor play areas."

"Kinsale's roots in the wine trade are on display at this early-16th-century fortified house that was occupied by the Spanish in 1601. Since then it has served as a customs house, a prison for French and American..."

"Desmond Castle Kinsale Cork has had a colourful history, ranging from Spanish occupation in 1601 to use as a prison for captured American sailors during the American War of Independence."

"The centre consists of The Great Famine Commemoration Exhibition and The Lough Hyne Visitor Centre. The Famine Exhibition commemorates the tragic period in the 1840s that is known in Irish History as the Great Hunger. The Lough Hyne Centre explores the unique nature of this salt-water marine lake, Ireland’s first Marine Nature Reserve."

"Not far from the previous location, Cronin’s Bar is an integral part of the town of Crosshaven. The bar itself is a throwback to previous generations as the walls are adorned with photos of boats from the nearby harbour, and the many trinkets that decorate the inside really add to the character of the place. The Mad Fish Restaurant is the food offering inside, and its selection of seafood is exquisite and has won numerous Irish food awards, so it is very much worth a try."

"The Trident Hotel have 75 beautifully modern guestrooms including an executive wing comprising 30 rooms and penthouse floor of 11 luxury suites. Best of all, every room provides breath-taking views of Kinsale’s harbour. Having a prime location that showcases its picturesque surroundings."

"Everyone feels at home in this famous old bar, especially visiting and local sailors. It's choc-a-bloc with genuine maritime artefacts such as charts, tide tables, ships' clocks, compasses, lanterns, pennants et al - but it's the Bushe family's hospita ..."

"Serving the fruits of the sea in an unpreserved way, the Poachers Inn sources their seafood locally and daily, buying their prawns whole and live, as well as cooking and cracking their own crab. Freshness and quality are at the core of the Poachers Inn’s philosophy. The same goes for their game and poultry dishes, their home-grown salads and house-made breads and desserts."

"‘At Poachers Inn we are committed to presenting our customers with the freshest & best seafood that the West Cork coastline has to offer. We are also committed to giving you the fruits of the sea in a totally unpreserved way. We cook and crack our own crab….we don’t use the pasteurised product as it damages the natural sweetness of the product."

"Bantry House & Gardens, a great opportunity to visit one of Ireland's renowned stately houses with views out over Bantry Bay. Take a tour of this historic house and gardens. Take in the history that will surround you here in West Cork."

"With its melancholic air of faded gentility, 18th-century Bantry House makes for an intriguing visit. From the Gobelin tapestries in the drawing room to the columned splendour of the library, it conjures up a..."

"One of Ireland's most famed manors is noted for its picture-perfect perch, on a hillock above the south shore of Bantry Bay. The fine…"

"Located on the outskirts of Kealkill village, the castle played a dramatic role in one of Irish History’s most exciting stories. In 1602, the castle’s owner, Donal Cam O’Sullivan Bere, led his followers past its gates on a march to Leitrim that would see him join the Flight of Earls from Ireland; that flight itself marked the end of Gaelic civilisation in Ireland. During the summer, the castle is open every day from 9am until 5pm."