The West Cork Business & Tourism Awards take place this Friday, February 2nd, at The West Cork Hotel in Skibbereen. Brought to you by The Southern Star, in association with Carbery, the awards celebrate the best of West Cork business and tourism.
Meet the finalists in the Best Tourism Experience category, sponsored by Cork Airport, below.
Dursey Boat Trips – Passion and enthusiasm for an 'enchanting place'
Paul and Caoimhe O'Shea, Dursey Boat Trips. (Photo: Andy Gibson)
DURSEY Boat Trips offer visitors to Beara, an opportunity to take in the spectacular peninsula on an exhilarating boat trip filled with stories, history, wildlife and the most incredible views.
Currently on offer are two trips – the Bull Rock Trip and the Castletownbere Harbour Trip – which run seasonally from April through to September.
The Bull Rock Trip goes around Dursey Island and then, off the western point of Dursey, they head out to three islands; Calf Rock, Cow Rock and Bull Rock. Whales, dolphins, basking sharks, seals and otters are regular sights.
The Castletownbere Harbour Trip also features wildlife, history, lighthouses and shipwrecks as they travel along the length of Bere Island.
‘As visitors embark on any of our trips, they are greeted by experienced guides who are passionate about sharing their knowledge and love for this enchanting place,’ said Paul O’Shea, Garnish native and co-founder of Dursey Boat Trips, which was set up in 2019.
‘Their enthusiasm is contagious, igniting a spark of curiosity within every passenger. From the moment you step foot onto the boat, you know you are about to embark on a journey that will leave an indelible mark on your soul.
‘All 17 members of the team at Dursey Boat Trips take huge pride in showcasing the local coastline, lighthouses, islands and its wildlife. We pride ourselves in offering great value for money and exceptional customer service,’ added Paul.
Dursey Boat Trips also cater for all types of groups including corporate, hen and stag parties, photography groups, school tours, birthdays and other occasions.
‘We offer trips on the most upto- date open ocean-going ribs, equipped with latest comfort and safety equipment onboard. Our skippers are all experienced seamen, coming from the fishing industry, RNLI and the BIM Regional Fisheries College,’ said Paul.
He said their business has also helped to open up opportunities for other businesses in the area such as bike hire, walking tours, restaurants and accommodation. After all, it’s a rising tide that lifts all boats!
Kinsale Mead Co. – From the bee to the bottle
Denis and Kate Dempsey, Kinsale Mead Co. (Photo: Andy Gibson)
IT’S not every business can say they’ve been chosen to appear on television shows with internationally renowned chefs, but Kinsale Mead Co can!
They were visited by Neven Maguire and featured on RTÉ’s ‘Neven’s Seafood Trails’ as well as Masterchef John Torode for ‘John Torode’s Ireland’ also on RTÉ.
It was all in a day’s work for the first Irish meadery in 200 years whose vision and passion lies in rediscovering the art of mead-making and creating a range of award-winning Irish meads.
‘Using the best techniques of modern wine-making and carefully selected, pure honey and fruits, our meads are 11- 12% ABV, packed full of flavour and refreshingly different. We develop, craft and bottle them all by hand and they are all produced in our small, family-run business in Kinsale from bee to bottle, and are now judged as among the best meads in the world,’ said co-founder Kate Dempsey who set up the business with her husband Denis six years ago.
‘We run popular tours and tastings in the meadery in Kinsale, bringing visitors to West Cork from near and far. We take them on a journey through the rich history of mead and how it is woven through Ireland’s myths and legends,’ added Kate.
Sustainability is at the core of the business: ‘As members of the National Biodiversity Plan and gold certified members of Origin Green, we are committed to educating visitors on the huge importance of biodiversity for all our wild pollinators as well as for bees,’ she said.
Their tour consistently wins five star independent reviews and they are consistently ranked in the top three attractions in Kinsale in Tripadvisor
‘Since 2018 we have grown each year in visitor numbers and income, 90% in our second year (ignoring the Covid years), 53% and 2023 year to date we are looking at 39% increase and counting from 84 different countries to our small family run-meadery in West Cork.’
The business employs three full time two part time and two seasonal full time and also works with other local businesses as part of various food tours and boat trips.
Two Green Shoots – Small business, big heart
Kloe Wood and Adam Carveth of Two Green Shoots. (Photo: Andy Gibson)
NOURISHING people and the planet is what Glengarriff’s Two Green Shoots is all about through its gardens, feasts and escapes.
In 2018 they opened The Botanical B&B and The Botanical Bell Tent – two boutique accommodation offerings that celebrate and connect guests with the surrounding landscape.
‘The same year, we also opened the gates to The Garden of Re-Imagination. This showcase edible garden paradise gives visitors the chance to see and taste the incredible diversity of flavours that can be grown here from bubblegum berries to pink peppercorns through a range of garden tours and food experiences,’ said co-founder Kloe Wood Lyndorff.
Then in Spring 2023, they cut the ribbon on a brand new foraging trail which connects people with native wild plants through immersive guided foraging walks and fireside lunches.
‘As a tourism offering, we’re tiny!’ said Kloe.
‘Just a four-bed B&B and a single glamping unit with experiences weekly on Fridays and Saturdays. However, being small means our team of two can craft something really special. Not having hundreds of covers, means we can generously fill plates with nutrient-rich ingredients that we have sown, grown and then picked less than an hour before they’re enjoyed.
‘Being part of our local community means we not only hear about others producing the ingredients we can’t but know of the best nights to see the bioluminescence in the bay, the hidden coves for wild swims, the cosiest pubs that are showcasing amazing local singers,’ she said.
Two Green Shoots is also about moving tourism beyond ‘leave no trace’ to giving guests the opportunity to ‘leave a positive trace.’
‘We’re tackling the problems too. For our 2023 season we launched a ‘Sea Plastics Project’ with support from Clean Coasts giving our guests and visitors 10% off their stay or tour for completing a beach clean during their time in the area,’ concluded Kloe.
Category sponsor – Cork Airport
