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Ardmore Cliff Walk

1.12 miles (1.8 km)

Open Streetmap This route follows the Ardmore Cliff Walk in County Waterford, Ireland.
It's a very popular coastal walk with some amazing cliff top views and interesting local history. The trail runs for a distance of just over a mile on reasonable easy paths with a steady incline.
You can start the walk from the car park at the Cliff Hotel. From here you pick up the footpath and head south east past Saint Declan's Holy Well and the ruins of an ancient church. The route follows the coast path round to Ardmore Head before turning south to the Samson Shipwreck and the Look out Post and Ardmore Watchtower.
Continue round and the route will lead you to AFC Ardmore where you finish. You can turn it into a circular walk by continuing north from the football ground to the Ardmore Round Tower which dates back to the 12th century.

Ardmore Cliff Walk Open Street Map Open Streetmap - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Pubs/Cafes

The Cliif House Hotel at the start of the walk includes a Michelin starred Irish restaurant. You could order a delicious afternoon tea and enjoy it on the wonderful outdoor terrace with glorious sea views.

Dog Walking

It's a lovely walk for the dog but please keep them on a lead.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

Head south west and you can continue your cliff top walking on the Ballycotton Cliff Walk. There's some great views over Ballycotton Bay where you can look out for Peregrine Falcons, dolphins and whales.
Also to the west there's more cliff top walking on the Crosshaven Cliff Walk. This fine circular walk provides wonderful views over Cork Harbour and visits the 16th century Camden Fort Meagher.
To the north of Crosshaven there's the 13th century Blarney Castle to explore. The ancient castle is surrounded by some beautiful grounds and gardens with miles of footpaths to enjoy. Near here there's the circular Cork Marina Walk where you can enjoy fine views over the River Lee and a visit to the 16th century Blackrock Castle.
To the north east are the stunning Comeragh Mountains where you can try the popular Coumshingaun Lake Loop Walk or visit the picturesque Mahon Falls.
To the north is the historic town of Dungarvan where you can enjoy a walk along the town's lovely harbour and see the ancient castle.
In nearby Youghal there's the Knockadoon Cliff Walk. Here you can enjoy fine views of Capel Island from Knockadoon Head. In Youghal itself there's also the Youghal Beach Boardwalk to try. The popular walk follows a splendid long boardwalk connecting the 3 beaches of the town. To the west of Youghal you can also pick up the first section of the Midleton To Youghal Greenway. The shared cycling and walking trail will eventually run all the way to Youghal along the old railway line.

Photos

Ardmore Cliff Walk Field of Ulex gallii and Erica cinerea 2015 09 15

Ardmore Cliff Walk. Field of Ulex gallii and Erica cinerea. The village of Ardmore is believed to be the oldest Christian settlement in Ireland.

Cliff House Hotel (geograph 3556253)

Cliff House Hotel

Calm Ocean - geograph.org.uk - 3556287

Calm Ocean

'Samson' Wreck - geograph.org.uk - 3556261

'Samson' Wreck. The Samson was a crane barge being towed from Liverpool to Malta in 1987. It hit bad weather and ran aground near Rams Head. You can view the wreck from the south eastern side of the path.

Lookout Buildings - geograph.org.uk - 3556258

Lookout Buildings at the southern end of the walk.

Headland and Cruiser - geograph.org.uk - 3556266

Headland and Cruiser

Cliffs near Dysert, Ardmore - geograph.org.uk - 2717339

Cliffs near Dysert, Ardmore

Round Tower - geograph.org.uk - 3555196

Round Tower. On a hill above the village is a well-preserved 30-m-high, 12th-century round tower and the ruins of a cathedral dating from the 12th and 13th centuries with an adjacent 8th-century oratory. One of the outer walls of the cathedral features some stone carvings retrieved from an earlier 9th-century building. They include a very early image of a harp, images of Adam and Eve in the garden and a representation of "Solomon's judgement".

Video

GPS Files

GPX File

Ardmore Cliff Walk.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)