A TOILET in Ireland has been deemed one of the best in the world to answer nature’s call by travel guide Lonely Planet.
Its new publication, Toilets: A Spotter’s Guide, singled out the thatched building housing the toilets at Gougane Barra in Co. Cork in its list of the 100 best toilets.
The book lists the most “stunning lavatories” all over the world, everywhere from Lapland to the tropical island of Belize.
The Co. Cork toilet is the only Irish one to have made the book, The Irish Examiner reports.
“Gougane Barra in Co Cork, Ireland, has been a retreat from the cruel world and a spot for quiet contemplation — since St Finbarr established an island monastery on the lake during the sixth century,” the description in the book states.
“These thatched toilets, tucked away in the forest park, continue that tradition.”
The Gougane Barra toilets. (Picture: TripAdvisor)Gougane Barra is a settlement to the west of Macroom in Co. Cork.
Sitting on the side of the small Gouganebarra lake, it is well-known for its tranquil views – and the toilet, which is contained in a thatched building.
Lonely Planet take toilet travel very seriously, as the book's introduction shows.
“As any experienced traveller knows, you can tell a whole lot about a place by its bathrooms," it states.
"Whatever you prefer to call them — lavatory, loo, bog, khasi, thunderbox, dunny, washroom, or water closet — toilets are a window into the soul of a destination.”
The full list of the world’s top 100 toilets can be read in the book, available in bookshops and on Amazon.
