Enter the woods by the path running alongside the garryduff sports club. Turn right at the bottom of the hill. Not a quicky, so enjoy the walk. The ruined buildings here were part of the kitchen garden belonging to the monastery in rochestown. As you approach the cache you will notice the long wall on the left of the path, this is one wall of the walled garden which is still largely intact and is used by a farmer as a safe enclosure for calves.
Oldcourt or 'An tSeanchúirt' as Gaeilge, is a mixed woodland of approximately 26 hectares, located close to the southern suburbs of Cork city, namely Rochestown and Douglas and the village of Passage West. It has historical links back to eminent families from Cork such as the Ronaynes, Goolds and O' Sheas.
There are significant sections of old broadleaved woodland to be found throughout the property along with stands of conifer trees at the southern end. The old woodland includes tree species such as Oak, Beech, Birch, Sycamore and Rowan. There are some wonderful mature specimen Horse Chestnuts and Sycamore along the verges of the forest tracks that traverse the woods. The shrub layer includes; Holly, Hazel, and Bramble and the ground layer has a diverse range of species, including; Great Wood Rush, Bluebell, Herb Robert, Lesser Celandine and a number of varieties of fern. Indeed the bluebell display at the end of April into the month of May is worth investigating.
Conifer species in the area include Western Hemlock, Douglas Fir, Sitka Spruce and the deciduous conifer - Larch. Mammals that frequent the area include a number of bat species, foxes, badgers and rabbits. Bird species include; robin, woodpigeon, Dunnock, Blackbird, Chaffinch, and Magpie. Other notable features include walls and some old ruins associated with the adjoining estate and a number of small streams that flow through the woodland on their way out to Cork Harbour.