Rothar Routes

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

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Rathnageeragh NS

I got a lovely message way back in 2014 from Edmond Spruhan, formerly of Naomh Eoin, who had emigrated to Boston wishing me well as the new Carlow Football Manager and also wishing Pat English every success with the hurlers. It meant an awful lot to me and I never forgot it.

Leo McGough filled me in on his playing career – what an encyclopaedia of all things GAA! Ed was a great character with the county under age teams, he was goalkeeper on the 2002 minor team that beat Laois and drew with Dublin in the championship proper before losing to Dublin by a point in a play-off. That team later won that years All-Ireland minor B. They had lost the final the year before when Edmond was full forward. He played for five years with the county U-21s, winning 3 Leinster Specials, beaten in two All-Ireland finals. He hurled with the county seniors in 2003 and 2005, his 03 debut v Longford at full forward scoring 1-1 in a Dr Cullen Park NHL game but by the last game of the league he was in goal and in the championship was No 1 in the win over Meath in Navan and the losses to Laois and Kerry (in the All-Ireland qualifiers). In 05 he played four more games in goal, won a Kehoe Cup medal. In 2005 too he won his biggest honour of all, a Carlow SHC medal as Naomh Eoin goalkeeper, Myshall’s last title. It’s sad that Naomh Eoin have been in the wilderness ever since; it would do wonders for the game to see them back competing on County Final day.

On my bike rambles back in 2017, I travelled the back roads around Myshall, along what I dubbed ‘The Hidden Sky Road”. You might have noticed the signposts marking that cycle route from Borris to Myshall via Tomduff Cross and looping back around through Garryhill.

I took some photos of the derelict Rathnageeragh Schoolhouse in 2017.

Rathnageeragh Schoolhouse
Rathnageeragh Schoolhouse
Rathnageeragh Schoolhouse B&W

I was struck by the beauty of this old ruin and its location on the side of the mountain. It looked bleak the day I was there but the setting was idyllic, with a view back down towards Rathnageeragh Castle from the gate. I couldn’t but wonder on how many local children got their first education here and how their lives were improved by their learning. There’s a great bit of history on it on the parish website:

It was built by local funds in 1883 and by 1896 it had 96 pupils!! It continued to provide education in the locality until it closed in 1967.

Ed was recently in touch asking me if I still had the photos I had taken back in 2017 as he explained that he had begun restoring the school 3 years ago. Nothing would do me but to get the bike out and head back down to have a gander. A strong cold wind was blowing up from the south as I headed out through Kellistown, Rathoe, Ballon and over by Taylor’s Cross. The morning had started bright and sunny but by the time I passed through Ballon, a few drops began to fall. Thankfully it held off and I eventually got to Rathangeeragh after about 90 minutes.

The almost fully restored Rathnageeragh School! Isn’t it class?

Cycle to Rathnageeragh

Rathnageeragh Castle ruins

Didn’t expect to see this sign for Graiguecullen in Shangarry!

Golden Con

Grangecon on an autumn day and the approach roads bounding local stud farms are full of golden coloured beech trees and hedges. It’s a beautifully situated historic village in West Wicklow, just 3kms from the border with County Kildare. Horsey country. That was my destination today, a lovely mild autumn day, if a little bit drab with a great mantle of a grey sky overhead. Little wind, perfect for the bike.

It’s a common theme on my blog, but the local roads of this country as just so good for cycling, so good that there is little need to be spending millions on soulless Greenways! In the 60 kms I covered today it would be an exaggeration to say that I met 20 cars along this beautiful rural route across the three counties of Carlow, Kildare and Laois. What I did see though were lots of beautiful sights, stunning scenery, roads cocooned under towering golden beech trees, old church ruins, castles and one tiny little gem that I was delighted to spot as I passed by. More of that later.

Never take a main road when there is a minor road to take you to your destination. I often cycle out by Knocknagee Cross and around by Newtownallen. It’s a good way to approach historic Castledermot and head towards Froughan Hill, as my father called it, but named on Ordnance Survey maps as Corballis Hill. The road along side Froughan Hill over by Sheriff Hill is a joy to cycle on, a sweeping hill that’s lovely to freewheel down and then to pick up another quiet back road that brought me over to Grange Con.

I’ve heard much talk of the Grangecon Kitchen and thought I’d like to visit it. I knew it was trendy when I saw the fancy little Mini Coopers parked up outside and a queue waiting to get in to the Teepee in the garden! There are great reports about its delicious cakes and brunches but I didn’t fancy getting cold so I didn’t get in line and just had a quick run around this picturesque village before heading back for home. That will be a treat for another day when Mary is with me.

It wasn’t long until Jessica Harrington’s gallops came into view and when I got back to the junction at Killelan Church I diverted from my return route and took a bóithrín that brought me down by Bolton Abbey, the beloved Cistercian Abbey now consisting of seven monks. I popped in for a quiet prayer before I headed in the direction of Moone High Cross Inn.

I traversed Bolton Hill and down onto the now very quiet old Dublin Road before taking the slip road by the famous Moone High Cross Inn.

Back on familiar territory now and my route home took me by historic Kilkea Castle, always a lovely place to cycle through and where the red carpet was being rolled out, but not for me!

I was on the home stretch now and was in for a pleasant surprise along stretch of road that I’m very familiar with. Just after crossing over at Sill’s Cross roads is a farm house on the right, named ‘Kilkea House’. I’ve passed it hundreds of times but today for the first time a small understated name plaque caught my eye and it caused me to turn back and have a look at it again. Yes it said ‘Kilkea House’ and underneath was a depiction of three penguins. Immediately I guessed there had to be an association with the famous Antarctic explorer, Ernest Shackleton.

My hunch was right and I looked it up when I got home I googled it (the internet can be great at times!). It was indeed the birthplace of the great explorer Ernest Shackleton!

A light mist started to fall and I was glad to be on the home run at this stage. Just before Oak Park I spotted this beautiful sight, purple flowers as far as the eye could see.

All in all a great spin, plenty of exercise fresh air, interesting sights and locals history. Just perfect before heading to Newbridge for the mouthwatering clash of Naas and Cuala in the Leinster Club SFC First Round game. Kildare GAA have done a fantastic job with Conleth Park.

Slieve Beagh, Co. Monaghan, Ireland’s County High Points

Spent the morning collecting the windfall from our sole pear tree (anyone for pears?) and gathering leaves so it was late enough heading up to Monaghan’s County High Point, Slieve Beagh. You see I thought this would be a doddle on a lovely Saturday evening! How wrong was I!

This climb caught me by surprise; at only 373 metres I reckoned I’d be up and down in no time and back home early. I passed through Clontibret and Scotstown on the way, two great football strongholds and both about to contest the County SFC Final. The amount of flags and bunting was fantastic and it was great to see the Club committees get behind their senior teams so wholeheartedly. They know what it takes. It’s a religion in these parts!

An Bhoth – Scotstown

Starting point is at this electronic gate above Knockatallon. It was 4pm by the time I arrived there and there’s a clear definable trail from here …. for about 200 metres …. and then it’s every explorer for themselves! After that it’s blanket bog all the way to the summit. And very very wet underfoot.

As the map shows, this part of Monaghan juts into counties Fermanagh and Tyrone and is called the ‘Three County Hollow”. It’s very isolated and a true wilderness. Sliabh Beagh is an important mountainous area shared between both jurisdictions. The mountain covers over 3000ha and contains a number of protected area designations: Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI), Ramsar wetland of international importance, National Nature Reserve (NNR) and Natural Heritage Area (NHA), in recognition of its importance for biodiversity.

I didn’t see any grouse but I had plenty of sightings of Snipe, which seem to wait until the very last moment and then suddenly take flight from the dense heather cover. Here’s a lovely drawing, by Eleanor Sutherland, which I saw on the National Parks website about ground nesting birds:

This is spongy bog territory; it’s muddy on the approach trail and then it’s pure heathland which is so difficult to cross. Imagine doing high knee lifts for 5kms with water up to your ankles and the ground trying to suck the boots off your feet!

Because of the absence of a defined trail and a lack of trail markers, it’s essential to have a map, physical or digital and to note the surrounding landmarks. The first landmark was Lough Antraicer on my left shortly after I started out.

As there is no defined route I took a more or less straight line over the crest of a hill, avoiding any bog holes and being especially careful not to twist an ankle or knee in these really difficult underfoot conditions. It’s a barren landscape, almost featureless and devoid of any sign of human habitation. The only sounds are the wind and the song birds. There are no roads and no man made constructions. In its own way it’s beautiful and walking here was a great way to clear the mind and live in the moment.

Knee high in heather, making walking very difficult and progress very slow.

Big sky country. Nothing but bog in all directions.

Finally, the summit. Marked by a solitary wooden post. It was glorious in its simplicity. Just beyond the post is Lough Sallagh, which was hidden from view until I climbed on the small mound at the top. Not far away from here was another lake, Shane Barnagh’s Lough and it has an interesting story. Shane Branagh was an Irish rebel in the 17th century, a bit of Robin Hood man, a highway man who robbed from the rich, the Protestant Ascendancy class and gave to the poor. He hid away in these isolated parts for a long time before finally being captured and brought to Dublin Castle where he was executed. His body was supposedly cast into the Lough of his name…

I was hoping I might pick up a trail when I arrived at the summit that might make the return easier but there was no sign so I turned around and headed back, spotting two hikers in the distance who were coming around the side of the hill that I had struggled over earlier. We exchanged a wave in the distance and they headed for the top. Being much younger and fitter it wasn’t long before they reached it and they quickly followed my path back to the starting point. Turned out the two young ladies, one from Portlaoise and the other from Monaghan, were also doing the County High Point Challenge and this was their 18th Point completed. They had climbed Cuilcagh (Stairway to Heaven), the Cavan High Point, in the morning! It took me about 2 hours to complete this walk and I was glad to finish in daylight as darkness was beginning to close in – I wouldn’t fancy crossing that bog at night!

This was one of the toughest walks I’ve done, even though it wasn’t very high or steep but it was 7kms of pure bog covered in heather. It was hard to pick level ground to plant a foot on and it was full of bog holes and surface water. Lifting a foot was like trying to defy gravity with the bog trying to pull the boots off! Not one I will do again but a great experience and it would be much nicer on a summers day!

Boyne Valley to Lakelands Greenway & Beyond

It’s been a while since I’ve update my blog. It was great to get out again today for a good long spin! Greenways do what Greenways do! I took to the Boyne Valley to Lakeland Greenway, which follows the path of a disused railway. Long straight stretches. Nice day out for family cycles and lots of walkers close to the towns. I use Greenways as links to places I want to visit and they provide a great traffic free route. But there’s not a lot to see on these reinvented railways and if your goal is to see the country side and some nice scenery they can be restricted as they are enclosed between hedgerows or embankments. They serve a purpose and they are a great addition to the cycling and walking infrastructure.

This Greenway links Navan, County Meath with Kingscourt in Cavan, a distance of approximately 30kms. It was nice to visit places that I recognise the names of but have never been in such as Nobber and Kilmainham Wood. Before undertaking the route I checked my ordnance survey maps to see where else I might visit while up in these parts and Dún an Rí Forest park is situated just north of Kingscourt. It is a beautiful park with a lovely river walk.

The Park is not too far from the Monaghan border so after exiting on the opposite side (car park side) I pointed the bike in the direction of Magheracloone, a name that I always recall when I think of Monaghan football – Tomás and Damien Freeman are two of their most famous sons and of course the GAA pitch tragically disappeared into a sink hole! I didn’t quite go as far as Magheracloone and I took a shortcut along the edge of Cabra Castle Estate.

The back roads are my favourite cycling routes; lots of interesting things to catch the eye, winding roads, hills, virtually traffic free and it often feels like cycling back in time.

Today I managed to cycle in counties Meath, Cavan and Monaghan – which of course means I cycled in two provinces as well, Leinster and Ulster!

I was surprised at the number of old milestones that I saw along the route back towards Slane. This is just one example of many that I spotted:

I always had the perception that apart from Tara, Hill of Slane and Loughcrew that Meath was flat as a pancake… it isn’t and there was plenty of ups and downs as I made my way south towards Slane through Drumconrath and Syddan. I love to see the GAA pitches dotted all across the country side, Nobber GFC, Kingscourt Stars (Cavan), Syddan GFC, Drunconrath GAA, Meath Hill (Just saw the sign); the strength of the great Meath teams was borne out of these junior and intermediate rural clubs… now a distant memory for Meath folk.

Kingscourt Stars GAA Club .

After reaching the outskirts of Slane I turned towards Navan along the busy main road for a short while but then took a side road that brought me to Broadboyne Bridge and onto the side of the Boyne River for my return into Navan town. Its an historic route with lots of interesting sites, from castles to churches and of course the bradán feasa – the salmon of knowledge, was caught here by the poet Finegas, who had spent many years trying to catch him and gain all his knowledge. The bradán feasa had gained his knowledge by eating nine hazelnuts that had fallen into the Well of Wisdom, this gaining all the knowledge in the world. Finegas left Fionn MacCumhaill to cook it but warned him not to eat any of it until he returned. Fionn was turning the salmon to see if it was cooked and blistered his finger. He immediately put it into his mouth to suck it to ease the pain and he instantly gained all the knowledge! I could do with catching a salmon like that myself!

Video of Navan to Kingscourt Loop cycle

All in all, the route was 83kms long and I really enjoyed visiting a corner of the country, off the beaten track, that I’m not very familiar with. Fills a void!

A Pet Day and a Grand Cycle

What a beautiful late August day; one of the few fine days we have had this year. A day for the bike and I headed for the hilly back roads above Old Leighlin, passing out through lovely Milford and Tomard and up by Seskin to the top of the Ridge.

To Muckalee

The back roads are best, so little traffic, apart from the busy farmers working flat out in this fine weather to save crops and keep us all fed!.

When I got into Muckalee I was pleasantly surprised to see a little coffee shop in the Community Centre. It’s a community initiative and they’ve done a fabulous job providing a great facility for visitors and locals. I sat down outside to have a snack and three cars pulled up, all lost and all asking me where was the hurling field! Sure I had to go down then to have a peep at what was happening.

Muckalee St Martins have a fine facility and it was hosting a Kilkenny IHL game between Danesfort and Lisdowney, which attracted a decent crowd. It was a lovely family atmosphere, kids all arriving with their hurls, cash at the gate and a lovely glossy programme for €2 for spectators. Because I was on the bike, they let me in for a little stay and it was great to see the wizard himself, Richie Hogan togged out for Danesfort. Wasn’t a good day for them however as Lisdowney won 3-13 to 0-14.

With miles to go before home, I had to head back the road I came but took a short cut up hill over by Coolcullen and rejoined the Ridge above Old Leighlin and Ballinabranna for the return journey home. Nice to see a few llamas up win the hill with Mount Leinster in the background, not quite the Andes but very picturesque!

Traffic Jam..
Backroads are best!