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You are here: Home / Archives for Tooreen Trailhead

Lighthouse Loop Walk | Sheep’s Head Way

January 15, 2014 by Dunmanus

If you only take one loop walk along the Sheep’s Head Way, then take the lighthouse loop walk

It’s an exhilarating walk out to the very tip of the Sheep’s Head peninsula where you’ll get to take in stunning views over West Cork’s bays and peninsulas.

The Sheep’s Head Way is an 88km walking trail along the coastline of Ireland’s Sheep’s Head peninsula – a European Destination of Excellence – and the lighthouse loop walk is one of the best ways to experience the trail for experienced hikers and day trippers alike.

Sheep's Head lighthouse

Lighthouse Loop Walk Details

To begin your walk, drive down the Sheep’s Head peninsula until you reach the Cupán Tae tea shop. The road on the peninsula ends here at the Tooreen trailhead where your West Cork walk begins.

From the car park at Tooreen follow the blue loop walk arrows. Set out in a southwesterly direction on the Dunmanus Bay side of the peninsula. Your route leads you past rocky outcrops and Lough Akeen and brings to the lighthouse at the tip of the headland.

After the helicopter pad, the Sheep’s Head lighthouse comes into view and if you wish you can climb the concrete steps that lead up to it!

If you carry on around the peninsula’s north side, views open out over Bantry Bay and there are some spectacular sea cliffs alongside the trail.

The loop – one of 20 loop walks on the Sheep’s Head Way – returns on the Bantry Bay side and at the Daingean (fort) sign near waymarker no. 272, veer right here off the main route which leads you back to the Bernie’s Sheep’s Head café and the car park at Tooreen.

Note: Be aware of weather conditions, unprotected dangerous cliffs and cut away peat bogs along the loop walk. Please do not exit marked trails only on marked routes. No dogs are allowed on The Sheep’s Head Way.
 

No trip to this walk is complete without a pause at Bernie’s Cupán Tae!

Download GPX File for GPS:Lighthouse Loop Walk file for GPS
Download file for 3D view in Google Earth:KMZ file for Lighthouse Loop Walk
Start/End Point;Car park at the end of the road on the Sheep's Head peninsula.
Difficulty:Moderate
Length:4.2 kilometres
Time:1.5 hours (approx)
Arrows:Blue
Metres Climbed:304 max.
Height:185m
Terrain:Footpaths, tracks and paved lanes. Steps down to the lighthouse, and close to cliffs.
Facilities:The walk begins and ends at the Cupán Tae tea shop.
Car park and toilet facilities are available here.

Filed Under: Estimated Time: Under 3 hours, Moderate, Sheep's Head Way Loop Walks, Tooreen Trailhead, Walking

Poet’s Way Loop Walk | Sheep’s Head Way

January 15, 2014 by Dunmanus

The Poet’s Way Loop Walk on the Sheep’s Head Way is named for the poet Denis M. Cronin who was born in the townland of Eskeraha on the peninsula

His epic poem ‘The Chase of a Shadow’ was written in 1898 and salutes the beauty of this part of the world:

From pole to pole should my migration bend;
Or twice around the world should they extend,
No place in all those travels could be found,
To my mind’s eye, so adequately crowned
With nature’s diadems, serene, profuse,
At these romantic and unrivaled views.

The nearly 200-page narrative poem tells the story of Fergus, a young Irish aristocrat from The Sheep’s Head peninsula who is separated from his family, his country and his true love by Ireland’s 1798 rebellion.

For the modern hiker on the Poet’s Way Loop Walk, this loop walk takes you past dazzling inlets, coves, blow holes and sea arches along the way. You’ll also see a ruined 17th-century signal tower as you go, and the summit of Ballyroon Mountain provides spectacular views over Bantry Bay, Dunmanus Bay, and the Mizen and Beara peninsulas.

Poet’s Way Loop Walk Route

From the car park at Tooreen follow the red loop walk arrows. Set out in a southwesterly direction on the Dunmanus Bay side of the peninsula to the lighthouse passing Lough Akeen en route.

After the helicopter pad, the Sheep’s Head lighthouse comes into view and if you wish you can climb the concrete steps that lead up to it!

The loop returns on the Bantry Bay side, and at the Daingean sign near way marker no. 272 continue straight along the main route. At way marker no. 238 veer right and walk a short distance along the public road. Turn right at the finger post sign for “The Poet’s Way” and go off road over a timber stile, way marker no. 65 Poet’s Way/Cahergal.

Follow the way markers to traverse the peninsula to the south side until you meet way marker no. 348. At this way marker turn right and continue on along in a southwesterly direction. You will then descend downhill and go over a timber stile and onto the road.

Turn left here along the road for a short distance passing the “Fáilte Faill Bheag” sign on your way. At way marker no. 337 turn right up a tarred road and onto a track. Continue on passing the ruins of an old signal tower and a World War Two look out post further on, until you will descend and return back to the car park at Tooreen.
 
Note: Be aware of weather conditions, unprotected dangerous cliffs and cut away peat bogs along the loop walk. Be aware of any livestock on the land, especially any bulls. Please do not exit marked trails only on marked routes. No dogs are allowed on The Sheep’s Head Way.

Emergency: Phone 999 or 112 and state whether you need Ambulance, Gardaí (police), Fire Brigade or Mountain Rescue.

To identify your location on the Poet’s Way Loop walk, please quote the number of the nearest way marker pole or your GPS/grid co-ordinates.

LEAVE NO TRACE

• plan ahead and prepare
• be considerate of others
• respect farm animals and wildlife
• leave what you find
• camp on approved sites or with landowner’s permission
• dispose of waste properly

Practising a Leave No Trace ethic is very simple: make it hard for others to see or hear you and leave no trace of your visit.
 

Download GPX File for GPS:Download Poet's Way Loop Walk GPX file
Download File for 3D View on Google Earth:Download Poet's Way Loop Walk KMZ file
Start/End Point:Car park at the end of the road on the Sheep's Head peninsula.
Length:12.4 kilometres
Difficulty:Difficult
Estimated Time:4 hours 30 minutes (Based on average walking speed of 3km per hour)
Arrows:Red
Terrain:Paths, tracks, rocky trails, minor roads.
Ascent:462 metres
Max Height:239 metres
Facilities:The walk begins and ends near the Cupán Tae cafe. Car park, bike rack, and public toilet available.

Filed Under: Estimated Time: 3-5 hours, Hard, Sheep's Head Way Loop Walks, Tooreen Trailhead, Walking

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The Sheep’s Head is a peninsula rich in history and you’ll find traces of its past all along the Sheep’s Head Way walking route.

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This project has been supported by Cork County Council & the LEADER programme under the Rural Development Programmes 2007-13 and 2017-2021.
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