Bringing The Cliff Walk Debacle To A Head

Walk this way… Bray Head SUN24AUG25

atest press release from Peter Murtagh from Friends Of The Cliff Walk, issued on Tuesday, August 26th 2025…

Emergency first responders and supporters took part in Sunday’s Head2Head, a 36 kilometre walk from Wicklow Head to Bray Head, raising money for childhood cancer under the umbrella of Aoibheann’s Pink Ribbon.

Among the group that completed the 66 kilometre walk were firefighters from Greystones, Bray and Wicklow, together with Civil Defence and Coast Guard volunteers plus members of An Garda Síochána – all people with an enhanced interest in, and understanding of, public safety.

In sunshine and good cheer they walked and raised money, along the stunning and long neglected coastal route from Wicklow to Bray, at least part of which Wicklow County Council wants people to stay away from.

Friends of the Cliff Walk (FOCW) were involved, by invitation, in a supporting role. From Greystones Marina, stewards helped guide the participants along the Cliff Walk to where it passes close to the end of Cliff Road near Cable Rock. From there, they went up the south-facing slope of Bray Head, and across the top of the Head to the Cross.

FOCW noticed only one local politician out showing his support – Bray TD John Brady – who completed the entire route, a credit to his stamina!

What was also noticeable, was the fact that emergency first responders had no difficulty using a section of the Cliff Walk that the Council, in its infinite wisdom, has declared unsafe and sought to keep closed to the public since early 2021 – that is, almost five years – by allowing it slide into dereliction through wilful neglect.

This well-publicised-in-advance event elicited no known reaction from the Council of which we are aware – no scolding about health and safety, and no Council safety monitoring of the event (again, as far as we are aware).

The Council official responsible for emergency services in the county, Marc Devereaux, is also Greystones Town Manager but thankfully, there were no problems.

The Cliff Walk, a public right of way, didn’t collapse. Nobody fell over the edge.

Indeed, since early 2021 there has been no further erosion of the pathway, which is used by walkers and joggers every day since we began clearing and restoring the path a year ago.

There is an immediate solution to this problem which the Council refuses to countenance: where the erosion slippage occurred above the North Beach, move the path a few meters inland. This solution, albeit a temporary one, was countenanced by the Council itself but it has failed to follow through, preferring instead its Do Nothing policy.

Meanwhile, the Tánaiste’s Task Force met.

Last Spring.

Engineering consultants RPS are surveying.

It is believed.

And the Council is providing Mr Harris with bi-weekly progress reports.

Or so it is said…

You can find out more about Friends Of The Cliff Walk on Instagram here or Facebook here, the unofficial reopening of the hike here, a little history here, and contact the gang on email here or by phone here. Main pics by Peter Murtagh.