Weekends on the move: 200 years of The Metalman in Tramore
At the last moment, I am looking back at the trips this year. This time I’m taking you to Metalman in Tramore – an unofficial vantage point over the cliffs of the Celtic Sea.
If you ever visit Waterford, the locals will surely tell you that you just have to go to Tramore. Tramore is a small town right by the Celtic Sea, where not only locals like to go. You will find a very nice view here, but mainly a large beach, along which you can walk or get wet in the sea. More about Tramore in one of my first articles.
By the way, the so-called Metalman is also located in Tramore. Metalman are three pillars rising above the sea. One of those columns has a statue of a “sailor” man pointing out to sea. These pillars, along with the other two opposite on Brownstown Head, were built 200 years ago, in 1823. These pillars are intended to serve as a visual aid to ships to prevent accidents. In 1816, a large ship sank here with 360 people on board. None of these pillars have lights, but they are visible in good weather, and probably no ship has sunk there since.
Despite its sad history, Metalman is a popular place to relax. But getting to it is not easy – the path around the cliffs is not groomed and when I tried to get to Metalman there a few years ago, I had to turn around because a part of the path was simply missing and one would fall from the cliff into the stormy sea. The second, unofficial, path leads across the field behind Metalman, which is private property.
I just read an article this week that the local tourist organization will try to open an official public road to Metalman within two years.
All three Metalman pillars are surrounded by barbed wire. As far as I remember, cows graze in those fields, so the fence and wire are probably supposed to prevent accidental falls. As soon as you reach these three pillars, the view of the sea spreads out in front of you, and on the right you can admire the cliffs, which are part of UNESCO. You can also see from here the said two pillars on Brownstown Head, the other side of Tramore.
In addition to the beautiful views, I also came across burrows under the clover. I had no idea what animal had dug them up and what could have jumped out at me along the way, but after about an hour I saw them – hares. They just live under Metalman and enjoy the views.
It was the first time I went to Metalman, I don’t know if I’ll ever go there again, the weather that day was quite unpredictable – at first the sun was quite bright and then it got cloudy and it wasn’t exactly ideal for photos, but even after a few months I I still like a lot of them, so I hope you will too 🙂
