5 Reasons to Visit Ballyhoura (It’s a Hidden Gem in Ireland)

There are so many reasons why you should explore Ballyhoura. But I’ll attempt to keep it short and sweet for this article. Here’s our five top things to do in Ballyhoura, Limerick. Plus the best places to stay and eat in the Ballyhoura region.

Driving the narrow, winding road into Ballyhoura from Cork City, I thought to myself ‘this is the Ireland I came home to see’. I know that’s cheesy, but it’s the truth. Raised in neighboring Cork, I’m ashamed to admit that I’d never visited the Ballyhoura region. So, I didn’t know what to expect. But on that drive on a lazy Sunday evening and seeing the mossy green of the Ballyhoura Mountains ahead. I knew we were in for a treat.

Related Read: Another great place to visit in Munster is the Blarney Castle and gardens located in neighboring County Cork.

With a jam-packed three days of activities ahead of us. We were penciled in for: horse-riding, an aqua park, mountain-biking and a traditional Irish music festival. So, we drove on down those country roads full of excitement to get a taste of what Ballyhoura could offer us.

Where did we stay in Ballyhoura?

We stayed at the colourful Ballyhoura Hostel on the main street of Kilfinane village. With equally colourful hosts – Seamus and Teresa. They are the type of hostel owners you want to meet on your travels. ‘Salt-of-the-earth’ as we’d say in Cork who clearly know how to run a successful hostel. There’s a fully equipped kitchen, a roaring open fireplace in the living room, and even a sauna!

Ballyhoura Hostel is exactly the type of place you want to stay in Ireland!

Seamus and Teresa are a wealth of local knowledge and just a joy to have a chat with. Seamus explained the site of the hostel was his family home which he saved from almost disrepair. Being a carpenter by trade he oversaw every aspect of the hostel’s restoration. The private double room we were assigned is spotless with a large comfortable double bed. Featuring lots of storage space and the most beautiful furniture. All are hand-made by a company based in nearby Fermoy.

It’s hard to believe Ballyhoura Hostel sleeps a total of 43 people, as it’s so homely and welcoming. They welcome a variety of guests every week from young families and avid mountain bikers to stag and hen parties. And couples like ourselves looking for a bit of luxury and peacefulness on a budget. I cannot recommend Ballyhoura Hostel enough.  This welcoming home away from home is just one of the reasons you should visit Ballyhoura.

For more information on Ballyhoura Hostel, give them a call on 063 91625, email info@ballyhourahostel.ie or visit www.ballyhourahostel.ie

Where to eat in the Ballyhoura region

We really enjoyed Molly’s restaurant in the village of Kilfinane. Great home-cooked style food with big portions served. Molly’s is a real gem, you are also likely to meet some friendly locals here.

In the large town of Mitchelstown (a 45-minute drive from Kilfinane, where we stayed) there are lots of restaurants catering to all preferences. We highly recommend Market Place restaurant on New Square in the town.

In Kildorrery, a 15-minute drive from Kilfinane the Thatch & Thyme comes highly recommended for breakfast and lunch.

Related Read: West Cork is another gorgeous region in Ireland, over an hours drive from Ballyhoura

What to do in Ballyhoura

We enjoyed a host of activities in the Ballyhoura region over the 3 days we spent here. Here are our favourite activities in Ballyhoura (all tried and tested, with our seal of approval) –

1. Ballyhass Lakes, Mallow

Ballyhass Lakes is a hive of activity and has something for all ages. From zip-lining to wake-boarding to a brand spanking new Aqua Park. We had the pleasure of exploring the Aqua Park. Or perhaps more fittingly ‘falling off of’ the Aqua Park.

The Aqua Park at Ballyhass Lakes is essentially a series of inflatable slides, runways, jumping pillows and bouncers. All connected together and floating in a large, clean and refreshing lake. And boy, did we have fun!

For our one-hour slot we would be joined by approximately 40 other youths and adults. The Aqua Park is a lot harder than it looks. It’s the type of belly-aching fun that you need on a great day out. If you’re not as agile as you once were (like myself) you may spend a lot more time in the water than on the Aqua Park. It’s an excellent activity if there’s a large group of you. 

For more information on Ballyhass Lakes, call 022 27773, email info@ballyhasslakes.ie or visit www.ballyhasslakes.ie

2. Ballyhoura Horse-trekking, Ballyhoura

On arrival at Ballyhoura horse-trekking, John Joe (the owner) warmly greeted us and swiftly asked if we had been horse-riding before. “Two or three times” I replied. “Ah, great – we’ll try trotting so” is his response. Right at that moment we knew we would be in for a treat.

Exploring vivid green country lanes and trotting as John Joe promised. Towards the end, we were delighted to encounter a magical almost eerie forest which we trekked through. The rest of the views were just as outstanding and my husband (our photographer) had a tough attempt at snapping photos while riding his horse. John Joe, we were told by the locals is a “character”. He definitely is, and we had some very interesting conversations on the trek.

The trek was just over an hour in length and because we had so much fun, next time we would definitely try a longer trek.

The team at Ballyhoura Horse Trekking is truly experienced and caters to everyone from beginners to well-versed riders. At the end of the trek, after witnessing all that beautiful scenery and getting to know memorable people like John Joe and the rest of the Ballyhoura Trekking team. I honestly had such a huge swell of pride at being fortunate enough to call this beautiful country home. 

Ballyhoura horse-trekking is just another awesome activity to add to your Ballyhoura bucket list!

For more information on Ballyhoura Horse Trekking, call 086 8094648 or visit www.ballyhourahorsetrekking.ie

3. Ballyhoura Trailriders, Ballyhoura

We also tried our hand at mountain biking with Ballyhoura Trailriders. If you’re familiar with the Ballyhoura region, you’ll know it’s famous for its massive array of mountain-biking trails among the Ballyhoura mountains.

On arrival, you will be sized up for your bikes and given a detailed explanation of the biking routes. As well as any shortcuts back to the start if the “going gets rough” as the guide explained. Which is really helpful.  The technical trails are our favorite, a series of bumps and obstacles through a dense forest, exhilarating and fast-paced.

All trails vary in length and skill and if you’ve never tried mountain biking before we highly recommend opting for the shortest route. The uphill climbs are our least favorite, for obvious reasons. But “you have to go up to come down” as the guide so expertly explained at the beginning. And boy is the coming down fun. The views, as with elsewhere in the Ballyhoura region are breathtaking and we took lots more photos than we should have.

Having just returned from living in Whistler – a very popular biking destination in Canada, we had if I’m honest high hopes for the Ballyhoura trails. But, Ballyhoura well and truly exceeded our expectations. Since coming back to Cork, we have already encouraged a few of our friends to try them out this week. This adrenalin-filled activity as well as all the other fun stuff we enjoyed are just a few more of the reasons you should visit Ballyhoura.

For more information on Ballyhoura Trailriders, call 087 2717330 or visit www.trailriders.ie

4. Hup na Houra, Kilfinane

Despite our aching limbs after Trailriders, we joined what seemed like the entire population of Kilfinane for the closing night of the Hup na Houra show at the Old Chapel Rooms. An undeniably beautiful venue, tables were candle-lit and featured freshly baked cakes and the famed Ballyhoura apple juice.

The show features some of Ireland’s finest performers including Derek Hickey, Liam Flanagan, and Ronan Ryan. When Deirdre Scanlan started singing, the sound echoed beautifully through the room. It kind of gave me nostalgia for the old Ireland we see depicted on TV or read about – a simple life, focused on music or dance for entertainment, not social media or TV.

Hup na Houra is part of the Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Seisiún programme. Beautiful music, traditional dancing at its best featuring a mix of step, set, sean-nós and brush dancing. It truly is a fantastic introduction to Ireland for my boyfriend Paul who is from Brighton in the UK and never witnessed anything like this.

Hup na Houra really is a celebration of Ireland. It featured dancing on tables, an amazing part of the show, which has to be seen to be believed. A magical evening and one that anyone with any interest in music should attend. It runs every Monday and Tuesday in July and sells out quick! You definitely need to explore Ballyhoura to discover more gems like this.

For more information on Hup na Houra, which takes place each summer in the village of Kilfinane, call 087 4548501 or email hupnahoura@gmail.com

Have I convinced you to visit Ballyhoura?

Going home, we reflected on a truly authentic Irish experience in Ballyhoura. After such an amazing few days I was even stronger in my faith that one day I would return home to settle in Ireland.

**Tell me, have I convinced you to explore Ballyhoura? Let me know in the comments below.

Related Read: If you’ve been thinking of moving to Ireland my detailed guide has every bit of information you need to make the move!

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Last Updated on June 29, 2024 by snaphappytravel