Castletownroche

Castletownroche is a small County Cork town where the N72 crosses the River Awbeg, about 35 kilometres north of Cork city via Mallow. The town sits at a handy junction connecting Mallow (10km east) and Kanturk (15km west), with the R581 offering a lovely route south to Buttevant. From Dublin, take the M8 to Fermoy then wind through the Blackwater Valley on local roads. The ruins of a 13th-century Norman castle still watch over the old river crossing, giving the town its name and a proper sense of place.