R572

Brandyhall Bridge on the R572

The R572 is the main road along the southern edge of the Berea Peninsula in west County Cork, overlooking Bantry Bay and Bere Island. The route is largely unimproved two lane single carriageway as it winds its way westwards from the N71 at Glengarriff, with very narrow sections to the Dursey Island end.

It meets the R574 at Adrigole, where it is possible to turn off up the Healy Pass and the R571 at Castletownbere. The road passes MacCarthy's Bar (of the travel book of the same name fame) in Castletownbere's narrow high street, before narrowing further for the final few km to Dursey Island. En route to Dursey, the road meets the R575, where the coastal Wild Atlantic Way road route turns north.

Finally, the R572 reaches a car park and the Dursey Island cable car. This is the only one of its type in Ireland and provides a crossing for people and livestock of the narrows between Dursey Island and the mainland.

Sign giving distances to New York and Moscow

At the end of the R572, overlooking the cable car to Dursey island, is a sign to Moscow. This is related to the fact that fishing boats from Russia used to regularly dock at Castletownbere.

Fuel may be obtained from a number of filling stations in Castletownbere during the daytime and evening.