It's also convenient for fishing, stone-skipping, beachcombing or just plain sitting on the wall.
You can wander down with a cup of coffee or whatever in your hand.
Birds
Whereas innocent enjoyment is to be had through feeding the ducks and the swans, and watching their offspring grow from day to day, Cuskinny is an area where one can get really serious about feathered things.
The lake and woods of Cuskinny Marsh Nature Reserve are just behind the bay (immediately to the left of the picture). This is a noted bird-watching spot. Over 140 species of birds have been recorded in and around the reserve. More information on Cuskinny is available on the Irish Wildlife website.
The site includes information on the climate and archaeology of Cuskinny.
Cuskinny is part of the wider East Cork Bird trail, which covers about 18 sites between Great Island and the watery bits Eastwards to Youghal.
Cuskinny also gets mention on the Bird Watch Ireland website
General Information on Ornithology in East Cork and the 120km Bird Trail is available from the LeaderII website. "Six Special Protection Areas (SPAs), one Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and 300 species of birds."
Cuskinny is also the centre of an annual broadcast of "The Dawn Chorus". This goes out on radio, TV and the Internet. More information is available from the Mooney Goes Wild section of the RTE website. That site has Real Audio files of the programs and all the twittering.
The woods around Ballymore Villa are a suburb of 'the' Cuskinny woods - separated only by a 50-yard strip of open ground. We get the dawn chorus without the need for technology.
Activities
The beach is a popular site for sea-anglers in the harbour area, who dig for lugworm there.
The bay has sheltered and shallow water and is used for dinghy and board-sailing courses by the Cobh-based International Sailing school.
When the tide isn't high, it is possible to walk along the shore Westwards to Cobh or Eastwards to Marlogue Woods at the entrance to East Ferry. The walk to Marlogue can be rewarded by cutting through the woods to the bar and restaurant at East Ferry Marina.
There are a number of options for walks varying from short to ambitious on quiet country roads leading to the North and East and south-west shores of Great Island. Many Cobh people drive out to Cuskinny and use it a base for whatever walk is their custom. You can set your watch by some of them.
Walks to the West would take you to Cobh and the two less restful main roads leading to it from the mainland (An area known to Cobh people as "over the bridge".)
Within a mile
The Ballywilliam Riding Centre offers tuition and livery. Ballmore Villa regularly gets clip-clopped by groups trekking around the area.
Just beyond the riding centre is the 9-hole Cobh Golf Club.
Within two miles
The centre of Cobh Town is just under 2 miles away. The Cobh and Harbour Chamber of Commerce website has information and a picture gallery.
Apart from the usual range of shops, pubs, restaurants, sporting and social clubs to be found in towns of this size, features include:
East Ferry Marina, with the Marlogue Inn bar and restaurant is set in the very scenic eastern channel beween Great Island and the mainland.
This is where most of the cruisers from the Cove Sailing Club are based.
It is also the base for the Harbour Yacht Managemenr charter operation, offering a variety of bareboat and skippered charters on Jeanneau Sun Odessy 40's.
Within five miles
Fota Island links Great Island to the mainland. Three delights are available here:
And beyond
There are another four golf clubs within 10 miles.
Cork City is 20 minutes away. The industrial, retail and high-tech complexes on Little Island and Mahon are more like 10 to 15 minutes away.
Cork Airport is 30 minutes away.
The Jack Lynch tunnel allows the city to be bypassed by anyone heading south and west. Clonakilty is 1 hour away, with Skibbereen and Baltimore another 30 minutes beyond that.
The river ferry at Carrigaloe considerably shortens the journey to Ringaskiddy (5 miles) or Crosshaven (10 miles).
Middleton - a bustling market town, is about 9 miles away.
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