The Coolim Cliffs, One Of My Favourite Places Ever

So the weather was scorching today, and I thought the Coolim cliffs would be a good refuge, after all, they’re called the Coolim Cliffs, not the Hotim Cliffs. I never feel guilty about this kind of nonsense, ever.

Now that that unpleasantness that is admittedly my fault is behind us, I’d like to talk about my many visits to the Coolim Cliffs. I went there first in 2012 (though I seem to have faint memories of being there as a child), and I resolved to go there every year. The only year I didn’t go since was 2013, so that got off to a bad start, but I’ve gone at least once a year every year from 2014 on. In 2021 I visited the Cliffs four times.

I set off at around half twelve, after having packed a generous amount of water, cheese sandwiches, cream crackers, and cashew nuts, always bring more than enough, especially in a heatwave, most people don’t think of food in a heat wave, but it’s important to remember your muscles are working harder and need more food energy. The Coolim Cliffs isn’t that far from where I’m staying in Ramsey Hill, but weather I’m going four miles or forty miles, I especially in hot weather would rather over prepare then under prepare.

I began the cycle, only a cycling distance of about three maybe four miles, but what makes it tough is that for a variety of reasons I haven’t had access to my usual bike while staying in West Cork for the last few years, so all that is available to me is a bike that is too small for me. It’s good for saving time on flat roads or downhill but that’s about it, I gave up on trying to cycle uphill on it a few years ago, I’m afraid of destroying my knees on such an unergonomic bike!

I cycled past Blind Strand, up a narrow country road (so narrow that when a car is coming in the other direction we both curse each other’s existence) and parked the bike next to a lovely green path that takes you up to the Coolim Cliffs.

From the path you can see for miles, seeing more and more as you ascend. The green of the fields, and the blue of the ocean and the sky, makes me really emotional. All my troubles just disappear as I ascend the path. As I see a further and further distance as I walk onward, I’m able to see mountains in the distance, to the West. I’ve never managed to figure out what mountains they are. If I was a guessing man I’d say they were the Shehy Mountains, but I don’t know, if I ever find out I’ll update this post with what mountains they are.

When you get to the top of the path, you are on a road, and then you hop a fence into a field, and after crossing several fields you are on the Coolim Cliffs. Already you can see an incredible distance. There is a certain point in one of the fields where you can see Galley Head Lighthouse, the Old Head of Kinsale Lighthouse and Ballycotton Island Lighthouse, not even by moving, just by standing where you are and turning. Sadly not today, Ballycotton Lighthouse was obscured, but I’ve seen all three lighthouse on previous visits to the Cliffs. Some of the furthest distances I have ever seen have been from on top of the Coolim Cliffs or near it (the road and fields leading to the Cliffs have a similar elevation.

Today after climbing over a lot of gates, climbing over a lot of fences of unknown electricity, and destroying my feet in brambles, I reached the Coolim Cliffs and sat down. I can sit there for hours just taking it all in. The birds were pretty much silent today, but normally I find their chatter very peaceful and calming. And I will happily sit there for hours, few things in the world can get me to move, and when I finally do it always feels like a shame. The blue of the ocean, and the vast distances I can see, it’s incredible.

In 2021 I saw paragliders near the Old Head of Kinsale Signal Tower. Incidentally, visit the Signal Tower if you get a chance, only about four euros price of admission if I remember correctly. From the top of the Signal Tower I have seen the Galtee Mountains, I’ll do a proper blogpost on the Signal Tower some day.

Often I will walk down to the lower part of the Cliffs, not today too hot, but here’s a picture from an earlier visit.

As you walk down towards Barry’s Point you will often see horses in the field. White horses that look like they should be in a film about, eh, magical horses!

And then as you keep walking down, you end up at Barry’s Point, a nice area but one I don’t visit as often because it rips my shoes to shreds. From Barry’s Point you’ve a great view of Horse Rock, a tiny island that is usually covered in birds.

But one of the best things about Coolim’s Cliff is what I like to call Colm’s Wonderful Place Paradox, a paradox which is copyrighted you can’t use it.

(Four Minutes Later)

Okay I’ve just gotten a call from my legal team, apparently paradoxes cannot be copyrighted, so I’ll work on changing the law so that they can, I feel I should be able to charge people 100 euros an hour to use any of the paradoxes I have come up with. Anyway, I’ll explain Colm’s Wonderful Place Paradox. You will typically have the Coolim Cliffs to your self when you go there, not a soul in sight. It’s a shame, it’s such a wonderful tranquil place. I want to tell the world about how amazing it is. But, I have no interest in visiting the Cliffs of Moher, mainly because they are too crowded. I love the quiet and tranquillity of the Coolim Cliffs, and if more people knew about it, that tranquillity would be gone. Blarney Castle is not my idea of fun, but Kilcrea Castle which is usually deserted, is one of my favourite places. So to finish off, I want more people to visit the Coolim Cliffs, but not too many, let’s limit it to about ten a day, that should be alright! Here are some more photos I took from on top of the best Cliffs ever.

August 2021. First time I managed to see Howe Strand with its abandoned Coast Guard Station. I wasn’t even looking for it, didn’t think it could be seen from the cliffs, but the Coolim Cliffs are a strange and magical place, where all of your dreams regarding long sightlines will come true.