What is the best beach in Cork?

AS the long, sunny days arrive, and the school year ends, thousands of us will be heading to the beach for a day out.

Many of us will have a favourite place to balm out on the sand, or stick our toes into the cooling water: for some, it may be a place we have visited since childhood, for others it could be the nearest stretch of sand - some still may be happy to drive miles to their favourite.

Today, we launch a fortnight-long series in The Echo and on EchoLive.ie, called Cork Coasts - celebrating the people and places that dot our 2,000km coastline. To launch the series, we asked the experts at the People’s Republic of Cork website to compile their list of the best 16 beaches in our county.

Which to include, which to omit? And which will be No.1? You may agree with the list, or it may infuriate you! But don’t worry, as our readers will have a chance to vote for their favourite beach too!

Today we start the countdown of Cork’s best beaches - from No.16 to No.9.

16. Heir Island Beach

Cork’s most serene and tranquil beach, you’ll often get the entire place to yourself even in July and August.

This delicious slice of serenity is just a 20-minute walk from the quaint old Cunnamore Pier (about 15 minutes drive from Skibb’) where the cute little passenger ferry drops you and your 27 bags of stuff-you-didn’t-really-need.

There are no chip vans or hipster coffee pods, no pony rides or shouty scobes on this crescent shaped piece of paradise, but that’s the beauty of it. You’re getting away from it all in one of the most incredibly calm, scenic places in the world. And you didn’t even have to leave Cork.

15. Garryvoe, Shanagarry

Some Corkonians, spoilt for choice by the number of beautiful beaches to choose from in their county, turn their noses up a little at this East Cork gem because the strand is a bit too stoney, but it’s a pure daycint beach that’s got loads going for it.

As well as a long strand that has plenty of not-so-stoney bits on the east side, it’s also perfect for smallies who never run out of stones to lob at incoming waves.

There’s also a really good playground just behind the beach, plenty of car parking, and the hotel across the way does the best seafood chowder and toasties known to man - essential after a plunge.

There’s a half-decent public bog too (that admittedly smells like it was built in the 5th century from whale poop) but it beats having to wade into the water for a pretend-swim.

14. Red Strand, Clonakilty

Clon’ locals like to come here when Inchydoney turns into Costa del Crowded, so follow their lead. It’s a no-nonsense, straight-up-the-middle pure West Cork gorgeous sandy beach that faces directly south.

There’s a mobile sauna here too on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays - basically, you boil yourself in a pod (while someone talks to you about spiritual self-renewal and the healing power of handcrafted Gubeen cheese), then you walk into the sea completely immune to the cold. 

It’s lovely to enter the Atlantic just once in your life without involuntarily screaming obscenities and mortifying yourself.

13. Dock Beach, Kinsale

The No.249 bus drops you at the bridge nearby, which is pure handy if you want to have a few scoops in the Dock Bar after visiting this amazing beach. It’s small and doesn’t have a public jacks, but everything else stacks up in its favour.

The view of Kinsale harbour is stunning and the beach’s location within it makes it much calmer than coastal beaches. 

It’s one of few east-facing beaches in Cork, so the prevailing south-westerlies don’t whip your towel or your head off on a windy day.

This writer is willing to cage-fight anyone who says the fish and chips on the Kinsale side of the bridge aren’t the nicest in Ireland/The World.

12. Ballyrisode, Schull

The coast from Glandore all the way to Crookhaven isn’t blessed with many beaches and Schull, for all its glory, seems to lack a good beach. However, 10 minutes west of the town is delightful Ballyrisode.

Parking can be tricky, especially as this part of West Cork attracts a lot of clowns who insist on imposing their two tonne nuclear-powered SUVs on Ballyrisode’s delicate access boreen, but it is well worth the tongue-biting to get here.

The rocky outcrops make good improv climbing walls for adventurous smallies at low tide, the sand is silver and silky, and the place is well sheltered if you fancy taking a dip.

11. Ballydonegan, Allihies

If teleportation ever becomes a thing, this is where we’d get zapped to if Met Éireann promised us a few hours of sunshine, as it’s one of the most sedate and picturesque locations on the planet, not to mind Cork.

We haven’t quite worked it out, but the vivid colours of the water, sand, landscape and sky are like you just upgraded your TV from HD to 8k - maybe it’s something to do with the luxurious sand, which is noticeably thicker and comes from the local copper mine.

10. Myrtleville

It might surprise you that this makes our top ten because Myrtl’a’s overflowing litter bins are often posted on social media during heatwaves, but it’s not Myrtleville’s fault that it’s so popular (and has tiny bins). 

It’s popular because it’s good.

Locals do a savage job keeping this lovely beach clean and its proximity to the city and Carrigaline make it popular with everyone: early morning swimmers, childminders who want to let hyperactive toddlers burn off some midweek energy, and those who want to nip down for a quick balm in the sunshine.

9. Inch, East Cork

We love this cute beach a short drive south from Midleton. You might need GPS to find it, and on busy days parking can be messy, but it’s worth every clenched fist and narrow-road stand-off with someone who thinks they are driving the Titanic.

The beach is at its peak at low tide, with tons of space for pucking a sliotar around without it landing in someone’s barbecued spuds.

The waves are fun and you can usually rent a surfboard or get lessons if you book in advance. There’s often a coffee pod too, if you need reheating or a gee-up.

NEXT SATURDAY: The countdown concludes, from numbers 8-1 - which beach will be No.1?!

Also next Saturday, details of how readers can get the chance to nominate their own favourite Cork beach.