Ballydavid

MUNSTER

It’s a magnificent viewpoint, offering mouth-watering vistas in almost all directions. But there’s better still to come, and neighbouring Beenmore, some 8m more modest, is not only more dramatic, with a slender and airy summit ridge that would do an alpine peak justice, but also offers even better views; especially eastwards along the coast to Brandon Head, tucked beneath the majestic massif of Brandon Mountain.

This walk links the two summits with a lovely section of coast path that tracks out above the charming little beach at Feohanagh and offers stunning views across Smerwick Harbour to the neighbouring headland of the Three Sisters. It would be easy to think of it as a simple coast walk, and the opening leg serves to reinforce that observation; but despite its short length, it has far more in common with a day in the mountains than the average coastal walk, especially with the steep climbs to both of the summits and the tricky final descent, which crosses rough, untracked ground and requires careful navigation. An easier route would be to reach the first summit and then retrace your steps; or a slightly shorter circular version can be made, by heading back to Feohanagh after descending a short way from the first summit – missing out on the climb up onto Beenmore.

Getting to the Start

The route starts from the centre of Feohanagh village, where there’s room for a few cars by the An Cuinne Inn (GR: Q 394,097). This is easiest reached by following a minor road due north out of Dingle towards Brandon Creek and then forking left, signed Feohanagh, after around 10km. Beware; there is a second Ballydavid, a few kilometres south, near the village of Murreagh.

Ballydavid Head

The Walk

Ballydavid Head offers steep climbs and majestic views

Tom Hutton explores the cliff tops and summits of one of the Dingle Peninsula’s most dramatic headlands Photos by Tom Hutton

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“Despite its short length, it has far more in common with a day in the mountains than the average coastal walk...”

I

reland’s headlands are sometimes as dramatic as its mountains; often comprising of towering cliffs plummeting from craggy summits into the foaming surf of the storm-ridden Atlantic.

Few are more spectacular than Ballydavid Head, one of many impressive bluffs found on the far western tip of the Dingle Peninsula.

Two mini mountains punctuate the headland’s coastline. The first and, at 247m, the tallest, is unnamed on the map and usually just goes by the name of the headland itself. It’s a dramatic enough spot on its own, with steep slopes falling away into precipitous cliffs on three sides; but the spectacle is further enhanced by the sombre remains of a Napoleonic watchtower that adds an almost sinister demeanour to its lofty heights.

Park in the heart of the village of Feohanagh, near the pub and phone box, and next to a lovely old green post box.

Keeping your back to the pub and the post box on your left, walk along the road, with tall reed beds on either side, and cross a bridge before reaching a junction. Bear left to follow the road out towards the coast and immediately after the turning for the beach, as it starts to wind upwards, turn left again onto a faint path that leads along the top of the cliffs above the beach, keeping the wall to the right.

Follow this coast path out onto open ground, with great views across the bay,

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MUNSTER

Walking the coast path

and continue around the coastline, initially with a wall to the right and later on open pasture, until you come to the westernmost tip; where an exposed, narrow promontory affords great views back to a small waterfall and also across the mouth of Smerwick Harbour to the imposing headland of the Three Sisters, usually a dramatic silhouette against a glistening ocean.

Turn the corner here and continue along the cliff tops, now with dramatic views down over a sheltered bay and ahead to the towering cliffs that prop up the headland.

The gradient gradually starts to steepen and you’ll soon come to a wire fence that you need to cross by means of a makeshift stile in a corner. Continue ever upwards towards the spine of the hill and you’ll pass a neat section of wall on the right before finally topping out on the crest of the ridge, someway west of the true summit.

Bear right to follow the crest of the ridge, which is adorned with huge flakes of rock, reminiscent of the fins on a dinosaur’s back; and stay with it all the way to the summit, which is dominated by the sombre ruins of an old lookout station.

This was built during the Napoleonic era in order to keep an eye out for marauding

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Three Sisters, seen across Smerwick Harbour

Frenchmen. It’s a wonderful spot – often home to small flocks of choughs – and the tumbledown walls provide ample shelter from the sea breezes that normally whip across the headland.

But there’s more drama to come, so continue along the spine, dropping all the time, until you are forced around to the right, with wonderful views up the coast towards the teetering cliffs of Beenmore, your next objective. Beyond this, the coastline is marked by a succession of spectacular cliffs, above which towers the imposing bulk of the Brandon Mountain massif, usually with its head buried in cloud.

Cross a fence, where it would be easy to cut the walk short by turning half right and aiming for an obvious track that leads back down to the road (see the description at the end of the walk). But assuming that you are continuing up to Beenmore, which is without a doubt the highlight of the whole walk, then continue down, still with the cliff tops to your left, to another fence, this one tucked into a niche in the cliffline, with Beenmore now towering above you.

Cross the fence and keep it to your right to follow a faint cliff top path up through the

heather to the very top, which turns out to be a stark, slender arête with fantastic views in all directions – well worth the climb.

To descend, retrace your steps back to the fence in the niche and then back up to the first fence that you crossed, where you should turn left to make a gradually dropping traverse of the hillside, aiming back towards the village. The ground is rough and awkward so follow whatever paths you can pick up. You’ll cross one track that drops down to the road but ignore this and continue to the next, almost directly above the houses. Go through the gate and follow the track leftwards down to the road, where you should turn right to return to Feohanagh.

Turn left to re-cross the bridge that you crossed earlier and then continue back up through the reeds to the pub and your car.

FACT FILE BALLYDAVID HEAD Time: 3/4 hours Distance: 16km/10 miles Ascent: 350m Maps: OSi 1:50,000 sheet 70