Clonakilty Black Pudding Visitor Centre: Factory Tour and Travel Guide
Clonakilty is one of Ireland’s best-known food towns, and few products are as closely connected with it as Clonakilty black pudding. The familiar maroon-and-cream packaging can be found on breakfast tables across Ireland and much further afield, but the story began in a small butcher’s shop in West Cork more than a century ago.
Today, visitors can discover that story at the Clonakilty black pudding Visitor Centre on Western Road. Located inside the company’s purpose-built production facility, the family-friendly attraction combines local history, interactive displays, a self-guided audio tour, a factory viewing gallery and, most importantly for food lovers, a tasting at the end. Can you tell we were excited?
Here is everything you need to know about visiting the Clonakilty black pudding factory and visitor centre, including its history, what you see on the tour, the best time to watch production and how to get there from Cork.
Looking for more Cork foodie sights? Read about our visit to Cork Butter Museum
What is the Clonakilty black pudding Visitor Centre?
The Clonakilty black pudding Visitor Centre is an immersive food attraction at the company’s working factory in Clonakilty, County Cork. The experience tells the story of the famous West Cork black pudding, the people who protected its secret recipe and the transformation of a local butcher’s product into an internationally recognised Irish food brand.
This is not a walk through the working factory floor. Instead, visitors follow a self-guided, interactive audio tour before looking into the production area from a purpose-built viewing gallery. This allows you to see how the puddings are made without entering a food-production environment.
The complete visit takes around 45 minutes to one hour and finishes with samples of Clonakilty products in the café so arrive a wee bit hungry! It is a compact but fascinating experience for food lovers, families and anyone interested in West Cork history.
The history of Clonakilty black pudding
Johanna O’Brien and the original recipe
The story begins in the 1800s with Johanna O’Brien, a farmer’s wife from Sam’s Cross near Clonakilty. To supplement her household income, Johanna made black pudding for Philip Harrington’s butcher shop on Sovereign Street, now known as Pearse Street.
Her recipe included a secret blend of spices that gave the pudding its distinctive flavour. When Johanna retired, Philip Harrington continued making it, and the recipe was carefully passed through generations of local butchers. Dan Harrington, Con O’Callaghan and Paddy Allman were among the custodians who kept the Clonakilty black pudding tradition alive for more than a century.
The product was not only sold from the butcher’s shop. Parcels of pudding were sent to people from Clonakilty living elsewhere in Ireland and abroad, an early indication of the affection attached to this taste of home.
Edward and Colette Twomey
The shop changed hands in 1969 when it was sold to Patrick McSweeney. In 1976, his nephew Edward Twomey bought the business, with the black pudding recipe included.
Edward was not initially enthusiastic about making the pudding and even considered stopping production. His customers had other ideas. Demand remained so strong that people travelled from across Munster to buy it, including shoppers using their free bus passes to make the journey from Cork.
Edward and his wife, Colette, recognised that the spice mixture was the heart of the product. To protect the recipe, only one of them mixed the secret blend. According to the company, the complete recipe remains known only to Colette Twomey today.
From butcher’s shop to food company
As the customer base grew, local sign writer Tomás Tuipéar created a logo that reflected the pudding’s Harrington heritage. The maroon and cream colours chosen at the time remain strongly associated with the brand.
Production eventually outgrew the butcher’s shop and moved to the Twomey family farm on the edge of Clonakilty. The expanding business was named Carbery Meats after the historic barony. Clonakilty white pudding was launched in 1986, followed by sausages and a steadily expanding collection of breakfast products.
National recognition arrived in 1989 when both Clonakilty black pudding and white pudding won first prize in their categories at the Butchers’ Association National Awards. Demonstrations, agricultural shows and tasting events helped introduce the products to customers around Ireland.
A particularly useful break came when a director of the Quinnsworth supermarket chain tasted the black pudding at breakfast in a Sligo hotel. Major supermarket listings followed, taking what had been a local butcher’s speciality to customers nationwide.
Expansion and the return to Clonakilty
In 1992, production moved to Little Island near Cork city as the company continued to expand. Clonakilty products entered the UK market in 2012, and an Australian manufacturing partnership began the following year. Even for pudding produced in Australia, the closely guarded spice mix is prepared in Ireland before being sent to the company’s manufacturing partner.
The business eventually returned production to its hometown. A purpose-built factory, distribution centre and headquarters opened on Western Road in Clonakilty in October 2017. The visitor centre followed in August 2020, bringing the history, production and tasting experience together under one roof.
The original Edward Twomey butcher’s shop still trades at 16 Pearse Street, making it a worthwhile additional stop during a food-focused day in Clonakilty.
What do you see on the Clonakilty black pudding factory tour?
The tour is self-guided, so visitors can move through the displays at their own pace while listening to the story through an audio device. The main experience usually takes 30–45 minutes, followed by time in the viewing gallery, café and shop.
The first sections transport visitors back to rural West Cork in the late 1800s. Displays introduce Johanna O’Brien, Philip Harrington and the butcher’s shop where the original pudding was sold. Historic scenes and recreated details help explain how food was produced, sold and transported before refrigeration and modern supermarkets.
The exhibition then moves into the 1980s, when Edward and Colette began promoting the pudding beyond West Cork. Archive material and recreated displays show the roadshows, tastings, packaging and delivery vans that helped turn the name Clonakilty into a national food brand.
This section is particularly interesting because it explains the practical work behind the company’s growth. Success did not happen overnight: it came from tastings, agricultural shows, supermarket contacts and customers continually asking local shops to stock the pudding.
The highlight is the glass viewing gallery overlooking the production area. When the line is operating, you can watch the factory team producing the puddings and see the scale of modern manufacturing behind this once-small butcher’s shop recipe.
Production normally operates Monday to Thursday, with no production from Friday to Sunday. The visitor centre recommends booking a slot before noon from Monday to Thursday for the best chance of seeing the line in action.
Factory schedules can change, and active production cannot be guaranteed. If the line is not operating, videos and photographs explain the process. Anyone particularly keen to watch the puddings being made should contact the visitor centre before travelling.
Product tasting in the café
No food factory visit would be complete without trying the final product. The experience finishes in the café with samples from the Clonakilty range. Depending on availability, tastings may include the classic black pudding, white pudding and veggie pudding.
Sampling them side by side is a useful way to compare their flavours and textures. The tasting also demonstrates that pudding does not have to be restricted to a traditional Irish breakfast, the company promotes it for use in salads, starters and main courses too!
Gift shop
The shop stocks Clonakilty products, branded clothing, gifts and souvenirs. It is a convenient place to buy something to take home, although consider refrigeration requirements before purchasing food for a long journey. If you’re flying home from Cork Airport, there is a shop where you can buy Clonakilty products.
How long does the Clonakilty black pudding tour take?
Allow approximately one hour for the complete visitor experience. The audio tour and interactive exhibits take around 30–45 minutes, leaving time for the factory gallery, tasting and gift shop.
Visitors who enjoy reading every panel may take a little longer. The experience is indoors, making it one of the most useful things to do in Clonakilty on a rainy day.
Clonakilty black pudding visitor centre opening hours and prices
The visitor centre is currently open seven days a week:
Monday–Saturday: 9.30am–5pm
Sunday: 10.30am–5pm
Last admission:** 4pm daily
Current advertised admission prices are:
Adults: €10
Seniors:€7.50
Students:€7.50
Children aged 5–18: €5
Children under five:Free
Family ticket: €25 for two adults and up to three children under 18
Prices and opening hours can change, particularly around holidays. Booking is recommended during busy periods. Check the official Clonakilty Blackpudding Visitor Centre information before visiting.
How to get to the Clonakilty black pudding factory
Clonakilty Blackpudding Visitor Centre
Clonakilty Food Company
Western Road
Clonakilty
County Cork
P85 V966
Ireland
The entrance is on Western Road, along the R588 on the western side of Clonakilty.
Walking from Clonakilty town centre
The factory is about a 15-minute walk from the central shopping streets. From Pearse Street and Emmet Square, head west towards Western Road and continue along the R588. Use the Eircode P85 V966 in your mapping app to locate the visitor entrance rather than the town-centre butcher’s shop.
By car from Cork city
Clonakilty lies approximately 50 kilometres south-west of Cork city. Follow the N71 through Innishannon and Bandon, then take the appropriate exit for Clonakilty. Once in town, follow signs towards Dunmanway and the R588/Western Road.
The drive generally takes around one hour, although traffic through Bandon and summer congestion can increase journey times. Secure on-site car parking is available free of charge, and there is a drop-off and parking area for pre-booked coaches.
By bus from Cork
West Cork Connect route 230 also operates between Cork city, Clonakilty and Skibbereen. This is the best bus to take as stop 14190 is just across the road from the Blackpudding centre.
Bus Éireann route 237 connects Cork with Clonakilty as part of its service towards Skibbereen and Goleen.
The journey normally takes around one hour, depending on the chosen service and traffic. From the main Clonakilty stops, continue on foot or take a short taxi journey to the visitor centre. Check the stop location, live timetable and last return bus before travelling, especially on Sundays and public holidays.
By bus from Kinsale
The 253 bus runs from Kinsale Bus Station to Pearse Street, and vice versa.
From Cork Airport
Hiring a car is the simplest option from Cork Airport, with a typical journey time of around 45–60 minutes. By public transport, travel into Cork city and connect with a bus to Clonakilty. There is no railway station in Clonakilty.
Accessibility and family facilities
The visitor centre is wheelchair accessible. A lift provides access for wheelchair users, visitors with limited mobility and families with buggies. An accessible toilet and baby-changing facilities are available.
The interactive displays make the attraction suitable for children, while the short tour length means it can be combined easily with other family activities in Clonakilty. Free guest Wi-Fi is available throughout the centre.
Groups, schools, active-retirement groups and corporate visits can be arranged directly with the visitor centre. Contact the team in advance on +353 (23) 883 4835 or at visit@clonakiltyblackpudding.ie.
What else can you do near the factory?
Visit the original butcher’s shop
Continue the story at Edward Twomey Butchers, 16 Pearse Street. The shop occupies the historic location connected with the original recipe and sells the complete Clonakilty range alongside fresh meat, prepared dishes and local produce.
Explore Clonakilty town centre
Clonakilty’s colourful shopfronts, independent businesses, cafés and pubs make it worth exploring on foot. Walk around Emmet Square, browse local food shops and look out for dishes featuring black pudding on café and restaurant menus.
West Cork Model Railway Village
West Cork Model Railway Village recreates Clonakilty, Kinsale, Bandon and Dunmanway as they appeared in the 1940s, with working miniature trains following the old West Cork railway route. It is another excellent indoor-and-outdoor family attraction close to the town centre.
Michael Collins House
Located at 7 Emmet Square, Michael Collins House uses guided tours, interactive exhibits, artefacts and audiovisual displays to explore the life of Michael Collins and the history of Irish independence.
Inchydoney Beach
Finish the day with a walk at Inchydoney Beach, approximately ten minutes from Clonakilty by car. Its broad sands and Atlantic views provide a complete change of scene after the factory visit.
Is the Clonakilty Blackpudding factory tour worth visiting?
The visitor centre is well worth adding to a Clonakilty itinerary, particularly for food lovers. It is not often that a familiar supermarket product comes with such a strong sense of place, family and continuity.
The exhibition explains the full journey from Johanna O’Brien’s 19th-century cottage industry to a modern food business without losing sight of the local butcher’s shop at the heart of the story. Time your visit for a Monday-to-Thursday morning and you may also see the production line operating from the viewing gallery.
With an hour-long tour, free parking, accessible facilities and samples at the finish, this is an easy and rewarding stop on a West Cork road trip or a day exploring Clonakilty.
Frequently asked questions
Can you tour the Clonakilty Black pudding factory?
Visitors take a self-guided tour of the purpose-built visitor centre and can watch the working factory from a glass viewing gallery. Guests do not enter the production floor.
When can you see black pudding being made?
Production normally runs Monday–Thursday. Book a tour before noon for the best opportunity to see the line operating. Production schedules can change and cannot be guaranteed.
Do you need to book the Clonakilty Blackpudding tour?
Walk-in visits are possible, but advance booking is recommended, particularly during school holidays and the summer season.
Is there a tasting at the end of the tour?
Yes. The experience concludes with samples of products from the Clonakilty range in the café.
Is the visitor centre suitable for vegetarians?
The company makes a veggie pudding, and this may be included in the tasting. Tell staff about dietary requirements or allergies before sampling any product.
Is parking available?
Yes. Secure on-site parking is available free of charge.
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