Ahakista

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Ahakista (Atha Ciste) is located approximately half way along the Sheep's Head peninsula between Durrus and Kilcrohane in West Cork, Ireland. It is a pretty wooded coastal village that has a deep and sheltered harbour.

The Air India Memorial Garden is located here and each June the local community remembers the terrorist attack of 1985 that resulted in the deaths of over 300 people.

Just after 8:00 am on Sunday June 23rd, 1985 an Air India Jumbo jet flying from Canada to India and carrying 329 people - most of them Indian emigrants working in Canada heading back to India for a holiday - was approaching the s.w. coast of Ireland when it was blown apart by a huge bomb, killing everybody on board - men, women and children. In the days that followed, a huge search was carried out by ships, planes and helicopters. Only about half the bodies were ever recovered and they were brought to the Regional Hospital in Cork.

Shortly afterwards, many relatives of the dead flew from India and Canada and travelled by bus along the s.w. coast of Ireland to be near to where their loved ones died. At Ahakista, they stopped and threw wreaths into the sea. They expressed a wish that some type of memorial be erected to commemorate the disaster and in the months that followed, Cork County Council purchased this site and built a memorial. It was officially opened on 23rd June, 1986 at a ceremony attended by the Foreign Ministers of Ireland, India and Canada. A commemoration is held each year on June 23rd at 8:00 am.

The sundial, designed by Cork sculptor, Ken Thompson, is the focal point of the garden and the sun hits the dial at the exact minute of the explosion.

Ahakista has 2 pubs - both with beer gardens and fine sea views one known as the 'tin pub', a wine shop, 2 Bed and Breakfasts, several self-catering accommodations and a garden centre. There is a small sandy beach, and the 55 miles of marked trail comprising the Sheep's Head Way criss-crosses through the village.

Ahakista has a primary school and church and there is daily transportation to secondary schools in Bantry. There is a bus service to Bantry three days per week.

The sheltered deep water harbour is home to both fishing boats and pleasure craft and the annual Ahakista Regatta is held every August bank holiday weekend.

[edit] Archaeology of Ahakista

Stone Circle, Bronze Age 2200 - 600 B.C.

[edit] Authors and Artists

Writer, playwright and screenwriter [1]Wolf Mankowitz lived for many years in Ahakista, till his death in 1998.
British author Noel Streatfeild spent many summers in Ahakista. Her children's book "The Growing Summer" (also published as "The Magic Summer") was filmed on the peninsula (Ahakista, Kilcrohane) and in Bantry. Many of the scenes were shot in the actual places she had envisaged when writing the book. London Weekend Television produced the six-episode serial in 1969, starring Wendy Hiller as Aunt Dymphna. The film won a silver medal at the 1969 Venice Film Festival.