Oct 13, 2025
The Perfect Harmony: Kudu Travel's Cultural Walking Holiday to the West Cork Chamber Music Festival
We're thrilled to announce our brand-new tour to one of Ireland's most beautiful regions: West Cork!
This tour is timed perfectly for you to attend the internationally renowned West Cork Chamber Music Festival in Bantry, where you'll enjoy seven performances by top native and international artists in beautiful venues, including the magnificent Bantry House.
Discover West Cork's Hidden History
The West Cork Chamber Music Festival in Bantry is Ireland's premiere chamber music event, a 10-day spectacular that has attracted top international musicians and a loyal audience for 30 years. You will attend seven diverse performances, from main evening concerts in the candle-lit Bantry House to the inspiring Young Musicians Platform, showcasing the next generation of classical talent.
We will explore the breathtaking West Cork coastline and countryside with a fascinating historical narrative woven into every step:
- Michael Collins' Last Stand: Your journey begins by driving through Beal na blath, a seemingly peaceful village best known as the site of the fatal ambush of Irish revolutionary leader Michael Collins in 1922 - a pivotal and tragic moment in Irish history.
- The Hermit and the Oratory: You'll start with a circular walk through the scenic Gougane Barra valley, pausing at St. Finbarr’s Oratory. This picturesque setting is the site of the original hermitage established by St. Finbarr, the 6th-century bishop of Cork, and is one of the most spiritual places in the country.
- Walled Gardens and Grand Estates: A visit to Garinish Island showcases the Italianate 'Ilnacullin' walled garden, designed in 1910 by Harold Peto. In the afternoon, we settle in Bantry to enjoy the festival, with performances held in venues including the magnificent Bantry House, which offers wonderful views over the bay and gardens and serves as the festival's traditional closing venue.
- Railway Relics and Norman Towers: Your morning walk features the monumental 12-arch railway viaduct at Ballydehob, a remainder of the Schull - Skiberdeen Tramway which operated from 1886 to 1947. You'll finish near the striking, peach-coloured Kilcoe Castle, a 15th-century tower house currently owned and restored by actor Jeremy Irons and his wife.
- Bronze Age Secrets: Discover the Drombeg Stone Circle, a fine Bronze Age relic situated on a ridge overlooking the coast, and the adjacent Fulacht Fiadh (an ancient cooking place). Further east, you’ll delve into the life of a national icon at the Michael Collins House in Clonakilty, dedicated to the Irish revolutionary hero.
- A Tragic Maritime Tale: In Kinsale, your tour includes a moving visit to the Lusitania museum and memorial garden. The tragic sinking of the RMS Lusitania took place just 11 nautical miles off the coast of Ireland in May 1915, an event that significantly shaped the course of World War I.
- Ireland’s Star Fort: The tour concludes after exploring the star-shaped Charles Fort in Kinsale. As one of Ireland’s largest military installations, this remarkably well-preserved structure is a witness to important historical sieges and events, offering great views of Kinsale harbour.
This brand-new Kudu Travel tour is the perfect blend of mental and physical nourishment, combining gentle cultural walking with the joy of chamber music. Spaces on this unique tour are limited, so please join us for this testament to all that is precious in Irish music and its people.