Irish Coastal Walks
Author | Paddy Dillon |
Publisher | Cicerone Press (out of print) |
ISBN | ISBN-13: 978 1 85284 287 1 |
Price | £10.99 |

A walker stands in silhouette in a rock arch on Cape Clear Island.

Clew Bay from Croagh Patrick, where they say there is an island for every day of the year!

The rocky promontory of Dun Balair on Tory Island is a place of myth and legend.
This guidebook owes its origin to a simple question. 'If I wrote another guidebook about Ireland, what would it be called?' The answer from Cicerone was, 'Irish Coastal Walks.'
At first all the walks were going to be on the Irish mainland, but plans evolved to include several islands. The actual route research took four separate trips, stretching over eight months. In the end there were 54 walks, of which a third were on islands. Things weren't always plain sailing (excuse the pun) and involved heavy seas at times, walking in the teeth of a hurricane and being marooned an extra night on one island. Coastal walks always look pretty impressive with big breakers hurling themselves at the cliffs!
A variety of routes were checked from low-level beach walks and saltmarshes to towering and overhanging cliffs, including some of the highest sea cliffs in Europe. Ireland's coast is full of quirky features and the western seaboard is particularly attractive.
Travelling around the coast was accomplished using Bus Eireann Rambler Tickets and Translink Freedom of Northern Ireland tickets, with Lough Swilly Buses used in Co Donegal. Travelling to the many islands involved using a remarkable variety of ferries in all kinds of weather conditions.
In a review in Irish Mountain Log, Joss Lynam said, "The descriptions are clear and accurate, and there are good notes about places near the walks... good pics... interesting... enjoyable."
Walk Contents
Walk 1 | Donabate and Portrane |
Walk 2 | Howth Head |
Walk 3 | Bray and Greystones |
Walk 4 | Raven Point |
Walk 5 | Carnsore Point |
Walk 6 | Ardmore Head |
Walk 7 | Great Island |
Walk 8 | Sherkin Island |
Walk 9 | Cape Clear Island |
Walk 10 | Mizen Head |
Walk 11 | Sheep's Head |
Walk 12 | Bere Island |
Walk 13 | Dursey Island |
Walk 14 | Derrynane Bay |
Walk 15 | Valentia Island |
Walk 16 | Slea Head |
Walk 17 | Great Blasket Island |
Walk 18 | The Three Sisters |
Walk 19 | The Magharees |
Walk 20 | Kerry Head |
Walk 21 | Loop Head |
Walk 22 | Cliffs of Moher |
Walk 23 | Inis Oírr |
Walk 24 | Inis Meáin |
Walk 25 | Inis Mór |
Walk 26 | Omey Island |
Walk 27 | Killary Harbour |
Walk 28 | Inishbofin |
Walk 29 | Inishturk |
Walk 30 | Clare Island |
Walk 31 | Minaun Cliffs |
Walk 32 | Croaghaun and Achill Head |
Walk 33 | Benwee Head |
Walk 34 | Belderrig and Portacloy |
Walk 35 | Downpatrick Head |
Walk 36 | Slieve League |
Walk 37 | Glencolmcille |
Walk 38 | Arranmore Island |
Walk 39 | Bloody Foreland |
Walk 40 | Tory Island |
Walk 41 | Horn Head |
Walk 42 | Melmore Head |
Walk 43 | Clonmany and Binnion |
Walk 44 | Malin Head |
Walk 45 | Inishowen Head |
Walk 46 | Castlerock and Downhill |
Walk 47 | Causeway Coast Path |
Walk 48 | Rathlin Island |
Walk 49 | Fair Head |
Walk 50 | Whitehead and Black Head |
Walk 51 | North Down Coast Path |
Walk 52 | Strangford Lough |
Walk 53 | Killough and Ballyhornan |
Walk 54 | Dundrum and Murlough |