Ballyhass Lakes Activity Centre

Ballyhass Lakes, owned by Eddie McCarthy, is Ireland’s best known still, spring-water trout fishery, with holiday homes, an activity centre and cable wakeboarding centre. The fishing centre provides trout fishing all year round, with facilities for beginners to experienced fisherman.

The 36-acre site has 11 four-star holiday homes for rent. The activity centre offers up to 15 different activities, including kayaking, raft building, rock climbing, abseiling, high ropes course and 160m zip line. The activities are designed to suit different groups including families, schools, sports clubs and teams, corporate team building, hens and stags.

ADVERTISEMENT

New for 2014 at Ballyhass Lakes is the world’s fastest growing water sport - cable wakeboarding. This is a most accessible water sport for all ages and is fantastic fun. Located near Mallow, call 022-27773 or e-mail info@ballyhasslakes.ie.

Bridgefield Quads

Bridgefield Quads Ltd is now in its 18th year of operation. John and Ursula Smyth offer people an adventure drive over a course on their scenic livestock farm near Castlemartyr. They operate a guided tour with everything supplied, including all-weather gear and safety equipment from the purpose-built clubhouse.

Over the years, they have entertained visitors aged from eight to 80 years. One of their most famous drivers was Jacques Villeveuve, Formula 1 champion in 1998. They also hosted a Munster rugby Christmas party under the guidance of then coach Declan Kidney. Most of the visitors are families who enjoy the all-weather adventure.

Bridgefield Quads specialise in birthday parties for teenagers and adults and, of course, company outings from their large clientele of Cork businesses. Irish comedian Pat Shortt is a regular visitor and hosts many of Bridgefield’s clients who sample the famous d’Unbelievable burger in his local gastro pub, Pat Shortt’s Bar. Pat’s own Angus heifers are reared on the Smyth farm as a joint venture. Call 021-4667533, email bridgefieldquads@gmail.com or visit www.quadbikesafari.ie.

Cork Water Bus Harbour Cruise

Cork Water Bus, based in Cobh, is an ideal way to see the world’s second largest natural harbour from the water. The cruise is on a 40-seat vessel with Captain Brian Daly, who will share his love of the harbour with descriptions of the sights and their history as you pass them by.

The tour takes you through Cobh, past Cunard Line of the Lusitania and White Star Line of the Titanic. Other highlights include the sight of Fort Mitchell on Spike Island from an attacker’s point of view, behind which lies Fort Camden and Fort Carlisle. You will get a detailed view of Spit Lighthouse and St Colman’s Cathedral with lots more in between.

For the winter season, tours depart from Kennedy Pier in Cobh every Saturday and Sunday at 11am. Each trip lasts about an hour. Family tickets are valid for two adults and two children or one adult and three children for just €37. Book online www.corkwaterbus.com or phone 086-4169662.

Duhallow Walks

Discover the many sites of Duhallow by hiking along the Duhallow way. Travelling from Bweeng to Shrone, this scenic route passes by ancient monuments such as standing stones, stone circles and cairns, and more modern monuments such as cillins (infant burial grounds) and holy wells.

The walk is part of the E8 European Long Distance Path, which starts in Ireland and traverses Europe, finishing in Istanbul in Turkey. En route, walkers can take a well-deserved rest and enjoy an overnight stay in the world-class Coolefield House B&B in Millstreet, home of Pam and Michael Thornton.

The nearby Clara Loop offers a gentler challenge for all the family, or, for the height enthusiasts, a loop walk around the historic site of the Paps is currently in the process of being developed. For information, contact IRD Duhallow on 029-60633 or email duhallow@eircom.net.

Leahy’s Open Farm

Leahy’s Open Farm, which is located in east Cork, just three miles from Dungourney, is an open farm with a difference. There is family fun and adventure for every visitor. Interaction with the many animals always rates highly among visitors. A new addition is the recently opened Digger Park at the farm. This is a massive attraction, where children and adults can operate real JCB digger.

There are also adventure play areas, a huge maze, go-karts, crazy golf, a massive 35ft tube slide and a new indoor play barn. The farm also has a large coffee shop with fresh food cooked daily. This is a family-run business that works to offer every family a memorable and enjoyable visit.

The farm is open from 1 March each year for the summer season, it is closed during the week in October and November, but open at weekends.

Santa will arrive on 29 November. The month of December is a magical experience at the farm, as it is transformed into Santa’s Village. Contact 021-4668461 / 086-8560461 or visit www.leahysopenfarm.ie.

Movie Junction

Movie Junction is Cork’s drive-in cinema, just off the N25 near Carrigtwohill, where movie-goers park up and stay in their cars to watch the latest Disney movie or big blockbuster. Open seven days a week, Movie Junction is a great escape for a couple’s night out or a family day out with a difference.

Food and drink are available when you drive in and there is plenty of popcorn. All you have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy the show through your car’s own sound system.

Movie Junction often run family-friendly events, such as a pyjama party from 5-6 December and a surprise Santa party on 19-21 December, when Santa will visit children as they watch their movie.

For more, visit www.moviejunction.ie or call 089-4461464.

Fota Wildlife Park

Fota Wildlife Park is set in 70 acres on the scenic Fota Island in the heart of Cork Harbour, only 15 minutes from Cork city.

The park is not like a zoo, as you come face-to-face with free-roaming animals and birds from all parts of the world. So, whether it’s a kangaroo that hops in front of you or a ring-tailed lemur which jumps down from a tree, each visit is sure to bring its own fantastic memories.

Visitors can also see highly endangered species, such as the Rothschild giraffe, European bison, lion-tailed macaque, scimitar horned oryx and the Sumatran Tiger, which arrived in the park in 2014, most of them without the obstacle of fenced-in exhibits. This is the most spectacular aspect of Fota Wildlife Park and is the reason you’ll want to spend a full day exploring Ireland’s wildest attraction.

For more, call 021-4812678 or email stephen@photowildlife.ie or visit www.fotawildlife.ie.

The Glen Resource and Sports Centre

The Glen Resource & Sports Centre is opening Ireland’s first publicly owned artificial ski slope this month. It will be the only ski slope outside Dublin and will cater for learner skiers of all ages.

Snow boarding and snow tubing will also be available. So it’s ideal for those who want to learn the basics to make the most of their ski holiday.

The existing adventure facilities already attract large numbers to have a go on activities such as the high ropes course, zip wire and zorbing.

The centre is located on Cork’s North Ring Road, which can be accessed from all routes to Cork. For further information, call 021-4550511 www.skicork.ie.

Titanic Experience Cobh

Titanic Experience is located in the original White Star Line ticket office in the centre of Cobh town, the departure point for the final 123 passengers who boarded the Titanic.

The visitor experience is presented in two parts. The first is an exciting, immersive audio-visual tour retracing the steps of the passengers who boarded Titanic from Queenstown on 11 April 1912. With Fourth Officer Boxall as your virtual guide, you will experience what life would have been like on board for those 123 Queenstown passengers.

The second part of the Titanic Experience examines how it all went wrong. Using computer-generated graphics to recreate the collision and subsequent sinking, film analysis of the Titanic on the seabed and expert interviews, these interactive exhibits allow visitors to find out how and why the Titanic sank.

Open seven days a week from 10am to 5.30pm in the winter. Call 021-4814412, e-mail info@titanicexperencecobh.ie or visit www.titanicexperiencecobh.ie.