Gougane Barra is such a picturesque place that it should be visited in all seasons to appreciate it in all its grandeur. There is something magnificent about the lake on a summer’s day when the water sparkles framed by the wall of mountains and equally there is something so alluring about visiting Gougane Barra when the entire lake is so shrouded in mist you cannot see beyond a metre in front of you.
The mountain lake is fed by numerous silver streams that trickle down from the surrounding mountains and one of these streams is the source of the River Lee.
In the Gougane Barra Lake (Lough an Ghugain) there is a romantic looking little island on which St Finbarr established a hermitage. A short causeway leads onto the island where there is a small modern chapel near the remains of the 6th century monastery.
The cross in the centre of the island marks the spot where St Finbarr’s cell was. The island holds a sense of tranquility and timelessness with the silence penetrated only by the gentle sound of lapping water and birdsong.
At the end of the 17th century, Father Denis O’Mahony became a hermit on the island and it is then that Gougane Barra became a place of pilgrimage. The chapel on the island today is the most photographed and most painted chapel in Ireland and is a popular venue for weddings.
Just past the oratory, you will find the entrance to the Gougane Barra Forest Park which is an exceptional place for walks and picnics.
Nearby there is also the Gougane Barra Hotel and Cronin’s Bar and Cafe.
West Cork with Kids 
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