A Place Apart
Please note due to the COVID-19 Pandemic all events scheduled for 2020 are subject to cancellation or postponement.
Lonehort Battery
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic tours of Lonehort Battery are suspended until further notice.
Bere Island parkrun
Every Saturday morning at 9.30am from the GAA Pitch. Click here for further details. (Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and advice from parkrun Ireland this event has been suspended until further notice)
Please note due to the Covid-19 outbreak in Ireland all the groups listed below have cancelled their meetings until further notice.
Bere Island Active Retirement Group
The Active Retirement Group hold fortnightly coffee mornings. For further details contact Tim on 027 75099.
Parent and Toddler Group
The parent and toddler group meet every Monday from 10.30am to 12.30pm in the Community Centre.
After School Club
The After School Club is open every Monday from 3pm to 5pm in the Community Centre.
COVID-19 COMMUNITY INFORMATION:
The Bere Island Projects Group office has now reopened to the public on a strictly by appointment basis only. For further information or to make an appointment contact 027 75099.
Sunday Mass has resumed at St Michael’s Church Bere Island at 10am on Sundays. Government guidelines on the numbers who can attend indoor gatherings are in place. People should reserve a time to attend Mass through the Parish office on 027 70288 which is open Tuesday to Thursday from 10.00am to 12.00pm. Parishioners are advised to wear face coverings.
Waste Collection & Recycling
Waste collections will take place on:
Materials for recycling can be placed in the appropriate containers at the recycling centre on the west end pier. Donations towards the running of the centre are greatly appreciated and can be left in the honesty box at the centre.
Rural Transport Bus
The rural transport bus travels to Castletownbere on Tuesdays and Fridays, travelling out on the 10am ferry from the west end and returning on the 1.30pm ferry. The bus will pick you up from your home and drop you back afterwards. The bus also transports people to and from Mass on Sundays.The bus is free for holders of travel passes.
If you would like to avail of the bus service please contact 027 75099.
Repair and Leasing Scheme
If anyone has a property on Bere Island, which they would like to rent out for long term use, but it needs work done on it first, the Repair and Leasing Scheme provides funding for property owners to bring a vacant property back to use, in return for the property being leased to a local authority or approved housing body for a period of at least 10 years. Further details are in the link below:
Runners line up at the starting line of the Bere Island parkrun
Bere Island parkrun is on every Saturday at 9.30am. The park run is a 5k measured course around the eastern end of the island and is open to runners, joggers and walkers.
Parkruns are free 5k running events which take place every week. The run is free, although participants are encouraged to register online in order to obtain a bar code, which is scanned at the beginning and end of their run, allowing them to track their progress on a weekly basis.
The parkrun was founded in 2005, with the first run taking place in Teddington, England. The idea quickly took off and there are now parkruns worldwide, with all runs organised on a voluntary basis.
On any given Saturday on Bere Island, you could be running or walking alongside islanders of all ages, visitors and members of the Irish Defence Forces who have a training base on the island. Past runners of the Bere Island parkrun have included Olympic silver medalist Sonia O’Sullivan, parkrun founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt, and the Running Guru, Noel Berkeley.
The Bere Island park run, which is on the Wild Atlantic Way offers spectacular scenery of Bantry Bay with a route which takes in a Bronze Age wedge tomb, remains of a Viking boatyard and a former World War One military battery. At the end of the run everyone heads to the Bakehouse Cafe in Rerrin Village for a coffee, scone and a chat.
Bere Island Ferries leaves Castletownbere at 9.00am, and provide bus transport to the starting line. Call Colum on 086 2423140 to book the ferry and bus for a special deal of €10. The ferry returns to Castletownbere at 11.15am
Or why not make a weekend of it and stay on Bere Island which has a variety of accommodation on offer.
Runners, joggers and walkers of all ages and fitness levels are all welcome to take part in the Bere Island parkrun. To take part, you need to register at www.parkrun.ie
Once you have registered you will be sent a confirmation email containing your barcode and information on what to do next. You will then need to bring your barcode to the parkrun event on Bere Island, or to any of the parkrun events on offer worldwide.
If you require any further information or would like to volunteer at any of the runs please email bereislandhelpers@parkrun.com.