The Sub tropics in Cork

Garnish Island is a very small and wonderful sub tropical island that is situated ten minutes by boat from Glengarriff in West Cork. It is a little taste of paradise in the west, it doesn't have palm trees but it does have Italian gardens, crazy looking trees, flowers that look like Degas dancers, a tarzan type tree, a clock tower and the oddest stone toadstools. All these lovely species survive thanks to the fraction of the gulf stream that decided to flow into the lovely Bluepool shores. The island is totally uninhabited by common folk, it is only open to day visitors, the gardners and the animals that also decide to drop by. The best bit is the short journey out to the island because all the rocks on the way out are dotted by blubbery seals basking in the sunshine.