Directions
How to find us!
Grid Reference W78 83
By Road:- From Cork’s Ring Road (N40), travel towards Carrigaline on the N28 for about 10 kms., following road signs for the car ferry. After passing a Maxol service station, you come to a large roundabout, Shannonpark roundabout, keep to the left and take the 1st exit, towards Ringaskiddy on the N28 for a further 2.8 kms., continue through the small roundabout at the church in Shanbally village. Then, after 0.8 kms. pass through another roundabout at the Pfizer factory entrance, and after a further 1.1 kms., turn right onto the R613.
Drive towards Carrigaline on the R613 for 1.4 kms., then turn left towards Currabinny. After another 1.5 kms, at the lowest point of the road, it sweeps right towards Currabinny, but you want to turn off to the left, over the causeway towards the Thermo Fisher factory. Drive to the end of the causeway, turn right at the small roundabout, drive and park in the company car park. If you are a BirdWatch Ireland member, you can collect an access card to walk the Slí (walkway) which fringes the reserve and accesses the bird hide.
By Public Transport:- The site is not directly accessible to anyone using public transport. There is a regular bus service from Cork city to Haulbowline (Route 223 – timetable link below), which routes through Shanbally, then west to Coolmore, and turns north towards the village of Ringaskiddy. About halfway between Coolmore and Ringaskiddy, the bus stops at Barnahely but this does leave you a strenuous walk of 1.6km (1.0 miles) from here to the causeway leading to the Thermo Fisher pharmaceutical plant (downhill there, noticeably uphill on the way back!). A walk of 0.3km (0.5 miles) brings you along the causeway to the entrance to the access path (Sli na Slainte) to the reserve’s hide.
Timetable:-
https://lbbrcork.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Route-223-Timetable-Spring-2019.pdf
Route Map:-
https://lbbrcork.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Bus_Éireann_South_Mall_County_Cork_Haulbowline.pdf