Save our Cliff Walk
The cliff walk, just south of Wicklow
Town is an area of outstanding natural beauty.
This old traditional walk is slightly more than
three kilometres in length and follows the cliff
edge for most of the way. It is best to consider
the walk in three different sections, each about
one kilometre in length.
The First Section:
This extends from the Black Castle at Wicklow
Town
The O’Byrnes and O’Tooles of Wicklow
didn’t get on too well with the Normans and the
castle was destroyed in 1301. Nearby, at Travela-Hawk Strand, tradition has it that Saint Patrick
attempted to land but it is reported that he didn’t
get a very warm welcome at the time so he
continued on his way up North. Two very old
stiles can be seen at the beginning and end of this
pathway to facilitate people walking these cliffs.
Just off the coast in that area the sea covers the
remains of an ancient forest. As it is, the trail
suffers from coastal erosion on one side while the
golf course has extended its boundaries in many
parts right up to the cliff edge; it might be wiser
to take the roadway from the Black Castle on
towards the car park leading to the Glen Beach.
Together with the Wicklow Head
Heritage Group we recently explored the
possibility of up-grading this first section of the
walkway, with the local landowner – Wicklow
Golf Club, which could have been to everyone’s
benefit, but we were unable to reach an
agreement.
Mid section:
to the Glen Strand, which is just underneath the
Dunbur car park on the edge of the town. The
Black Castle was built by Maurice Fitzgerald, a
Norman, in 1176 and little remains of the
structure today.
The mid section extends from the Glen
Beach as far as Lime Kiln Bay and Bride’s
Head
We have here the remains of an old lime
kiln which gives its name to Lime Kiln Bay.
These lime kilns were built around the coastline
for convenience in transporting very heavy loads
of limestone and coal. Lime was used as a
building material and also for agriculture. They
started using those limekilns in the mid 1600s.
The Glen Strand
Lime Kiln
The Black Castle
One can see the foundations of an old penal
church, which would have served the local
community during the time of the penal laws.
spiritual, temporal and commercial needs of our
ancestors were all well catered for.
Cave where flints were shaped
Foundations of Penal Church
About 150 metres west of here, there is a fresh
water well – Brides Well, and many of the
fishermen liked to take along some of the water
from this well in the belief that it would keep
them safe while at sea.
Section of crowd at Lime Kiln Bay during
Heritage Week
Closures: Unfortunately, the first few
hundred yards of this mid section has been
officially closed one year ago because of coastal
erosion.
St. Brigid’s Well
There are caves here where workings
have been found dating from the new stone-age
period. Apparently a knapper carried on his
business there, making flints for arrowheads and
axes about 3-5,000 years ago. Another knapper
operated on a promontory near the Salt Rock,
which is about half way back to the Glen Strand,
but this site dates from about 2,000 years earlier.
So, there has obviously been human habitation
and activity in this area for a very long time. The
It was also closed in 2002 because it was
considered unsafe. People continued to walk the
pathway and to our knowledge no one was ever
injured but this time the problem is more serious.
Even though it is an official right of way nothing
was ever done to address the problem. We at
Friends of the Murrough had many surveys and
some costings done in the hope of securing grants
to upgrade these last two sections. The pathway
would need to be re-routed to a higher level in
places and signage and interpretive panels put in
position. We sought permission in 2014 from the
Golf Club to get this work done and they replied
that they would have to consult with the Council.
Nothing ever materialised. The only solution the
Authorities could see for the moment at least was
to close it down.
This is a particularly beautiful stretch of
coastline comparable in ways to Bray Head,
which can be seen from here. There is a lot of
history attached to this area and it also holds a
huge variety of birdlife and flora. One can see
colonies of seals in the many little coves; they
breed around here in early winter and can often
be seen during the breeding season attending to
their little pups.
Sea Arches
Selection of Flora on the Cliffs
Heather
Seals in mid winter
At Lime Kiln Bay
Sea Pinks
Third section:
On the southern end, the last section of
this walk extends from Lime Kiln Bay on
towards Wicklow Head, the most easterly point
in the Republic.
Bluebells and Furze
Wicklow Head as seen from Brides Head
Primroses
Wild Orchids
An old octagonal lighthouse stands
there, 95 feet tall with walls six feet thick at the
base; this structure dates from 1781. This
building is in a perfect state of repair and is well
worth seeing. It is now a holiday home with a
series of six rooms, each one stacked on top of
the other. There are 109 steps leading up to the
kitchen, which is at the top of the building.
When it functioned as a lighthouse, it was
originally powered by 20 tallow candles. The
present lighthouse at the Head, which is currently
in use, went automatic in 1994.
Octagonal Lighthouse
These areas have two designations: it is a
Special Protection Area and a Special Area of
Conservation. Just off the coast we have very
productive seed mussel beds and also coral reefs,
which have been built up by coastal worms
(Sabellaria Alveolata). The tidal current at
Wicklow Head can run at a speed of almost 7
mph - among the fastest along our coasts. A lot
of energy potential there! The cliffs at the Head
are 60 metres high and are home to Fulmars,
Shags, Herring Gulls, Kittiwakes, Guillemots,
Razorbills, Peregrines, Ravens and also the
Stonechat, the Whitethroat Pipits, Kestrels and
Linnets. One can hear the cry of the seabirds
echoing and re-echoing all round the cliffs at
Wicklow Head – a whole different world out
there.
Bird Life
Problem: We did have a problem with a
local landowner regarding the last few yards of
pathway but in fairness to the Wicklow Town
Council, we now have an unobstructed pathway
over their property leading on to the tarmac road,
which goes to the lighthouse. This roadway won
the ‘Pure Mile’ award in 2012. Reference to
Irish Light’s website clearly states that the
lighthouses are accessible by road and that two of
the lighthouse sites are open to the public.
Rights of Way: ‘Friends of the Murrough’ are
very anxious to preserve these walkways. These
walks have been used by generations of Wicklow
people and visitors to our town; they are part of
our natural heritage.
The Local Authorities, in the Wicklow
Development Plan “recognise the entire coastal
area of County Wicklow as an area of
outstanding natural beauty”. In their Coastal
Management Plan they pledge to “conserve the
right of way from Wicklow Town boundary
along the coastline to Bride’s Head and Lime
Kiln Bay”. Unfortunately, this worthy aspiration
has not become a reality. This area and the
Murrough, including the Broadlough area, are the
only natural parklands, away from traffic and
adjacent to our town, that Wicklow Town has to
offer and if we lose them – they are gone forever.
It is somewhat ironic that an Irish person has
much more freedom to roam in the UK and
continental mainland than that which they enjoy
at home.
Our organisation, Friends of the
Murrough have tried for many years to secure a
Special Amenity Order covering the coastline
from Wicklow Head up as far as Kilcoole. Bray
Head and Howth already enjoy the protection of
such an order. However, we have not been
successful in generating the same level of
enthusiasm among the authorities.
We all
welcomed the recent initiative “Ireland’s
Ancient East” but so far, it does not seem to
include this area, which is the most Easterly point
of the Irish Republic. Grants are available for
projects such as these; if we do not avail of these
grants they will pass us by and go on to other
areas. This coastal strip, and the Murrough are
part of our heritage and we have an obligation to
future generations to see that they are preserved.
Places such as these are essential towards
maintaining a healthy lifestyle; they exercise the
body and calm the spirit. Our neighbours in
Wales have recently opened up all their coastal
areas to the public. The people there enjoy 1000
kilometres of coastal pathway, which is a great
boost to their tourism and economic activity.
Coincidentally, their pathway also runs adjacent
to very many golf courses.
Sometimes sections of the lakes on the
Murrough are blocked off with illegal fencing.
We are continually fighting these issues as well
as commissioning a number of surveys of these
coastal areas. A number of our members are
involved with Coastcare and we make a
continual effort to clean up the coastline and river
estuary.
Anyone seeking further information about
our activities and our aims can do so by visiting
our website at www.friendsofthemurrough.com
where they can sign on in support. We are also
on Facebook. We currently have more than two
and a half thousand signatures on paper in
support of our campaign together with a further
thousand signed on electronically on Facebook
and our website.
View of Wicklow mountains from Brides Head
Some more views from the trail
Canyon leading to Lime Kiln Bay and Brides
Head
Old Photo
Section of Cliff Walk
North Head Strand