Macroom

Macroom is a market town and parish in Co Cork. It is situated in a valley of the River Sullane, about halfway between Cork City and Killarney on the N22 road. Cork City is about 37km east while Killarney is 46km to its north west. Both can be accessed by the number 40 bus. Macroom's hinterland lies on a valley at the foot of the Boggeragh Mountains. The town stretches for about two miles and largely consists of two long streets, Main Street and New Street, divided by the Ten Arch Bridge, which also leads off to the suburb of Massey Town, further towards the village of Ballinagree and the Boggeragh Mountains. The Gearagh, a national nature reserve on an inland delta, is located 1.5 kilometres south of Macroom. It comprises a series of small islands, separated by anastomosing, mostly flat, river channels or streams, and is bounded by Toon Bridge, Illaunmore, and Anahala Bridge. The area is thought to have been wooded since the end of the last Ice Age c. 8,000 bc. Tourist attractions include the town centre with its wide range of shops, pubs and restaurants, an 18-hole golf course and the Castle Grounds, with fishing and golfing. The town's surroundings contain large amounts of megalithic monuments, early Christian holy wells, churches and sacred sites associated with ancient visionaries and healers. Mushera Mountain is located a few kilometres to the north of the town, near Millstreet Country Park. It contains the ancient Saint John's Well. The town has two primary schools and three secondary schools.