Rothar Routes

Cycle routes & pilgrim journeys in Ireland and Europe …..

Archive for ‘January, 2025’

Back on the Barrow!

The Barrow Way

It’s been a while! With the bad weather and the deterioration in the Track, I’ve been staying away from the River for some time. There is very bad rutting created by the heavy machinery that WWI insist on using for maintenance work. That plays havoc with the front wheel of the bike and it also creates a ‘washboard effect’ resulting in constant vibration through the handlebars.

The plan was to start in Goresbridge at the Goodly Barrow Cafe, follow the towpath to Graiguenamanagh and then head up Brandon Hill for a bit of mountain biking. Yesterday morning was perfect – starting out!

The river was high and chocolate brown due to the recent rains. The track itself was soft but mostly passable and the path from here to Saint Mullins is so beautiful, set in a scene that could be straight from the Canadian Rockies!

It was very evident that there was a savage cutting back of the riverside trees and vegetation. Carrying out this work with massive tractors and hedge cutters does unnecessary damage and rather than maintain the path is destroying it. Regular walkers and cyclists are deeply concerned with how this is being managed. So sad to see as this is one of the few wilderness areas we have in this county. In fact the Barrow towpath is the longest continuous off road hiking trail in Ireland. It’s ironic that WWI are so determined to replace the grass surface with a hard surface while the State is attempting to create hiking routes all over the country as there is a dearth of accessible long distance routes! It’s akin to saying we could put an elevator to the top of Carrauntoohil or up Croagh Patrick!! Destroying the very wilderness that are trying to promote.

Despite this, the Towpath twists and turns its way south between the Blackstairs Mountains and Brandon Hill, with rocky escarpments towering over the towpath between Clashganny and Graiguenamanagh, a place to lose yourself in the quiet magic. Time seems to pause itself and it’s easy relax and enjoy the great outdoors down here. East West Mapping have a great map of the Blackstairs Mountains and the Barrow Way with such great detail to even naming the rocks in the River!. Here’s a photo of one such rock just south of Ballinagrane Lock, called Baunnagun Rock!

It’s amazing the impact one man can have on others. Hail rain or snow, Ronan Ryan (@roriain) voluntarily and single handedly ensures the Track is litter free all year round. It was great to bump into him again – I can meet him anywhere from Athy to St Mullins, with his little dog along as companion. This simple yet profound commitment to cleaning the riverbank demonstrates how individual action can lead to societal change. It shows that improving the world does not require extraordinary resources, only an extraordinary will to act. By keeping the riverbank clean and showcasing its natural beauty, Ronan is fostering environmental awareness, community engagement, and a spirit of stewardship. Protecting and celebrating the world we all share and we all need to care just as much as he does.

I was very wary cycling given how soft the towpath was – one mistake and the bike could have ended up in the River and believe you me, I know all about that as it once happened to me when my wheel got caught in a rut and I ended up head first in the cold December water up past the Sugar factory!

About a kilometer before Graiguenamanagh, I stopped to take a photo of the rings of a recently cut down tree; I counted 50 rings; 50 years standing sentry along the river bank but sadly no more!

Just then the heavens opened… Brandon and disappeared into the cloud and my plans were changing rapidly. I made it into Graiguenamanagh or Gráig na Manach (Village of the Monks), took a few photos and headed back through the teeming rain out towards Ullard Church.

A photo of Red Willie Walsh or Liamy Walsh, possibly Carlow’s greatest ever hurler; a beautifully skilled and balance hurler.

The thoughts of cycling in the rain are off putting but funnily enough it’s actually very enjoyable in childlike way! Rain pouring down, wheels spring fast though loughs of water, the earth smells fresh and the air feels free, head down and bating on for home!

Every day is a good day when you can get out and enjoy the great outdoors. Always something to see and to awaken a curiosity in nature and our historical sites.

Time Travel

Every local bike route I follow is more than just a cycle through landscapes—it’s a passage through time. As the wheels glide over quiet bóithríns, the echoes of history ride alongside me, whispering stories etched into the land. Place names, often taken for granted, sometimes unlock these stories, the Irish version often descriptive or recalling long-forgotten events, or maybe the legacy of those who came before us. Each name is a breadcrumb in the great narrative of our shared heritage, linking us to our ancestors ,our cultures – for we have many cultural influences, and traditions that shape the Ireland and localities we live in today.

Cycling through these routes is an act of remembrance, a way of reconnecting with the past while fully immersed in the present. It’s a chance to honour the lives, the struggles, and triumphs of our ancestors by acknowledging the cultural and historical significance of the ground beneath our tyres. These cycles remind me that history isn’t confined to textbooks or museums—it lives in the rivers, the forests, and hills that surround us. I find it energising to explore local routes, its good for my physical well-being but they create a curiosity in me that brings great satisfaction in remembering, recalling or researching those places I encounter and I am grateful that many people enjoy reading about these simple journeys across Carlow and beyond!

Saturday was a good day for the bike; dry and there was a wee bit of a stretch in the afternoon! During the week I tend to cycle at night and usually follow a couple of routes that I know are safe to cycle in the dark. So I look forward to heading in a different direction each weekend and I usually know not where I am headed for! I steered for Palatine village. I always recall my late father telling me about the attractive row of granite cottages, built for Burton’s workers in 1866. The story goes that the doors were all facing to the rear when originally built and that the street-facing door ways were only inserted later. This was done so that the Burtons did not have engage with their workers as they passed!

I had it in my head to head in the direction of Rathvilly and see where the road would take me after that. If I’m cycling to the north east of the county I avoid the main road as it’s not a safe road on the bike. With the spiders web of local roads, there are thankfully always other options, even though that more often than not this entails added kilometres. But sure isn’t that the whole point of cycling in the first place!

After going through Pal village I face the short but steep climb to Knocknacree Crossroads on the main Castledermot – Tullow Road followed by a nice descent towards Graney, site of the infamous ‘Graney Ambush in the War of Independence in 1922. The IRA attacked a convoy of the National Army here and 3 soldiers were killed with 5 badly wounded. Graney was also the site of a Nunnery founded by the Augustinians around 1200 AD until Henry VIII’s dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539, granting the substantial lands to Sir A. St Leger.

These are ideal roads for the bike; good surfaces and not much traffic on them. I turned right in the direction of Rathvilly and soon passed by the impressive Beechy House Stud, owned by racehorse trainer Jim Bolger. It was once owned by Benjamin D’Israeli, uncle of the former British Prime Minister of the same. He gifted a sum of money to enable the construction of a school in Rathvilly, and the beautiful building at Bough is that old school. England’s tentacles are everywhere!

This is a great route to get to Rathvilly by bike – and possibly shorter than the main road, but thankfully not suitable for heavy traffic. I was in ‘Ráth Bhile’ sooner than I expected, crossing over the six arched Slaney bridge which was built in 1800 and is still in good condition despite the high volumes of traffic that have necessitated a set of traffic lights!. Apart from being fairly handy at the auld football, It’s one of Carlow’s prettiest and most historic villages, perched on the hilltop over looking the Slaney. Its ancient origins can be guessed at by its name – Ráth being a fort and Bile referring to a tree where ancient chieftains were inaugurated. Important places in ancient times and trees were revered. So much so that in Brehon Law they were classified in three groupings – scrub trees, common trees and chieftain trees. Chieftain trees included Ash, Oak, Yew, Holly, Pine and Apple. To cut a branch of one of these trees meant a fine of a yearling heifer and worse again if a tree was cut down – a fine of a milk cow! If those laws were still in existence there’d be a lot of livestock in the county pound!

The Moate at Rathvilly was the residence of one Crimthann Mac Énnai, an Uí Chinnsealiagh King of Leinster, between 443-483 and he was baptised here by no less a man than Saint Patrick himself! Nearby is Saint Patricks Well which I have covered previously.

I continued on in the direction of Hacketstown as far as Tombeagh Standing Stone, also known as ‘ The Giant’s Lift’. It’s an odd looking stone but it’s standing proud and undisturbed for hundreds or maybe thousands of years. The cycle down past Knocklishen – Cnoc Lisín Mór and Cnoc Lisín Beag (Hill of the great Ring Fort and Small Fort…). It’s a beautiful sweeping scene down to the Douglas river.

Tombeagh Standing Stone.

I next passed over Mountneil Bridge, which I think was blown up in the Black and Tan times and later replaced.

With the USA intent on banning ‘Ticknock’, I was determined to pay it a visit to check it out and I can confirm it is still open and welcoming of visitors!

I was now on the homeward loop, even if still going away from Carlow, entering into County Wicklow, where the lovely local laneways brought me over towards Aldborough Bridge which got me back over the Slaney. It’s another fine stone bridge which has a foundation soften on the upstream wall bearing the words ‘Aldborough Bridge 182…’ one of only 4 bridges over the Slaney with a a written foundation stone. There was a Reverend Paul Stratford who lived close by in Mountneil, one of the oldest residents of Aldborough. He was a man of such great faith that he prevented local people from trying to save his furniture when the big house went on fire, saying, ‘Never fly in the face of Heaven, my friends. When the Almighty resolved to burn my house, He most certainly intended to destroy my furniture. I am resigned – the Lord’s will be done”. His insurance company didn’t take the same view and refused to pay any portion of the damages, given his lack of interest in saving the property! (Great information in John Duffy’s book ‘River Slaney from source to sea’).

Not too much further on I crossed over a rail bridge, that once took traffic over the Sallins to Tullow rail line, which was built by the GSWR in 1886. The rail line is now defunct of course.

Railway Bridge.

The old railway line passed through here on its way to Tullow via Rathvilly (Station was where Halligans Funeral Home is now located).

I crossed over the Rathvilly Baltinglass road at the Yellowford Cross Roads making my way over via Bigstone, (covered previously), Corballis Hill and into Castledermot; three counties covered today – Carlow, Wicklow and Kildare and in home by Ballaghmoon and Oak Park. A tidy 62kms of wandering through time and space. Another great Saturday adventure!

Here’s a QR Code to the route:

Great European Cycle Routes. Part I.

Imagine cycling through medieval villages, ancient ruins, dried up river beds and scenic hilltops, once walked by pilgrims centuries ago. In Europe, every turn of the wheel brings you closer to the past—and to breathtaking views you’ll never forget. Here’s the first of four great routes that an any able bodied person could undertake! I did this route in 2004(!) with a good friend Caoimhín Corrigan who was Arts Officer in Carlow at that time.

Via de la Plata

A spectacular 1,000kms walking / cycling route, the Via de la Plata is a lesser known pilgrimage route from Seville in southern Spain to Santiago de Compostela in north west Spain, in the province of Galicia. Also known as the Silver Way, the route was a well trodden trade and historic Roman road of which there are many visible reminders as you push those pedals on your journey north. The route takes in some amazing heritage cities such as Caceres, Merida, Salamanca, Zamora before finishing in Santiago. Begin your journey in Andalucia, home to flamenco, tapas and stunning Moorish architecture. Be prepared for the heat – the route passes through remote areas of Andalucia and Extramadura, land of olive groves, cork oaks, cacti and cotton. Did I mention it is hot?

Much of the route is delightfully off road but there is an easier on road option too. The landscapes are full of contrast as you travel north. In the south , it is mostly flat or gently hills; the land is parched and withers under the scorching hot sun. ‘Pata negra’ – Iberian black pigs doze in large herds in the shade of the holm oak trees on the ‘dehesas’ – farms of a few hectares ranging up to large estates. The Iberian pig does “the montanera” , that is, it lives freely in the pasture during the autumn and winter feeding on acorns. They are a sight to behold.

Giving slightly more concern along this section of the route is the presence of large herds of Spanish fighting bulls (Toro Bravo) – bred for bull fighting and often the route passes through large estates with a strand of barbed wire -(if you are lucky) or no barriers between the path and the grazing bulls! So a bit of common sense is required and be on your guard!

As the route heads north the terrain changes as it climbs higher and opens into the vast area known as the Meseta Central. These are the high plains of Spain, the bread basket where wheat is grown. This can test your resilience as the landscapes are huge, with the sense of never ending flatness. Salamanca comes as a huge relief! A beautiful lively university city well worth stopping over in.

The contrast with the south becomes much more noticeable approaching Galicia with the land turning to 40 shades of green; scenes reminiscent of Ireland. It becomes much more mountainous and lush with lots of forests and river crossings. Ascents are really tough on the approach to Ourense with the path passing through remote valleys. Be prepared for rain! Galicia is on a par with the west of Ireland for rainfall. The villages, such as Laza, are like stepping back in time. It’s not uncommon to see horse drawn ploughs in the small holdings. An untamed landscape, home to wild boar, deer and wolves.

It’s up and down all the way to Santiago from Ourense and so far removed from southern Spain in every context – weather, terrain, farming, language, culture, music and history. By the time you arrive in front of the Cathedral your body will be full aware that you have cycled 1,000 kms and the sense of achievement is amazing. Memories and friendships made. Unbelievable experiences of the diversity of Spanish landscapes, climates and cultures.

Salamanca.

The only was through was barefoot!

Toro Bravo! Only a strand of barbed wire between us!

We met my sister Dearbhla in Salamanca , where she was studying at that time.

It’s a route I often think about doing again as it’s so much quieter and remote than the Camino Francés. A different route entirely and equally impressive.