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.
The Cache
From the posted coordinates walk down the path for about 400 metres until you get to a wide path on the right at the bottom of the hill with a low barrier. Take this path and follow it along the side of the stream on the right and past the long straight wall on the left. Once the wall ends look for the tree in the photo and climb it.
I placed the cache using ropes and a harness, I don't think you'll be able to get to it without using the same equipment, unless you have access to a cherry picker. You should be able to see the cache hanging in a camo bag about 5 meters up the trunk. You are right on the main path here, so good luck with the stealthy approach. The cache is a letterbox hybrid there is a stamp in the cache box