Starting point Dunfanaghy (Distance 5 miles)
This walk leads you first to Horn head bridge, which you will note has 12 eyes, but only 2 in use due to the silting up of the estuary in 1917, listen for corncrakes on summer evenings. A public footpath across the dunes takes you to Tramore beach. This magnificent, golden, sandy beach, 1 1/2 miles long (2Km), seldom has many people on it, even in summer. It is, however NOT SAFE for swimming, unless in the little rock pools on the northern side. Behind a small hill above this point can be found a 30m Celtic stone circle, almost buried by sand. A little further north-west is 'McSwine's Gun', a sea cave and blow-hole, which causes water to spray 10m into the air with a thunderous roar in north-westerly gales. On the way back there is a well-preserved souterrain, about 22m long, with several sub-chambers. Not easy to find, it is on high ground near a rocky outcrop, about 400m north of the footpath, half-way between Tramore beach and Horn
Head bridge.
I shuffled home past Horn Head bridge
From collectin' sticks and kindlin'
While corncrakes rasped from Figart Ridge
As summer light was dwindlin'
ROUTE
Walk for half a mile (1Km) out the Horn Head road by the Garda Station and Holy Trinity Church to Horn Head Bridge. At the far end of the bridge, on the left, there is a stile which leads to the public footpath and a pleasant walk through the dunes for about 1 1/2 miles (2.5Km)to Tramore Beach, (The easiest path is the widest one). To walk the length of Tramore, both ways, adds a further 3 miles (5Km).
Climb the rocks and sand off the beach, or go behind the dunes again, to find a path round a high dune, travelling
due west along the cliff, towards the small hill overlooking the beach. As the hill is reached, the stone circle will be seen on a flat spot to the right (north).
From the stone circle look north-west and walk to a cairn of stones near the edge of the rock. Continue on, on the same line and you will find McSwine's Gun near the edge of a rocky cliff. TAKE GREAT CARE! In calm, dry weather it is possible to look down through the blow-hole, about 30m, to the sea below.
Return to horn Head Bridge by the same route. Good luck finding the souterrain.