AN influx of journalists to west Cork would normally be hailed as an opportunity to publicise further this popular tourist spot. But over the past two weeks the interest in one of Ireland's most scenic holiday destinations has had a sinister twist.
The coverage has been of the brutal murder of Ms Sophie Toscan du Plantier (38), two days before Christmas. She was killed in a frenzied attack outside the holiday home she had bought five years ago near Goleen, Co Cork. The crime has aroused public horror here and in her native France, where the media continue to give extensive coverage to the investigation into her death.
The secluded holiday home was a place she went to during the quieter times of the year to relax in an area she loved. But it was just those things that she liked most about the area - the remoteness, the secluded location of the house, the off season timing of her visits - that have made it - more difficult to discover exactly what happened to her on the night she was bludgeoned to death.
Her death is still a main topic of conversation in west Cork. Murders may be becoming almost commonplace in our capital city and elsewhere, but not here. For all its cosmopolitan appearance, this is still a region where back doors are frequently unlocked.
As the shock begins to wear off and life returns to normal following Christmas, locals are taking stock of the consequences of a foreign visitor being murdered here. "I hope they get some one quickly and that it is not a local" is a regular refrain. The repeated appeal from the gardai for someone in the area who may be shielding the murderer to come forward is causing disquiet.
Hundreds of people have been questioned in the investigation and acres of land searched for the murder weapon. Locals report Garda checkpoints as late as 4 a.m.
Over the past few days it has been easy to see what attracted Ms Toscan du Plantier and so many others to west Cork. Despite freezing conditions, the sun has been shining brilliantly and around practically every stretch of potholed road there's a magnificent view of a tranquil sea.
The town of Schull is considerably quieter in January than during the summer. In those four peak months local businesses make more money than during the remaining eight. It can cost up to £500 a week to hire a holiday home in August.
During this time the harbour is crowded with yachts. When the weather is favourable, all agree there are few places to equal it. An increasing number of people are purchasing properties and according to locals, builders are kept busy.
"There are all kinds of nationalities to be found here" said Mr Tom Brosnan, proprietor of a local supermarket. It was to Schull that Ms Toscan du Plantier travelled on the Saturday before her death to buy groceries. That afternoon she visited Mr Brosnan's supermarket, where she was a regular visitor during her vacations. He described her as a "nice quiet reserved woman".
"I knew her to see and to speak to. She was very pleasant to deal with. She was always on her own. It was a terrible shock to us all." On her way home that afternoon she made another regular stop at O'Sullivan's pub in Crookhaven.
She usually ordered a pot of tea and chatted with Mr Billy O'Sullivan and his wife, Angela. "We knew her as well as anyone around here," said Mr O'Sullivan. "She was gentle and friendly, a very private person."
Confusion over the timing of her return to France arose from separate conversations she had with Mr O'Sullivan and his son Dermot. She told Dermot she was returning on St Stephen's Day, but when Mr O'Sullivan invited her to the pub for Christmas Eve she replied that she would have already returned to France by then.
Gardai now say that she was to return on Christmas Eve. Her ticket was booked and her family was expecting her. Mr O'Sullivan is dismissive of some of the rumours about Ms Toscan du Plantier's love life. "She used to call here when she was over. I never saw her with a man in my life. The only other person was her son," he said.
Ms Toscan du Plantier's holiday home is located close to the small village of Goleen. The parish has a population of 800 which swells to more than 3,000 during the summer season. According to a local TD, Mr Paddy Sheehan, her murder is the first in living memory in the area. "It has been a nightmare for this quiet and peaceful area. Nobody knows why or who has done it. I still believe it could have been an outside job. By all accounts she was a harmless person who was enjoying a break at her[ holiday home. I never had the pleasure of knowing the lady. It was a tragic happening.
He hopes people will not get the wrong impression of the area as a result of this brutal crime. "This is an isolated area. It is certainly going to have an effect on the atmosphere here. Unfortunately this sort of thing is happening all over the country, but you just don't expect it to happen here."
It is now just under two weeks since Sophie Toscan du Plantier was killed outside her holiday home. The gardai say they are still optimistic about finding the murderer, but even if they are successful the killing has cast a shadow over the area that will be slow to lift.