Doneraile Park, Co. Cork, Ireland
Cork has some great spots to visit and one of these is the town of Doneraile and it’s famous Doneraile park. The vast spaces of Doneraile park have everything from deer and sheep to swans and squirrels. If you have a camera and enjoy walks then this is the place for you.
Doneraile Park comprises approximately 160 hectares of estate land with groves of deciduous trees, a stately home, many water features amongst much more which you can discover during a visit. The stately home I mention is actually Doneraile Court, the former residence of the St. Leger family. At the time of my visit the Georgian style house was being renovated and I was told it would be opened to the public at some point – however on a more recent visit the building looked to be almost complete.
There are a few routes to take when walking and I recommend taking the upper loop to get a view of the deer and the house and also the lower loop which takes in the swans on the lake. Later in the year, around October, you will see the male deer go head to head, fighting for the control of the female harem of deer. It is certainly worth coming to Doneraile Park at different times of the year to see different aspects of the wildlife and also the fauna which grows here. It’s a great spot for all the family.
Keep your camera powered on as you never know what you will see and it’s worth having it on burst mode to capture as many shots as you can.
Photos of Doneraile Park
Flowers in Doneraile Park
Swan Landing
Robin Red Breast
Deer in Doneraile Park
The park is located not far from Mallow and if you are in the area you should also visit the nearby Donkey Sanctuary which is located in Liscaroll about 20 minutes from Doneraile Park.
I will be including some more of these shots in my Photo Gallery in the coming weeks.