Ardmore Cliff Walk

The Ardmore loop is about five kilometres of clifftop path starting and finishing in the village, and it packs an unusual amount into a short distance. On the seaward side lies the wreck of the Samson, a crane barge that broke its tow in a storm in 1987 and was driven onto the rocks below the cliffs; the crew were lifted off by helicopter, and the rusted hull has sat there ever since, breaking up slowly. The path also passes Saint Declan's Well and the ruins of a church, a Napoleonic signal tower on the high point, and a coastguard station. Ardmore itself claims a monastic foundation by Declan that may predate Patrick, and its round tower and cathedral ruins stand above the village. The path is grassy, undulating and unfenced at the edge, and the cliffs are soft and slipping in sections.

What you actually see

• The Samson wreck - a crane barge on the rocks since 1987, still breaking up.
• The signal tower - Napoleonic-era ruins at the high point of the loop.
• Saint Declan's Well - the holy well and church ruin on the cliff path.
• The round tower - above the village, from the early monastic site.

When to go

April to October. The grass path is slippery after rain. The loop takes about two hours at an easy pace and works in either direction.

Honest expectations

Unfenced cliff edges on soft, actively eroding ground - sections have been rerouted after slips. The wreck is well below the path and not accessible. Muddy after rain.

Nearby

Ardmore village and its round tower are at the start; Youghal is west into Cork.