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Barryroe. It is the place I live in. It is the place I have lived in for my entire life. Whenever I hear anyone speak about Barryroe with praise, I feel an enormous sense of pride. It means that much to me. Quite simply, it is a place I consider beautiful.

Barryroe has a number of attractions, with some famous faces even paying a visit. The multi-talented Stephen Fry was once spotted shopping in Barryroe Co-op. The actor Kevin Costner was seen in Barryroe GAA Pitch with his family in the early 1990s. Local Bandon man Graham Norton has also been seen walking numerous times. I think these famous faces see the beauty of Barryroe just as well as I do. Being a Barryroe man, there are numerous locations around the parish which I consider beautiful, none more so than Barryroe GAA Pitch.

Located less than ten minutes walking distance from my house, Barryroe GAA Pitch holds a special significance for me. First and foremost, for a relatively small parish, it has excellent facilities. Facilities including a playground, a gym and a hurling alley only add to the beauty of the grounds. I have many memories of ‘the pitch’ as us Barryroe people call it, some good and some bad. I can remember winning the U-12 hurling championship back in 2003, but I can also remember losing the U-12 football championship semi-final in the same year. However, I still have mostly beautiful memories of Barryroe GAA Pitch. I have taken part in football and hurling since I can remember. I have had some excellent experiences with my friends, in both matches and training. Sport is one of the things that I could not live without so, as far as I’m concerned, ‘the pitch’ gives nothing but beauty to my life.

Besides Barryroe GAA Pitch, there are other attractions which seem to reel visitors in. One such attraction is Dunworley Beach, another place filled with beautiful memories of mine. Having a reputation as one of the cleanest beaches in West Cork has definitely put Dunworley Beach on the map. It is a place filled with beauty. During a fine summer’s day, there are not many better sights than parents enjoying the sunshine with their kids on the sand. The son only makes the water more beautiful to look at, the reflection giving it a resemblance to paradise. Dunworley Beach attracts dozens of tourists during the finest weather of the summer. My earliest memories are of going to the beach as a toddler with my older sisters. It’s funny how I love the beach so much, because I can’t even swim! To this day I still go to Dunworley Beach. During the summer, there is not much to do when you don’t have a job, so it is a great way of spending a day. Unfortunately our Irish weather limits these opportunities. But, even on an overcast day, you can’t help but admire the landscape of the beach. It is like something that God personally hand crafted. Many inhabitants of Barryroe would agree with me in saying how proud we collectively are of Dunworley Beach. It attracts people from far and wide, be it an exhaustingly hot day or a dull overcast day. Only the most beautiful of places have the ability to do that.

Getting away from the leisure activities of Barryroe, I might as well give a quick geographical lesson. Barryroe is comprised of three main villages. These are Courtmacsherry, Butlerstown and Lislevane. The largest of these, Courtmacsherry, is widely known for its tourism. It is a picturesque village synonymous with friendliness and warmth. During the summer, I think the village effectively becomes more beautiful. The Courtmacsherry Harbour Festival of late July/early August is a major contributor to this. But I think Courtmacsherry is livelier during the summer simply because people like to be there. The village welcomes visitors with open arms. Holiday cottages, a caravan park and Courtmacsherry Hotel provide the hospitality. The Lifeboat Inn, the Anchor Bar and the Pier House provide the nightlife. I think it is difficult to come across a more beautiful and welcoming village. The Courtmacsherry Lifeboat is very well-known, and massively contributes to the fishing and sea culture of the village. Even by driving down the road that stretches through the village, you can tell that its beauty is immediate and abundant. My memories of Courtmacsherry range from long ago to recent times. I always looked forward to Regatta Day as a young boy. As a teenager, I have always looked forward to ringing in the New Year with the locals. It is a beautiful village with beautiful memories and hopefully many more to come.

The other two villages of Barryroe do not have as high a profile as Courtmacsherry but are still equally beautiful to me. Butlerstown is probably the quietest village but this adds to the tranquillity. It was once a village of three pubs but now has just one, O’Neill’s. It is a very clean, welcoming pub and is probably the shining light of a peaceful village. I think the homely feeling more than anything contributes to the beauty of Butlerstown. The third village, Lislevane, is the first place you pass through if coming on the main road from Clonakilty. I have very good memories of Lislevane, particularly of the two pubs which have since closed down, Wheltons and Sextons. These two pubs are referenced in the ‘Barryroe Song’, and were bustling with activity once upon a time. I can remember going to Sextons to watch Man United games before it closed down in 2003. I can also remember going to Wheltons for All-Ireland Final day with my family before it closed down in 2008. Lislevane is also an entrant of the Tidy Towns competition, so it is very well kept. I think both Lislevane and Butlerstown are different from Courtmacsherry but are still proper Barryroe villages. They are peaceful and quiet but very well kept and, thus, very beautiful.

The particular location in Lislevane where I live is called Tiernanean. It is basically at the centre of the three villages. The main thing which takes pride of place in Tiernanean is Barryroe Church. Built in the late 1800s, it underwent a multi-million euro renovation from 2009-2010 under the watchful eye of Fr. Eoin Whooley. Before the renovations, it was a stunning church but since the renovations, it has become an absolutely magnificent church. There is a visitors’ book near the altar inside the church. If you read those comments, you would notice that ‘beautiful’ is mentioned a lot. For a small parish, it is a massive building achievement. I may not go to mass every single weekend, but I can’t help but admire the beauty of the church that is just up the road from me. During mass, I think the choir provide a beautiful sound to go hand-in-hand with a beautiful sight. Renovations will also soon be started on Courtmacsherry Church but as far as I am concerned, it will never be able to compete with Barryroe Church. It is that beautiful.

More than anything else, I think the main thing that contributes to the beauty of Barryroe is the sense of community. It is a tight-knit community with families who appreciate and respect one another. Everyone realises that they are living in a special community. They do everything they can to make it the best it can be. I think it is the small efforts of people that have a large, positive effect on the parish. There may be Barryroe GAA Pitch and Dunworley Beach, three great villages and Barryroe Church. But nothing is more beautiful than a sense of community. If you are lucky enough to have that like I am, then you don’t really need anything else. It is these factors and more which make me consider Barryroe beautiful.