Rothar Routes

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

Posts from the ‘Folklore’ category

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!

10 Hidden Gems, hiding in Plain Sight..

As the morning mists lifts over our beautiful country bóthríns, the rolling of my tyres is the only sound I hear. This is bike touring – intimate, unhurried and endlessly rewarding. You see every road has a destination, some are hiding in plain sight.. here are 10 that brought me quiet satisfaction when I visited them during 2024:

1 Fourknocks Passage Tomb

15 kms south of Newgrange is the much lesser known Fourknocks Passage Tomb. Keys are available from a neighbouring house and you can explore this fabulous 5,000 year old tomb all on your own. Off the beaten track and all the more impressive for it.

2. The Seven Wonders of Fore

The Seven Wonders of Fore include the monastery in the bog, the water that flows uphill, the tree that won’t burn, the water that won’t boil, the anchorite in a stone, the mill without a race and the lintel raised by St Feichin’s prayers! This is a magical place in County Westmeath with a lovely 4kms walk to visit all the sites. Check it out!

3. Meelick Weir Crossing of the Shannon

The weir was damaged in severe storms in 2009 and again in 2015/2016, when the walkway was also damaged and was subsequently closed and is now reopened. It links the historic village of Meelick in east Galway to Lusmagh in west Offaly and forms part of the Hymany Way and the Beara-Breifne Way walking trails.  It’s a unique spot – the three provinces of Leinster, Connacht and Munster meet right here. Lots of interesting historical sites on both sides of the Shannon here.

4. The Shannon Pot

The Shannon, Ireland’s largest river, at a magnificent 360kms, literally comes bubbling out of the ground close to the border between Cavan and Fermanagh in the Cuilcagh Mountains, at a place quaintly called The Shannon Pot or Log na Sionna as Gaeilge, “The Hollow of the Shannon”. It’s a large pool of golden brown water about 16 metres in diameter and at least 9 metres deep. The water reaches the Pot through a network of underground streams and many say that it actually starts in County Fermanagh at a place called the Pigeon Pot.

5. Clonfert Cathedral

I stumbled on a unique burial tradition here in Clonfert, where graves are lined with chicken wire and branches of laurel are woven into the wire to provide a beautiful resting place for the deceased. I was delighted to see this being done while I was being regaled with the true tale of the incredible 9 legged cycle! Anthony Flanagan lost his leg many years ago in a combine harvester accident. He didn’t allow it define him or inhibit him and he undertook an incredible charity cycle a couple of years ago along with 4 others. With just ONE LEG he completed a 420km cycle IN 24 HOURS for some local causes. The following year they cycled to Croagh Patrick AND HE CLIMBED IT! I came out of Clonfert graveyard with my head spinning, full of amazement at the spirit of Anthony and his absolute determination to get on with life regardless of the cruel hand he was dealt. St Brendan the Navigator founded his monastery here and it became a great seat of learning with over 3,000 monks here in its heyday.

6. Presley Ancestral Grave

It’s hard to reconcile the glitzy image of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll with this peaceful corner of Wicklow, but perhaps that’s the magic of it. As I stood there, the connection between past and present felt palpable. There’s a QR code on a sign at the entrance to the graveyard, which gives a detailed account of the Presley connection. Nearby Hacketstown also claims to be the birthplace of the Presley ancestors. There are court reports from the 1870s of a savage beating William Presley received on land he rented in Hacketstown, possibly by the ‘Whiteboys’, a secret agrarian society which defended tenant farmers land rights… I don’t think Elvis was singing the ‘Green Green Grass of Home’ in honour of the old sod!

7. Mount Melleray Monastery

Sad to say, but since I visited Mount Melleray over the Summer, news has broken of its imminent closure. It’s a Cistercian Abbey located in the Knockmealdown Mountains. The Abbey was founded on 30 May 1832 by a colony of Irish and English monks, expelled from the abbey of Melleray after the French Revolution of 1830, and who had come to Ireland under the leadership of Fr. Vincent de Paul Ryan. It was called Mount Melleray in memory of the motherhouse. I had a great chat there with Father Denis Luke, Prior of the Abbey, about cycling and the Camino, a really nice man who had a kind word for everyone. Soon there will be no one to greet visitors. Another loss…

8. Baunreagh 1798 Camp Field

I finally saw the sign for the 1798 Camp Field, where Father Murphy and the Wexford Rebels were camped out during the 1798 rising. What an epic march they made from Vinegar Hill, then were betrayed and badly beaten at the Battle of Kilcumney, got up as far as Castlecomer and forced back down country before he met his dreadful end at the hands of the Yeomen in Tullow, where he was  stripped, flogged, hanged, decapitated, his corpse burnt in a barrel of tar and his head impaled on a spike in the Main Square. Hard to forget or forgive those terrible deeds.

9. W.B. Yeats Grave

The village of Drumcliffe, County Sligo is famous for being the final resting place of W.B.Yeats, whose grave is in the churchyard under this simple headstone. Yeats died in 1939 in a hotel in the south of France. He was buried in a pauper’s grace in the village of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, close to Monaco. His body was returned to Ireland in 1948 and buried in Drumcliffe. The release of State Papers this week express serious doubts over the identity of the ‘Yeats bones’ .

10 Mullaghgarve Mass Rock, Sliabh an Iarainn

Mass Rocks were rocks used as altars during the Penal Laws in the 1700s and were usually located in out of the way locations. This one is perfectly hidden from view behind a tall pinnacle, on the side of Sliabh an Iarainn, County Leitrim and is quite difficult to find. Once you turn at the pinnacle there is a short little section of roughly cut steps that take you to this unique mass rock. It’s perfectly secluded and with watch outs on duty the priest and his flock could safely celebrate mass without fear of the redcoats or peelers surprising them.

Gone to Pot

The Shannon. Ireland’s largest river, at a magnificent 360kms, comes bubbling out of the ground close to the border between Cavan and Fermanagh in the Cuilcagh Mountains, at a place quaintly called The Shannon Pot or Log na Sionna as Gaeilge “The Hollow of the Shannon”. It’s a large pool of golden brown water about 16 metres in diameter and at least 9 metres deep. The water reaches the Pot through a network of underground streams and many say that it actually starts in County Fermanagh at a place called the Pigeon Pot. An experiment saw some green dye poured into the Pigeon Pot and observing that it eventually travelled underground to reach the Shannon Pot! In truth there are probably multiple streams feeding into it. This area is full of extensive cave networks and Marble Arch Caves, on the other side of the Mountain, are worth a visit.

Rivers and streams play important roles in Irish mythology as a boundary between this World and the Otherworld. Almost all Irish Rivers bear names associated with the Goddesses of the mysterious Tuatha Dé Danann. And so it came to pass that The Shannon was named after Sionann, granddaughter of the Manannán Mac Lir, the Irish Sea God. She visited the pool at the source of the river to catch the Salmon of Knowledge, just like Fiona Mac Cumhaill. That didn’t work out too well and the water rose up and drowned her!

There’s a great energy about the Pot and the setting is beautiful in an under appreciated corner of the country. Its good to see the Cuilcagh Lakelands now being promoted on both sides of the border – there’s lots to see up here that’s off the beaten track and is as good as anywhere in the country but without the mass tourism. Also well worth a visit is the Stairway to Heaven walkway up Cuilcagh Mountain.

The Shannon Pot

St Fechin’s Way & the Seven Wonders of Fore!

St Fechin’s Way

Spent a marvellous few hours on a gorgeous Saturday morning wandering St. Fechin’s Way and around the ancient and historic village of Fore, Co. Westmeath. ‘Ireland’s Ancient Heartlands’ is a patchwork of many incredible sites, that do not feature high on the public radar but are all fascinating places to visit. I’ll be back for more visits and surprises!

The view across Fore Valley

Fore isn’t a place you would normally drive through, you need to seek it out, but it is worth the effort. It must have been a thriving place in the heyday of the early Christian Church. It was a target for Viking raiders and Fore was burnt to the ground on at least a dozen occasions. Fore became a great centre of learning with 300 Monks and 2,000 students – akin to a modern university town! Ireland truly was the land of the Saints and Scholars. Poor Fechin however died from the Yellow Plague in 664.

The graveyard at St. Fechin’s Church.

The Seven Wonders of Fore ar a curious mix of Pagan and Christian beliefs that must have been written by the earliest Travel writers trying to promote the village of Fore!

The Benedictine Abbey was a much later construct in the 13th century, with the first monks being French. It too was plundered often. It’s a striking ruin that you can wander through. I was especially taken by the Dovecote or Columbaria built close by. The Dovecote was built to house pigeons as a source of food and feathers!

Dovecote or Columbaria

St Fechins Walk continues for 4 kms in a beautiful scenic loop along the edge of a wood and there are lots of new trees planted, all sponsored by local families.

The oldest beech tree in the Valley.

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. The walk way has lovely display boards about legends and lore. Some of the stories are from the Dúcahs collection that I often refer to.

Looking for some wisdom in the Wisdom seat!

I love these folk tales which we all learned in our youth, hopefully they will continue to be passed down the generations.

Key to

The key to the Anchorite can be had from the Seven Wonders Bar, unfortunately I was too early and it wasn’t open.

The tree that will not burn with coins hammered into the trunk!

The water that flows uphill!

Monastery built in a bog!

St. Fechin’s Way

Holy Wells, High Crosses & Swearing Stones

This is a fabulous 50 kms cycle route featuring interesting and important historical sites and surprising stunning hills scenery, which I really enjoyed completing on a windy February 4th morning. Hard to believe but I’d say once I left Carlow, and excluding Castledermot village I met less than 10 cars on these quiet country roads. I’m at a loss to understand why cyclists use our busy main roads when we have this glorious spiders web of bóithríns connecting up our towns and villages.

Most evenings I take the road out past Oak Park and Ballaghmoon and so the first part of this route is very familiar – or so I thought! I’ve loaded up the Ordnance Survey Maps on my phone and they are brilliant for highlighting heritage sites. Many of these are but ruins, and often long gone but at least I can be on the look out for them. I noticed a church marked near the river Lerr at Newtownallen but I could see no sight of it on the way out. I continued on this well surfaced road passing close to Kilkea Castle and heading towards Belan, Moone.

My first stop was another gem marked on the map, a holy well at Belan. It’s a small oval well covered by a fine corbelled structure with clear water inside which runs under a flag stone and into the River Greese.

St. Patrick’s Well at Belan
Crystal clear water in St. Patrick’s Holy Well
St Partick’s Well, Belan

Local folklore, says that St Patrick was chased out of Belan and this is supposedly reenacted every 17th March with a procession from the High Cross Inn! Sounds like a tale that originated in the Inn!

Not far away is the sleepy but historic village of Moone which is home to one of the best preserved High Crosses in the country, the tallest in fact at 5.4 metres. The carvings are so good, so well preserved and they feature many scenes from the Gospels. The monastery here was founded by St Palladius who came to Ireland in 431 AD.

I was at the northernmost point of my route here and headed east in the direction of Kilelan Abbey ruins. One of the great advantages of slow travel is the ability to stop and admire things that catch your eye. This is a unique church ruin with a square tower incorporated into the church building. Founded by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem in the 13th century, it’s a pretty site worth investigating. It’s possible to get to the top of the tower but honestly, when I saw part of the tower held together with rope I didn’t even give it a second thought!

Leaving Kilelan Abbey behind I continued on a lovely quiet rural road along the side of Sheriff Hill and then Frocken Hill, as my father used call it, but I see it named on the Ordnance survey map as Corballis Hill. This is a great road with pretty scenery all round and some nice hills to climb. I should taken a few more photos!

I turned right then for Castledermot and a look at the famous monastery of Diseart Diarmada, founded in 812 AD, now St James Church of Ireland. This is a stunning site that is so easily overlooked which is on our doorstep. There are two very decorative High Crosses, one on the Northside and the other on the Southside, a Round Tower, a hog back stone and a swearing stone! The original monastery was plundered twice by the Vikings in the 9th century.

The Round Tower, which is just over 20 metres tall, was used to store valuables and this one is unusual as the entrance is just above ground level and is located to the north of the church instead of on the usual west side of the church.

Round Tower at Castledermot

There are a couple of other unique features worth investigating. A very rare, possibly the only one now in this country, a hog back stone. This is a Scandanvian type grave marker with carvings on both sides. These are covered in lichen now and hard to make out.

The Swearing Stone is another great feature. The “Leac na Mionn” or ‘Stone of the Oaths’ bears a circular hole in the centre of the carved head. This stone was used for swearing oath, sealing promises and making deals!

There are a host of other smaller crosses and markers worth checking out including another holed stone:

Roma Arch and Round Tower.

I was heading back for Carlow now and the best way by bike is out by the GAA field and over by Newtownallen. This allowed me look to see of there was anything remaining of the church ruins that I mentioned at the start and though I have travelled this road on hundreds of occasions, today was the first day I glimpsed these ruins. They are located on the other side to the River Lerr and I’ll have to find an away across at some stage to have a gander! All in all another lovely cycle with loads of interesting sites to visit.