A West Cork village has been recommended by The Guardian as one of the 10 most charming villages in Ireland.

Castletownshend in West Cork with a population of just 196 has been chosen by the publication as one of the country’s most charming villages.

The village, about 8km southeast of Skibbereen, was developed around a small 17th-century castle built by Richard Townsend whose descendants still reside there.

The Castle, which has been the Townsend family home since the 17th century and is now open to guests, lies right beneath the Church of St Barrahane which overlooks the town.

The church, which was built in 1826 under main architect James Pain and noted for its stained glass windows, replaced the original church built in 1761.

The Guardian described Castletownshend as having “beguiling streets” and “tall, elegant houses”.

Other villages included in the list were Knightstown, Valentia Island in Kerry, Garrykennedy, Tipperary and Inis Oírr on the Aran Islands

To read The Guardian’s top 10 villages in Ireland, click here.