Kanturk

Kanturk is a handy base in north Cork where the Allow River cuts through the Duhallow region toward the Boggeragh Mountains. The N72 runs straight through town, connecting Mallow 18 kilometers east with the road to Killarney, making it about 40 minutes from Cork city via the N20. Local drivers use it as a jumping-off point for smaller Duhallow towns like Newmarket and Boherbue, while tourists often stop when touring the Cork-Kerry border or heading to Killarney National Park. The town's most striking feature is the unfinished 17th-century castle ruins right in the center, abandoned when English authorities got nervous about its defensive potential.