Cliff walk in Cork receives €30k boost

A community campaign for improvements to the Ballycotton Cliff Walk in East Cork and its inclusion on the National Trails Register has raised €30,000.

The money will go towards the maintenance and repair of the trail, which was in danger of closing. The cliff walk has coves, beaches, flora and fauna to view on the way, and views of Ballycotton lighthouse on the walk back into the village.

A big community effort behind the project has included establishing a GoFundMe page and holding a coffee morning at Blackbird Ballycotton.

As part of the fundraising efforts, the Flynn Cush Group donated €15,000. A sign has been erected along the walk to acknowledge the contribution of the group, which owns local restaurants Sea Church, Cush, and The Salty Dog, as well as Ballycotton Sea Adventures.

An inspection of the trail was carried out to pinpoint areas for improvement.

Joining the National Trails Register is beneficial to help to maintain the natural amenity of the Ballycotton Cliff Walk, both for locals and to continue to attract visitors to the Ballycotton area.

Once the work is complete and the Ballycotton Cliff Walk passes the necessary criteria, it can be listed on the National Trails Register and Sport Ireland website. The trail will be reassessed periodically to confirm if it continues to meet the criteria.

Flynn Cush Group managing director and general manager Oliver Falter said it was “a pleasure to be involved in fundraising for the restoration and maintenance of the Ballycotton Cliff Walk”.

“The trail has been in use for hundreds of years and it would have been a shame to see it closed. Instead, we’re excited to see the works go ahead and delighted to have our contribution commemorated.”

Visitors to the Ballycotton walk can find the trailhead beside the Mary Stanford lifeboat, and can take in views of the fields and coastline on the 9.25km looped trail. It takes around three hours to complete and is graded by Discover Ireland as a strenuous walk. The waters around the walk are popular with dolphins.