Discover Cullen

Cullen brings together a long local history, a lively musical tradition and distinctive historical connections. The village lies on the edge of Sliabh Luachra, an area known for its rich musical tradition. It is also home to church and graveyard history, traditional rounds and a handball court. This gives you several ways to get to know Cullen, depending on whether you are especially interested in history, regional music or sport.

Churches and graveyard history

The old church in Cullen, dedicated to St James, was built by Fr Fitzpatrick in 1847. It replaced a thatched church in the graveyard, which had been burned down by Cromwell’s soldiers long before. This sequence tells the story of a place whose religious history has been shaped by several phases of construction and a long-standing tradition. Another church in Cullen is the present-day Gothic church, built by Canon O'Sullivan in 1907. Those interested in architectural history will find two distinct historical points of reference here: the older church dedicated to St James and the later Gothic building.

Old Cullen Graveyard is in the townland of Mullaghroe. Its sections are visibly different: graves are found in the older part, while the later section has more modern headstones. This contrast also makes the graveyard an interesting place to see how things have changed over time. St. Laitiaran’s Well is in the village of Cullen, near the old graveyard. Rounds on 25 July are recorded at both locations: so-called “rounds” were held at St. Laitiaran’s Well on this date, while, historically, Laterian rounds were held on the same day at Old Cullen Graveyard. These accounts relate to two specifically named places and can be discovered as distinct links to local tradition.

Music and storytelling tradition

The Cullen Pipe Band was founded in 1941. Its history includes performances at Feis Laitiaran. Together with Cullen’s location on the edge of Sliabh Luachra, this gives the village a clear cultural focus: music is connected both to the character of the region and to a specific local institution. If local musical traditions are important to you when choosing a destination, Cullen is a place whose cultural history is well worth exploring further.

A story about St Laterian is also part of Cullen’s traditional lore. According to the story, St Laterian cursed a blacksmith, and there have been no blacksmiths there ever since. It is presented as a local tradition, not as an unattributed statement of fact. It adds a different kind of local history to the connections with the church and the rounds: a story linked to a specific figure and the craft of blacksmithing.

Sport and location as points of reference

Cullen has a 60 × 30 handball court, said to be the only one of its kind in County Cork. The village handball court is on the site of the former St. James R.C. Church. This adds a sporting dimension to the village, alongside music and history. When planning your trip, you can consider which of these interests matters most for your stay, rather than thinking of Cullen simply as a place to pass through.

Cullen lies just off the N72 and is said to be equidistant from Mallow and Killarney. Its location on the N72 can help you get your bearings. At the same time, it does not determine which of the local sights or activities should be your priority: that depends on whether you are more interested in the church and graveyard history, the musical tradition, the traditional rounds or the handball court. These different themes can be a useful starting point when choosing holiday accommodation in Cullen and considering the character of the destination you want.

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Discover Clonakilty, Innishannon, Bantry, Ballinhassig, Ballyhooly, Ballygarvan, Ballyvourney and Kilbrittain too.

For the main travel overview: Cork.