The area's pre-history is evident in the many
Iron Age burial monuments, including a large number of
megalithic tombs,
dolmens,
standing stones and
stone circles. West Cork has had a distinct identity from at least the ancient
Dáirine kingdom of
Corcu Loígde which once covered much of the area. The
historic baronies of
Carbery, the largest barony in Ireland down to the nineteenth-century,
Bantry, and
Bear, or Bere, on Beara Peninsula, existed down from the Middle Ages. A series of coastal islands, on the coast of the baronies of Carbery West and Carbery East, are known as
Carbery's Hundred Isles. A
Spanish expedition made landfall on the coast in October 1601 attempting to link up with Irish rebels. This ended with the
Battle of Kinsale - described as "one of the decisive battles of the world's history. If the Irish had won that battle—and they could have won it—...England's power was shattered". In the early 17th century, the
townland of Leamcon (near Schull was a
pirate stronghold, and
pirates traded easily in Baltimore and
Whiddy Island. During the mid-19th century, parts of West Cork were severely impacted by the
Great Famine. Within the
Catholic Church in Ireland and the
Church of Ireland (Anglican) traditions, the coastal area from
Ballydehob to
Timoleague was formerly contained within the
Dioceses of Ross. These dioceses no longer exist separately, and now form part of the larger
Roman Catholic Diocese of Cork and Ross and the
Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross respectively. As of the 21st century, West Cork is a
municipal district within the administrative area of
Cork County Council. In 2016, representatives of the Municipal District of West Cork signed a "twinning" agreement with the town of
Scituate, Massachusetts. == Geography==