The Paddocks Holiday Village or Fota Island Resort Lodges in Midleton Co Cork area are a great base for a self-catering holiday in East Cork. There are numerous places of natural beauty and attractions to be seen.
The Jameson Experience is located in Midleton, Co. Cork situated in the Old Cork Distilleries Company distillery just of the Main Street in Midleton. This distillery operated for 150 years, from 1825 until 1975, when the workers clocked off on a Friday in July, to start work in the new Midleton Distillery the following Monday. A decision was later made to turn the original distillery into a heritage centre known today as the Jameson Expereince.
A tour of the Jameson Experience is a journey through the story and making of Irish whiskey. If for any reason you are in Midleton and have some time to spare this is well worth a visit. If your having a self-catering holiday here for a few days it is a must see experience. Guided tours are available throughout the year a number of different languages are spoken and all tours commence with an audio-visual presentation, retracing the history of whiskey in Ireland. The tour takes in all aspects of whiskey distilling ending up with the cooperage make and repairing barrels and the warehouses where the important task of blending takes place. Of course at the end of each tour volunteers get the chance to take part in a comparison whiskey tasting, learning the differences between Scotch, American and Irish whiskey.
Once completed, guests are rewarded with a much coveted Irish Whiskey Taster Certificate, as well as a complimentary glass of Jameson with a mixer of their choice.
The village of Cloyne is another place of historical significance. In has a huge connection with George Berkeley 12 March 1685, 14 January 1753, also known as Bishop Berkeley (Bishop of Cloyne), was an Anglo-Irish philosopher whose primary achievement was the advancement of a theory he called "immaterialism" . This theory denies the existence of material substance and instead contends that familiar objects like tables and chairs are only ideas in the minds of perceivers, and as a result cannot exist without being perceived.Berkeley is also known for his critique of abstraction, an important premise in his argument for immaterialism.
Cloyne is a lovely place you can still see the front of old commercial stone building and stone houses on the side of the street , the old round tower that was once part of a medieval monastic settlement, thought to have been established by St Colman in 560. The structure is one of only two such towers existing today in County Cork.
In recent centuries, the tower underwent renovations after lightening struck, destroying the original conical roof.
All there attractions are within easy reach the Paddocks Holiday Village andFota Island where 2 and 3 bedroomed houses are available as self-catering accommodation. See www.goholidaylets.com for further details.
Fota Wildlife Park is a joint project between the Zoological Society of Ireland and University College Cork (UCC), an idea originally conceived in the 1970s by former Director of Dublin Zoo, Dr. Terry Murphy.
The Park was officially opened in 1983 by the then President of Ireland, the late Dr. Patrick Hillery, and has gone from strength to strength since - welcoming record visitor numbers in the years after a significant redevelopment of facilities in 2010 and 2011.
It has been listed as one of Ireland's Top Ten visitor attractions and is the most popular tourist destination in Cork.
Fota is a non-profit organisation, limited by guarantee, and is also a registered charity. It is completely self-financing, relying entirely on gate receipts and membership fees for its income, and any financial surpluses generated are reinvested in order improve infrastructure and promote the company's core objectives of conservation, education and research.
Fota house is next to Fota Golf Club where this years Irish Open was played and the golf club is part of Fota Resort the location for the self-catering accommodation that can be found on our website www.goholidaylets.com
Another place you should put on your itinerary is Garryvoe Beach is located just off the road from Ladysbridge to Shanagarry in County Cork. It is a mixed pebble beach and a great destination for families. The beach has a public car park, toilet facilities and wheelchair access is provided.
It is lifeguarded during the bathing season and more information can be found on the notice board located at the beach.
Fota House, Arboretum & Gardens has a wealth of things to see and do. The arboretum has a renowned collection of tender and exotic trees and shrubs from the southern hemisphere. These were discovered and brought back by the intrepid plant hunters of the 18th and 19th centuries. You can also visit the fragrant rose garden and pleasure grounds and the atmospheric Victorian fernery. The delightful and tranquil gardens at Fota were laid out by James Hugh Smith-Barry in the first half of the 19th century and are a must see when visiting this area. Entry to the arboretum is free.
Guided tours of the house, arboretum and the beautifully restored Victorian walled kitchen garden are available by appointment for a small charge. Self-guided tree trails of the arboretum can be purchased from Fota House from April to September.
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