Atlantic cliffs north of Dunfanaghy
Horn Head’s quartzite cliffs rise about 180m out of the Atlantic, on the headland north of Dunfanaghy. Take the road north of Dunfanaghy and stop at the Wild Atlantic Way viewpoint. The Atlantic opens out beyond the headland, with Sheephaven Bay on the other side.
The Irish name, Corrán Binne, means ‘point of the cliff’ – and the point is the whole show.
Getting out there
One honest warning before you go: the road from Dunfanaghy is narrow and twisting, and not for the faint hearted. Use the signed parking at the viewpoint and leave room for oncoming vehicles, as there is little room to turn if you meet a car at the wrong spot. Take it slowly and pull in for oncoming traffic.
If mist or strong wind comes in, keep to the viewpoint or return to Dunfanaghy. The ground beyond the viewpoint is exposed, rough and boggy in places, with unfenced cliff edges, and the weather turns fast. This is a dangerous spot in mist if you cannot navigate, so treat anything beyond the viewpoint as unsuitable for an unplanned walk, and do not try to climb down towards the sea.
What to look for
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records a wartime lookout post on Coastguard Hill and, separately, an Éire 77 marker at the tip to its north. These are among the dozens of such markers laid out around the Irish coast during the Second World War to tell aircraft they were over neutral territory. Bring binoculars for the view from firm ground.
McSwyne’s Gun, then and now
McSwyne’s Gun is a blow-hole on the peninsula, and its reputation is bigger than its present-day performance. In storms it once forced seawater high into the air with a boom that carried a long way inland. Erosion has tamed it, and visitors who come hoping for the old spectacle may leave disappointed. Do not try to reach it: the ground near it is unfenced and people have died getting too close to the edge and the spray.
Old stones and a derelict big house
Horn Head was an island once, joined to the mainland over the millennia by sand. Its moorland carries Neolithic remains, including stone circles, court tombs, passage tombs and old field boundaries, among them a portal tomb that sits on private land, so you need the landowner’s permission to visit it.
The grandest ruin is more recent. Captain Charles Stewart, a veteran of the Battle of the Boyne, bought the estate in 1700 and had William Wray of Ards build Horn Head House in 1701. It was the family seat until 1935. It now stands empty and derelict, its outbuildings collapsing and its walled gardens overgrown, a marker of the estate that once ran this corner of the coast.
Wildlife
The National Parks and Wildlife Service lists these cliffs as part of a Special Protection Area for seabirds. European shag, razorbill and guillemot all breed here, fulmars work the more sheltered ledges, and puffins turn up in small numbers in summer. The clifftops are bog and heather, exposed to the full force of the Atlantic.
Nearby
Dunfanaghy itself is a short drive back down the road, and is the place to look for toilets, refreshments and restaurants, as the headland has none of its own. For beaches, Killahoey Strand is a long stretch of fine sand popular with surfers, and Tramore and Marble Hill are both close by.
Practical information
- Access: free to visit, no entrance fee. Reached by the narrow Horn Head road from Dunfanaghy; use the signed parking at the viewpoint.
- Safety: the cliff edges are open and unprotected and the blow-hole is dangerous in high seas, so keep well back. The ground is uneven and boggy with steep drops; wear sturdy, waterproof footwear.
- Timing: visit on a clear day for the views. The weather can change in minutes.
- Facilities: none on the headland, so bring water and food and use the facilities in Dunfanaghy.
- Accessibility: the cliff ground beyond the viewpoint is not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies.
- Bring: a windproof jacket, binoculars for the birds and islands, and an offline map, as mobile signal can be patchy.