BALTIMORE IRELAND

Ireland » Cork  » 

 

Baltimore is a  small but busy and lively port and popular sailing centre, south of Skibbereen and facing onto Roaringwater Bay and Carbery's Hundred Isles. Regular ferries operate from here to Cape Clear and Sherkin Islands. The ruined castle which overlooks the harbour was a holding of the O'Driscolls, who were one of the most important clans in West Cork. They controlled the fishing of the area and could levy dues on all the fishing fleets who came to these rich fishing grounds.   An extraordinary event in the history of the town was a raid in 1631 by Algerian pirates, when many of the inhabitants were slaughtered and about 200 others shipped off as slaves to North Africa. Baltimore has a reputation for fine boat building. The Saoirse, in which Conor O'Brien sailed around the world in 1923, was Baltimore-built, there is a sailing school centre in the village. Hence, Festivals in Baltimore include the Baltimore Wooden Boat Festival also in May a weekend celebration of sailing and the traditional Irish timber sailing boats also held at the same time is the Baltimore Seafood Festival, where the best of local Baltimore Seafood is served up on shore, also Baltimore Fiddle Fair where national and international artists gather in May for workshops and music sessions in Baltimore.