Rothar Routes

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

Posts by Turlough

Cycling Carlow’s Heartland

Killoughternane Church

The backroads are my routes for exploring the nooks and crannies of the countryside and cycling these bóithríns (cow paths) lets me slip out of this modern world for a few hours of exploring! With my ordnance survey maps loaded on my phone I’m constantly seeing little red dots and red writing indicating an ancient landmark, forgotten places that are impossible to see from the comfort of a car but which I can easily spot from my bike and explore. The ordnance survey maps carry the poetic placenames of the county. Long before maps and the written word, places had names which were memorised and were important reference points committed to memory. My good friend Uinsíonn Mac Graith (former Rathvilly goalkeeper 1980s) explained this to me on a cliffside walk along the north Mayo coast a couple of years ago. Every inlet, cave, reef, rock, hill, headland, stream had it’s own special name which were used to pinpoint a location, to tell a tale about the area and give meaning to the landscape. In his publication, ‘Logainmneacha agus Oidhreacht Dhún Chaocháin (The Placenames and Heritage of Dún Chaocháin)‘ he collected and listed an incredible 1,500 placenames of this tiny area and he mapped them all! It’s a beautiful and important publication. Many of these placenames were not written down beforehand, but were carried by word of mouth from one generation to the next. Carlow is no different; it would be nice to have our Logainmneacha recorded. For now the Ordnance Survey Maps are a good starting point, as is my father’s copy of ‘Placenames of County Carlow’ by Edward O Toole, a little publication that I treasure.

My route today was to take my down to Killoughternane and Rathnageeragh:

Sticking to the back roads provides me with safe quiet cycle paths; virtually traffic free. First stop off today was at Clonmelsh graveyard, where Walt Disneys ancestors are buried!

Ancestral burial place of the Disney family is located at Clonmelsh..

Just a few hundred metres beyond the graveyard is another very important site associated with St Willibrord, patron saint of Luxembourg. St Willibrord was born near York in England. He was trained and ordained at a religious site located in the townland of Garryhundon, Co Carlow commonly referred to as Killogan, Rath Melsigi (Rathmelsh) or Clonmelsh Graveyard.

Rath Melsigi and its cross

I took the back road to Bagenalstown or Muinebheag. William Bagenal of Dunleckny House had planned to build a new town based on Versaille! As pretty and all as Bagenalstown may be, it ain’t no Versaille!

(From http://www.logainm.ie website)

Passing out of Bagenalstown, the skew bridge over the railway is bordered with the very unique Carlow granite fencing; found no where else in the country! The upright pillars have a V cut into the top and into which the lintel is set in place. Richie Kavanagh wrote a song about it!

Onwards through Donore, Corries Cross, Ballinree Cross and finally arriving after a pleasant traffic free cycle at Killoughternane (Cill Fhoirtchearnáin) – Church of St Fortchen, of which I’ve blogged recently. Also known as the ‘White Church’. It’s obvious why from this drone photo:

Killoughternane Church

My final destination for the day was another visit to Rathnageeragh (Ráth na gCaorach – The Fort/ Rath of the Sheep) to see the progress on the restoration of the old National School. What a treat. But first a big climb up the approach to Carlow’s highest village, Drumphea, before turning right and along the stone walled bordered bóithrín to the Edmond Spruhan restored school. The Schools Collection on the Dúchas website (www.dúchas.ie) contains literally thousands of handwritten stories collected in National Schools, all across the country. They collected stories from Rathnageeragh NS, here is one surprising story about the popularity of bowling and cricket in Drumphea!

I was at the southernmost end of today’s cycle route at Killoughternane and was heading home into the cold north wind. I always like to take a different route home and today was no different. I headed towards Cúl na Sneachta and then in the direction of Garryhill before turning right into the townland of Sheean (An Sían – The Fairy Mound). It was there I came upon a memorial to Volunteers Myles Carroll and Seamus O Toole. The Myshall and Drumpha Parish website is a great source of local history and there is great detail, including a ballad, commemorating the two men here

This is a road I was never on before and I soon passed the Carlow dog training club, I didn’t know such a place existed; there were half dozen dogs being put through their paces! I headed back by the shortest route possible, through Straduff, Clonee, Tailor’s Cross, Kilnock, Ballynunnery, Kellistown, Moyle, Ballycrogue and back into Carlow Town. A great day’s cycling with lots of glimpses into our historic past.

John Creedon of RTE has written some great books in recent years, one of which celebrates the placenames of Ireland ‘That Place We Call Home’, well worth a read as is his compendium ‘An Irish Folklore Treasury from the Schools Collection which is part of the National Folklore Collection, which I sometimes reference.

Rathnageeragh NS restored
Rathnageeragh NS in ruins..

65kms done today across the beautiful countryside of County Carlow!

Rathanna Cycle Hub ?

Looking for a place to plan some nice cycle routes from? The tiny village of Rathanna would make a great cycle hub for south Carlow, south east Kilkenny and Wexford around the Blackstairs. Located between Borris and the Blackstairs Rathanna is perfectly positioned for exploring the Blackstairs Mountains, using tiny traffic free local roads, where time seems to stand still.

Equip yourself with the absolutely brilliant ‘Blackstairs, Mount Leinster & The Barrow Valley’ map produced by East West Mapping (they are based in Clonegal, and produce a series of maps ideal for hiking and cycling activities) and you will have the complete picture to create a multitude of scenic and historically interesting routes that will have you coming back for more.

The history of Ireland and all our local communities is bound up in the richness of our original Irish place names. Every townland, hill and river has a name that tells a story – it might relate to the landscape, to the people who lived there, historical events or ancient mythology. This part of Carlow is rich in heritage. The place names reveal long forgotten aspects of our past – monasteries, churches, battle sites, folklore… they still live on and these connect us with our past despite the angliscation of our country which deliberately mistranslated their original meaning. That’s a pet hate of mine; I hate to see modern housing estates adopting typically English names such as … Tudor Downs or other such pretentious nonsense, when we have so many meaningful options in our original names and heritage to choose from.

In an era of rapid globalisation, preserving local placenames helps maintain a connection to the past. They are not just markers on a map; they are living records of the Irish language, our history, and our identity. For those interested in genealogy, researching placenames can reveal ancestral links and provide a deeper understanding of family roots.

And economically, for tourism and cultural heritage, the meanings behind placenames can enhance visitors’ appreciation of the landscape. Many tourists are fascinated by the poetic and descriptive nature of Irish placenames, which add depth to the country’s storytelling tradition. This quiet part of Carlow has its own unique charms, just waiting to be explored.

This is a great route with plenty of climbing featuring breath taking scenery and a magnificent narrow strip of tarmac with a huge drop down the mountain side if you get too distracted by the views! I started out at the car park opposite St Fortcherns Church in Rathanna and beside Osbornes tiny pub (which also has a hostel attached), it’s a gentle start, gliding downhill to Jack Carrolls bridge over the Killedmond river and on to the ‘Bull Ring – a unique little pentagonal piece of ground shaped by the surrounding network of roads and from where the climb starts to gently rise. It rapidly becomes very steep approaching Tomduff Crossroads and the approach road to Mount Leinster. Use the excuse of taking in the views to take a break from the fairly savage gradient as you head up towards the famous Nine Stones and the Columbanus Bell which marks the starting point of Turas Columbanus, a pilgrimage route, linking Carlow and Bangor in County Down.

The Nine Stones is a very popular spot for Sunday drives and the short walk up Slievebawn or the more challenging road to the TV transmitter on top of Mount Leinster.

I was delighted to bump into Carlow’s finest dual player ever, Paddy Quirke, here at the Columbanus Bell; he was out with the family for some fresh air and a ramble. Naomh Eoin’s finest played Railway Cup with Leinster and was a dual All Star Replacement. He looks as fit as ever!

The views across the patchwork of green fields of County Carlow stretch out before you as far as the eye can see; it’s not a road for the feint hearted and it’s always important to be cautious when meeting a car as it can be quite daunting to an inexperienced driver. If the pace uphill to this point was tortoise like, the descent down past the Head of the River Burren was an adrenalin rush!

The source of the River Burren. I was once inspired by a tale of the great Gus Merne who walked from here to Carlow following the path of the Burren and I undertook it many years ago but didn’t quite get back to Carlow town by dark!

My favourite place name in Carlow is ‘Cúl na Sneachta’. Situated at the base of Mount Leinster, the road follows the contour of the hill around in a sweeping arc and I noticed a memorial stone I hadn’t seen before. I pulled hard on the brakes and made out the inscription s best I could and it said ‘Cathal Goulding’ but I couldn’t really make out the rest of it. I looked to up when I got home and it transpires it was erected in memory of Republican, Cathal Goulding (1923-1998) who was ‘Chief of Staff’ of the IRA and the ‘Officials’. I hadn’t heard of his connection with the area but he had spent a lot of time in his cottage at Raheenleigh. Following his death, he was cremated and his ashes were scattered at the Nine Stones. You learn something new every day!

A bit further on I turned back left in the direction of Rathanna at a cross roads, where there’s a famous piece of rock art on display in the garden of a house at the cross roads. From there I headed up onto what I dubbed ‘The Hidden Sky Road’ some years ago and which Carlow County Council signposted as a local cycling route. I love this road that skirts the western side of Tomduff, towering over Rathnageeragh Castle and the former National School. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a car on this road – nor another bike either!

Rathnageeragh NS in ruins, I took this a good few years ago.

Now transformed!

It was another downhill by Seskinamadra – Seisceann na Madraí, the marsh of the dogs… where I swung right and stopped over to visit St Fortcherns Well and Killoughternane Church ruins.

Despite it association with miraculous cures, I wasn’t tempted to have a ‘cuppa’ but clearly, other brave souls do and if the presence of frogspawn is an indicator of clean water, then I’m sure it would have done me no harm at all! A famous chalice and patten were discovered here that date back to 1595; they were hidden during penal times. There’s great reading about the history of the well and the area in the Myshall and Drumphea parish website.

Killougternane Church is a beautiful example of an early ChristianChurch dating back to the 10th century. It’s a beautiful serene place to visit and the stone work is immaculate.

Also known as ‘The White Church’, this 10th century granite church is built on the remains of an earlier timber church founded by St Fortchen in the 5th Century. Local wisdom holds that Christianity was established here even before the arrival of St Patrick. Who knows for sure.. ‘Cill Uachtair Fhionáin’ meaning the ‘upper church of Finnian’ highlights its connection with St Finnian of Clonard (but really of Myshall!), one of the greatest monastic sites in the country where the ‘Irish Apostles’ were all educated.

I skirted around by Knocksquire and traced my way back to Rathanna via Killedmond after a terrific afternoon cycle, sightseeing and exploring our local heritage. Good to be able to do it!

The Cycle of the Seven Wonders

I promised myself, when I visited the Seven Wonders of Fore, almost a year ago to the day, that I’d return with my bike to further explore this ancient land full of mystery. This morning was sharp, good and dry, not too cold – ideal or the bike. These are the places I love to visit and I knew today would be special; I was embarking on a journey through time, from the Legendary Seven Wonders of Fore to the ancient hilltop cairns of Loughcrew and then on towards Lough Sheelin in Cavan.

Fore is nestled between two beautiful hills, the Ben of Fore to the north east and Carrick Balor (Of the Evil Eye) in the south west. I pedalled past ‘The Water that runs Uphill’, surely an optical illusion – or is it magic! It was then over the ‘Water which will not boil’ as I headed into the grounds of the Monastery Built in a Bog – still standing defiant against the marshy land beneath! A magical lands for sure!

I left Fore behind and took to the winding roads, leaving thoughts of the mysterious Wonders behind as I headed the relatively short trip into County Meath and one of it’s most important sites in the Boyne Valley region at Loughcrew. This corner of Westmeath and Meath has a feel of Ulster about it, with beautifully striking drumlins to struggle up and to speed down. Big grassy knobs full of sheep nestled above numerous little lakes, hardly known outside the locality. Lough Bane (Lough Ban – White Lake), is a long sliver of water with beautiful views on both sides.

Map courtesy of http://www.discoverboynevalley.ie

The climb to Loughcrew is steep on a bike and today I was having deraileur problems, which didn’t help. I managed to sort it when I got to the entrance to the site. I didn’t go in today as I couldn’t leave the bike unattended and the walk to the top and back takes a good 40 minutes. I’ve been here before and the sight at the summit is spectacular and the Cairns, older than the Great Pyramids of Egypt, stand as guardians of time, the chambers holding the secret’s of Ireland’s first people. The Loughcrew Cairns are a group of 30 passage tombs, comprising one of the most important prehistoric cemeteries in Ireland, dating from 3200BC and feature some of Europe’s finest megalithic carved stone art.

Rock Art at Loughcrew

I took these photos at Loughcrew on my last visit in September 2020.

It was downhill towards Lough Sheelin then and what I thought was County Cavan, but there is a narrow sliver of County Meath that juts into the lake and I did not actually set foot in Cavan! I paused and took in the view, realising today’s journey hadn’t just been one of kilometres cycled but a journey through time. From the mystical wonders of Fore to the ancient spirits of Loughcrew and the quiet beauty of Lough Sheelin, a cycle through the soul of Ireland. In the whispers of the stones and water, stories of the past rode with me as I turned for home.

QR code for my Route Map

Sawel Mountain – County High Point Challenge

Saint Brigid gave us another Bank Holiday and I used it to head north to add another mountain top to my goal of completing the 32 Counties high Point Challenge and also to attend great coaching workshop in Coalisland on the way home. Two birds killed with the one stone so to speak!

Sawel, at 665 metres, is the highest point in counties Tyrone and Derry. It’s situated in the heart of the remote and beautiful Sperrin Mountains.

It’s a long long drive from Carlow – 300kms approximately but there was no rush and I enjoyed the drive up, especially driving through the Sperrins to get to the start point, which is on the Sperrin Road; a thin strip of black tarmac splitting the mountain range in two as it winds up and down over rises and falls of the approach. Looking out the window of the car lulled me into a false sense of confidence; all seemed calm, until I pulled into my parking spot near a cattle grid. ‘Twas then I realised the winds outside were blowing up a storm! The car was buffeted from side to side and I decided to face the car head on into the wind to lessen the effect. Wind speeds yesterday were 60kms/h with gusts up to 72km/h!

While it was cloudy overhead, visibility was good and it was mild when starting out. That didn’t last long and mist covered the mountain, turning to rain. Ground conditions were awful and I seriously considered abandoning the walk, but given the distance I had travelled and the fact that I could follow a fence all the way to the summit I decided to go ahead and complete it with caution. I had brought with hiking poles and they were a godsend.

It’s an easy route to navigate and impossible to get lost once you stick to the fence, which has to be crossed a few times over stiles. Underfoot the ground was soaked and at various points I was ankle deep in black treacle, trying to suck the boots off me!

The winds were increasing in speed as I ascended and made it extremely difficult to progress forward in. What looked on paper like an easy one to notch up, it was anything but. As a result it took much longer than it should have and I knew the challenge going down would be worse as the ground was like a bar of soap. Sure enough I had a few tumbles, one was particularly bad in which I hyper extended my knee as my leg went underneath me as I fell backwards. I took a moment to regain my composure but thankfully I was slowly able to pick a path down without any further incidents. No serious damage done.

It was unfortunate how the weather turned out as the views when I started were so nice and I had hoped to take in the panoramic views at the top. Unfortunately it was hard enough to even spot the summit cairn! It’s a boggy route at this time of year and I probably should have left this until summer time but given I was going to Coalisland I decided to bag it right away! As it wasn’t a Bank Holiday up north, there was no one else on the mountain.

That’s High Points 22 and 23 completed. 9 more to do, 2 of them are shared so 8 in effect. Will get a few more during the year but unlikely to complete it all in 2025!

Today showed how dangerous mountain tops can be and the importance of assessing the conditions, proper gear (need new boots) and navigation. 665 metres may not seem very high but weather at this elevation is completely different than when at the base of the climb. The out and back distance is only 5.5kms but even that is a challenge in those conditions.

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.