Toe Head

FROM TRAGUMNA BEACH TO TOEHEAD

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Tragumna beach is small but very much used and liked by the local Skibbereen folks. Every year on Christmas day there is a swim held here by some brave women and men, usually in aid of some charity. The beach lies about 5 km from the town via the Castletownsend road.
  • SLATE ROCK AT TRAGUMNA
  • SLATE IS IDEAL FOR LITTLE WILD PLANTS AND FERNS TO GROWN ON
The coastline along here is very rugged with many inlays and rocky outcrops, which makes the landscape interesting and beautiful. Many wild plants and flowers grow along these shores.
  • TRIFT (AMERIA MARITIMA)
  • SEA CHAMPION (SILENE MARITIMA)
  • KIDNEY VETCH (ANTHYLLIS VULNERARIA)
  • AND PINK KIDNEY VETCH
  • A RED SEDUM
  • SILVER WEED (POTENTILLA ANSERINA) NOT FLOWERING YET
Our drive took us along this Wild Atlantic coastline towards Toehead
(Ceann Tuaithe in Irish, Ceann meaning head, and Tuaithe meaning
a clan or community gathered under one chief, the name Toe Head is a bit of a bad translation ). Looking out West towards the Atlantic ocean, we know that’s where most of our rains come from.
Along the rugged coastline where lots of fresh sea air was to be enjoyed.
    Toe head is a most beautiful headland. Birds were singing but I did not identify any on this trip.
    At Toe Head we found this signal tower, these type of towers were found along the southern and Eastern coast in Ireland, they were used to give advanced warning of any invasion. The interesting thing is that every signal tower could see two other signal towers to either side of them, they would use visual means (semaphore) to signal. These towers date to 1806.
    Looking out towards what looks like a little island some distance from the shore. I went checking it out on Google Earth and it seems that it is just rocks – nothing else.