The Lingaun Valley is the valley you probably never heard of! It’s only a stones throw away in south Kilkenny and it’s a place I like to occasionally visit. I usually park up at Kells Priory and take the bike from there down some of the nicest and quietest back roads in the country. First port of call is always Kilree Monastic site, which is the location for one of Kilkenny’s FIVE round Towers! Behind the Tower in a field is a beautiful Celtic Cross. It could be said that like William Wordsworth “we were wandering lonely as a cloud when all at once we saw a host of golden daffodils fluttering and dancing in the breeze”, for there was a large field of daffodils just behind the cross! A beautiful site.
It’s uphill into Hugginstown, home of Carrickshock Hurlers – the club of the great Ritchie Power Snr and Jnr! We wheeled right in the village and we had a fair pull uphill for 6 kms with breathtaking views the reward for our efforts and a nice descent into the historic village of Tullahought. We were now entering the Lingaun Valley.
The Lingaun River Valley forms part of the border between those great hurling rivals, Kilkenny and Tipperary, with its source in the foothills of Slievenamon, it meanders through the townlands to enter the Suir River at near Carrick on Suir.
It’s a very remote and rural area with numerous ancient and historic sites scattered across the Valley. We headed back towards Pilltown direction to visit the wonderful Kilkieran High Crosses and Holy Well.
There’s a bullaun stone with holy water that is reputedly a cure for headaches. Throw away those Aspirins and get yourself down here!
For a small area, there’s an abundance of Celtic Crosses and we travelled just a few kilometres back the road to our next port of call – the Ahenny High Crosses. These are truly stunning examples of carved Celtic Crosses. Well worth a visit to view them and they have weathered very well. One of them unfortunately is damaged and there’s a local legend about the misfortune the perpetrator of the deed had visited upon him!
There’s a beautiful row of stone cottages in the tiny village of Ahenny, which you can see in the accompanying video. These were built for the workers in the local Slate Quarries. The workers originally came from Wales.
It’s just a couple of more kilometres to the ancient Knockroe Passage Tomb, known locally as ‘The Cashel’ constructed more than 5000 years ago with its unique alignment to the sunrise and the sunset on the day of the Winter Solstice each year. The passage tomb is aligned with the mound on the summit of nearby Slievenamon, Co. Tipperary.
The Lingaun Valley is a truly special place and you should come see and feel for yourself how the Lingaun River flows though time, how it connects the enchantment and mysteries of Ireland’s historic and pre-historic past coupled with the beauty of nature all around you.
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.
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.
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.
This morning, I set out on what I thought would be an ordinary Sunday morning cycle, but it turned into a journey through time—a living story that spanned thousands of years and wove together history, legend, and even a touch of rock ‘n’ roll!! My route today started at Rathgall Hillfort, one of Ireland’s most remarkable Bronze Age sites, and ended at Kilquiggan, where the ancestors of none other than Elvis Presley are said to be buried.
The Bronze Age Legacy of Rathgall
I parked up at the small car park in front of Rathgall; a handy place to reach a lot of interesting sights in this part of east Carlow and west Wicklow. The day began atop the windswept Rathgall Hillfort. Standing among the ancient stone ramparts, I couldn’t help but marvel at how 3,000 years ago, this site was bustling with life. The panoramic views stretched across the patchwork fields of Counties Carlow and Wicklow, and I imagined the people who once gathered here for trade, ritual, or defense. It was a humbling start to the journey, and as I pedalled away, I carried a sense of connection to those long-ago lives. Not far away is Moylisha Hill, with its own ancient Wedge Tomb, looking down on Rathgall.
Aghowle Church: Echoes of Early Christian Ireland
The next stop is one of my all time favourite places, Aghowle Church, nestled in serene isolation, at the bottom of a newly tarmaced lane. Take care to close the gates on arriving and leaving. Built around the 6th century, its crumbling walls stand as a testament to Ireland’s early Christian heritage. The heritage sign tells that it was founded by the great St Finnian of Clonard – but of course to us Carlovians, he is Finnian of Myshall – his birthplace. Clonard is where he founded his huge monastery and where he educated the ‘Twelve Apostles of Ireland’ – which included the great Brendan, the Navigator and Colmcille. At one point there were 3,000 students in Clonard – a University campus! The Romanesque doorway seemed to whisper stories of pilgrims and monks who prayed here over a thousand years ago. I had a short wander among the gravestones and spent some time admiring the unusual plain High Cross, with no carvings or markings on it. Most unusual. It was time to hop back onto my bike!The rolling hills of the Wicklow Way awaited, offering spectacular views as I made my way down towards the river.
Park Bridge and the Dying Cow Pub: A Step into the 18th Century
Soon I reached Park Bridge and the lovely Egans pub, which I admired from the saddle as I continued past heading onwards on my loop. The terrain was quite hilly and I was following road sections of the Wicklow Way over towards the famed Dying Cow Pub, 15 kms away its name as quirky as its charm. Legend has it that the pub’s name originated from the quick-witted landlady’s excuse to the authorities when caught serving after hours. She claimed the customers were tending to a dying cow and needed refreshments! It’s well worth a visit – it’s a tiny pub, full of memorabilia; the pub has been here for over 300 years and in the ownership of the Tallon family.
Kilquiggan: The Presley Connection
The final leg of the journey took me in the direction of Clonmore but I skirted left and headed along the side of Seskin Hill and on to Kilquiggan, where I paused by a quiet graveyard said to hold the remains of Elvis Presley’s Irish ancestors. 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. From the Bronze Age inhabitants of Rathgall to the early Christians at Aghowle, the 18th-century revellers at the Dying Cow, and finally, the 20th-century legacy of Elvis, it felt as though history was a living, breathing thing. 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 and there is also a connection with Stranakelly, where the Dying Cow is located. 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!
A Journey Through Time
The cycle home was mostly downhill, a welcome relief after the stiff enough climbs that had taken me across this historic route. As the sun peeped out fleetingly in the sky, I replayed the day in my mind, grateful for the stories embedded in the landscape. Who would have thought that a simple cycle could take me from 3000 BCE to the roots of one of the most iconic figures of modern music? There’s some iconic pubs on this route – Byrnes of Crablane, Egans of Park Bridge and The Dying Cow, all lovely places to visit if you are in the area!
Did I tell you the one about Elvis Presley? Turns out, his story isn’t just in Memphis; it’s written into the hills and valleys of Wicklow and Carlow, too.
The Dartry mountains, featuring famed Ben Bulben and its magnificent table top plateau, tower over Sligo and are one of the most stunning mountain ranges in Ireland. Truskmore is the highest point in the range and the walk to the summit, along the access road to the TV transmitter provides stunning views to the north out past Lissadell House, Mullaghmore, across Donegal Bay and Slieve League in the distance.
Looking west, Knocknarea towers over Sligo Town and Glencar Lake. Incredible views all round – if you get a break in the clouds and from the rain! The access road is located on the Gleniff Horseshoe Loop Drive. It involves climbing over the locked gate – well designed to enable an easy climb over!.
The access road provides a relatively easy walking route to the top. I parked close to the gate but out of the way of access and there isn’t much room for more than a couple of cars to park here. The zig zag access road is quite steep for long stretches, gradient averaging 10% – and a few rests help to catch the breath! The weather was quite rough, with very high winds, some rain and sleet and it wasn’t long before the mountain was shrouded in mist. Navigation wasn’t a problem, apart from the short section across the wet boggy area to make it to the Leitrim High Pint of 631 metres. The Sligo high point is located beside the mast and is slightly higher at 647 metres. A map is an essential requirement on hill walks as conditions can change rapidly and its so easy lose all sense of direction.
This was especially through when searching for the Leitrim High Point as it is located right on the edge of a very steep cliff face – if the wind had been from the north, it could easily have blown us off course and over the edge!
I was delighted to make this unplanned trip to take in these two High Points, making it 20 County High Points now completed. This climb would be a terrific one to do on a fine day as the views are outstanding. Counties Sligo and Leitrim are two of my favourites, neither are quite mainstream tourism but they both have an abundance of scenic mountain, lake and sea views plus a high number of heritage sites.Other laces worth visiting aer Carrowkeel, Knocknarea, Caves of Keash, Glencar Waterfall and the Devil’s Chimney!
Tombstone of WB Yeats at Drumcliff.
A word of caution while walking in this area; access may not always be possible across private lands and needs to be checked out in advance. Eagerly looking forward to my next County High point!
