Rosscarbery trip planner

Rosscarbery or Roscarbery is a town in County Cork, Ireland. The town is on a shallow estuary, which opens onto Rosscarbery Bay.HistoryThe area has been occupied from very early times, as is evidenced by the Neolithic remains such as Portal Dolmens. The area is very strong in Bronze Age remains - including a number of Stone Circles. There are also two Inscribed Stones in Burgatia. The number of Ring Forts and Holy Wells witnesses the Iron Age and transition from the Old to the New God.Rosscarbery was home to the School of Ross, a major centre of learning, at one time being a university town, and one of the major cities in Europe, around the 6th century. Due to its popularity as a centre of pilgrimage it was also known as Ros Ailithir. The hereditary chieftains of the area, or tuath, were the O'Learys, known as Uí Laoghaire Ruis Ó gCairbre, until it passed to Norman control in the early thirteenth century. The entire region had belonged to the ancient Corcu Loígde, of whom the O'Learys were one of the leading septs.DemographicsThe town itself has witnessed unprecedented growth in recent times, despite the lack of any major industry in the area, and being just outside the commuter belt for the city of Cork. The majority of new housing is holiday accommodation, which results in an annual swell in population during summer months. According to the 2006 census, the population of the town is 936.Places of interestThe SquareThe annual horse fair is held in the Square every year on August 26.