Helvick Head, Ireland
Formed of Old Red Sandstone, it is the easternmost protrusion of a ridge that begins near Cork City.
Name
Helvick is one of a very few Irish place names derived from Old Norse. The second part, -vík, means "bay" (cf. Smerwick); and -hel in Icelandic means death or danger. (See the Icelandic adjective helvískur which means dangerous). Helvik would be recognised by an Icelander as suggesting a dangerous harbour entrance, especially in view of the presence of the very dangerous Blackrock right in the entrance to Dungarvan Harbour and just over a mile from the headland of Helvick.
the meaning of the first part is unclear, but it may mean "healthy", "white", "holy", or "safe"; compare with Hellvik, Norway.
Wildlife
Helvick Head is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The cliffs are a nesting site for seabirds including choughs and shag. Other bird species include razorbill, Northern fulmar, peregrine falcon, black-legged kittiwake, black guillemot, and common murre (guillemot).
Plants include gorse, bell heather, ling, devil's-bit scabious, heath bedstraw, bog violet, burnet rose, thrift, kidney vetch, sea mayweed and wild carrot.
References
- ^ "Through the Gaeltacht and to the sea". The Irish Times. 15 June 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- ^ "Helvick Head - Ireland Highlights".
- ^ "eOceanic". eoceanic.com.
- ^ "Old Red Sandstone". University College Cork.
- ^ "Heilbhic/Helvick". Logainm.ie.
- ^ Helvick Head SAC | National Parks & Wildlife Service
- ^ "Helvick Head SAC" (PDF). National Parks & Wildlife Service. January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- ^ "Helvick Head". www.askaboutireland.ie.
- ^ "The Irish Naturalists' Journal". I.N.J. Committee. 8 February 1968 – via Google Books.