Discover Riverstick and Find Hotels

Riverstick combines attractive river scenery with tangible links to sporting and ecclesiastical history. The village lies about 8 km north of Kinsale. The R600 regional road runs through Riverstick and also leads to Kinsale. Elevated ground lies east and west of the village centre, offering views over the centre and the R600.

Location and Getting Your Bearings in Riverstick

The R600 and the River Stick provide different reference points for getting your bearings in the village: the road runs through Riverstick, while the river is part of its attractive river scenery. The elevated ground on both sides of the village centre offers a view over the centre and the R600. Together, they create a picture in which the transport route and the landscape both help you find your way.

Sporting and Ecclesiastical History

Ballymartle GAA Club is based in Riverstick and won the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Hurling Final in 2011. The club fields two adult hurling teams and one Gaelic football team; this line-up may change over time. According to a description from 2019, a footpath ran along the north side of the road from the village centre to the GAA playing fields. If you plan to use this path, check its current route and condition beforehand.

Another local feature is the Ballymartle Chalice. It is more than 240 years old and is used for Masses and sacraments at St Joseph’s Church in Riverstick. If this use is important to your visit plans, check in advance for the latest information.

Church History in Nearby Cullen

Cullen is near Riverstick and has its own ecclesiastical history. It is home to an early ecclesiastical enclosure with a cemetery and church. Cullen is also an ancient ecclesiastical site mentioned in the Martyrology of Tallaght. Leaving Riverstick Village, you enter the area of the old parish of Cullen.

Local tradition also links Tobar na Súil well in Cullen with healing water for sore eyes. Alongside the ecclesiastical sites, this traditional belief connects the area with local folklore.

More to Explore in the Wider Cork Destination

In the wider Cork destination, you can choose from gardens, the history of fortifications and monasteries, and visitor attractions, depending on your interests. Fota Arboretum covers 11 hectares and is home to rare, delicate trees and shrubs that grow outdoors. The gardens at Fota also include an ornamental lake, formal pleasure gardens, an orangery and a sun temple. Ilnacullin offers a different focus: this small island garden lies in the sheltered coastal harbour of Glengarriff in Bantry Bay and combines horticultural and architectural features. The gardens at Blarney Castle include a tropical fern garden and a poison garden with plants such as deadly nightshade, monkshood and ivy; the garden design may change over time.

The histories of these sites also differ considerably. Barryscourt Castle was built between 1392 and 1420 as an Irish tower house. Charles Fort was constructed between 1677 and 1682 to protect the town and harbour of Kinsale; its walls and ramparts afford views over the harbour. Timoleague Abbey was built in the 13th century on a monastic settlement. Visitors can walk through the original stone structure and use the picnic tables on site. If the tables are important to your plans, check the current facilities beforehand.

Cork’s visitor attractions also include the Mizen Head Visitor Centre, which covers the geology of the region and the Fastnet Rescue Tide Clock, as well as the arched bridge that visitors can cross. Seals, black-legged kittiwakes, gannets and jackdaws can be spotted below the bridge; sightings are not guaranteed. Access conditions may change, so check them before making specific plans. The Midleton Distillery Experience offers guided distillery tours and premium whiskey tastings, and is home to the world’s largest pot still. Advance booking may be required. Clonakilty Distillery offers tours and tastings; at the Minke Gin School, visitors can make their own gin from a selection of botanicals. Offerings and booking conditions may change.

Discover more destinations: Gouladane, Ardfield, Farnanes, Castletown-Bearhaven, Lamanagh, Schull, Minane Bridge, Ballydehob

Back to the wider travel guide: Cork.