Gougane Barra

Gougane Barra (Irish: Guagán Barra, meaning ‘the rock-cleft of Barra’) is a scenic valley and heritage site in the Shehy Mountains of West Cork, Ireland. It is near Ballingeary in the Muskerry Gaeltacht. Gougane Barra is at the source of the River Lee and includes a lake with an oratory built on a small island. It also includes a forest park. The name Guagán Barra comes from Saint Finnbarr (or Barra), who is said to have built a monastery on the island in the lake during the sixth century. The present ruins of a hermitage date from around 1700, when a priest called Denis O’Mahony retreated to the island. During the times of the Penal Laws, Gougane Barra’s remoteness meant that it became a popular place to celebrate the Roman Catholic Mass. The nineteenth-century oratory, which stands near the original hermitage, is famous for its picturesque location and richly decorated interior and is a popular place for wedding photography. St Finbar’s Oratory is the final destination for one of the five Pilgrim Paths of Ireland, St Finbar’s Pilgrim Path, which starts 35 kilometres away in Drimoleague. Find out more here.