Rothar Routes

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

Posts from the ‘South Leinster Cycle Routes’ category

Above the Valleys: From Derrybawn to Drumgoff on a Trail of Views, Rebels & Red Kites

There are some routes in Wicklow that feel like you’ve pedalled your way into Ireland’s ancient past from monastic masterpieces to our centuries of rebellion against English invaders and planters. My latest two wheeled adventure started in Laragh, always a busy village nestled in the centre of Wicklow, and it took me high above the world-famous Glendalough, across open mountain, down into the historic depths of Glenmalure, and up again to one of Ireland’s most iconic cycling landmarks. This one had everything: forest climbs, ridge views, a sighting of a red kite, and more than a little sweating!

Route Summary:

  • Distance: 23 km
  • Elevation Gain: 710 m
  • Highest Point: 568 m above sea level
  • Start/Finish: Laragh
  • Terrain: Mixed surface – forest trails, mountain boardwalk, paved climbs, fast descent

The Derrybawn Loop – A Trail Above Time

I set off on the Derrybawn Loop, a well-marked hiking and biking trail that leaves from Laragh and climbs steeply through thick woodland above Glendalough’s monastic village. The climb wastes no time—it’s tough going, but the views are worth every crank of the pedals. I may be on an electric assisted bike but I still get the physical benefit of my efforts, with a little assistance when the going gets tough!

Soon breaks in the tree line appear, and you’re treated to breathtaking vistas of the Upper Lake, shimmering below like something out of a dream. The route sweeps around Derrybawn Mountain, with the Spink Ridge rising to the west—a dramatic walk in its own right and well worth the effort if you do visit Glenadalough on foot.

Eventually, the forest road gives way to a wooden boardwalk—floating above the heather and bog on the open mountain. At this point, I left the Derrybawn Loop behind and struck out toward the Miners Trail, which links Glendalough to Glenmalure. This is where the spin turns into something else entirely. First I had to lift the bike over a stile and then carefully walk the bike along the board walk – I’m not brave enough or foolish enough to try cycle on top of it! It’s a really steep descent after the boardwalk on a slippy gravelly mountain path.

Crossing to Glenmalure – Wicklow’s Rebel Heartland

The Miners Trail winds across open mountain and descends into the glacial expanse of Glenmalure, the longest glacial valley in Ireland. At 20km long, it’s a place that breathes history. Once the stronghold of the O’Byrne clan, Glenmalure was the site of fierce resistance to English rule, most famously the 1580 Battle of Glenmalure, where Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne and his followers delivered one of the heaviest defeats suffered by an English army in Ireland. He is immortalised in the ballad ‘Follow me up to Carlow’ The air to the song is reputed to have been played as a marching tune by the pipers of Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne:

Lift MacCahir Óg your face
Brooding over the old disgrace
That black Fitzwilliam stormed your place,
Drove you to the Fern
Grey said victory was sure
Soon the firebrand he'd secure;
Until he met at Glenmalure
With Fiach MacHugh O'Byrne.

Curse and swear Lord Kildare
Fiach will do what Fiach will dare
Now FitzWilliam, have a care
Fallen is your star, low
Up with halbert out with sword
On we'll go for by the Lord
Fiach MacHugh has given the word,
Follow me up to Carlow.

See the swords of Glen Imaal,
They're flashing over the English Pale
See all the children of the Gael,
Beneath O'Byrne's banners
Rooster of a fighting stock,
Would you let a Saxon cock
Crow out upon an Irish rock?
Fly up and teach him manners!

Curse and swear Lord Kildare
Fiach will do what Fiach will dare
Now FitzWilliam, have a care
Fallen is your star, low
Up with halbert out with sword
On we'll go for by the Lord
Fiach MacHugh has given the word,
Follow me up to Carlow.

From Tassagart to Clonmore,
There flows a stream of Saxon gore
O, great is Rory Óg O'More,
At sending the loons to Hades.
White is sick, Grey is fled,
Now for black FitzWilliam's head
We'll send it over dripping red,
To Queen Liza and her ladies.

As I descended toward Drumgoff Bridge, the landscape widened into that familiar U-shaped valley—a place both remote and full of presence. And as if scripted by nature itself, a red kite soared overhead, circling effortlessly on the thermals. These majestic birds of prey were reintroduced to Wicklow in recent years, and seeing one in flight is always a thrill—its forked tail and russet colouring unmistakable.

Crossing to Glenmalure – Wicklow’s Rebel Heartland

The Shay Elliott Climb – A Hill for the Heroes

From Drumgoff, the road pointed steeply upwards to the Shay Elliott Monument. This is one of Wicklow’s great cycling climbs—never too steep to break you, but long enough to test your grit. I never felt more like a cheat than I did at this point using an emtb! The monument honours Shay Elliott, the first Irish cyclist to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, and the first to win a stage in all three Grand Tours.

The summit offers more than just lactic acid—it offers panoramic views back across Glenmalure, the mountains, and the winding ribbon of road you’ve just conquered.

Descent to Laragh – Back to Where It Began

From the monument, it’s all downhill—literally and joyfully. A winding, fast descent delivered me back toward Laragh after a really incredible route.

Laragh is a perfect base for outdoor adventures. With Glendalough just up the road—a place of saints, scholars, and silent lakes—it’s a hive of activity every weekend, especially when the sun shines!

Shout out to David Flanagan, who included the Derrybawn Loop in his fantastic guide book ‘Cycling in Ireland’, which is where I picked up this route from.

Rebels, Ridges & Back Roads. Two glorious Evening Spins in the Garden of Ireland.

There’s something special about cycling in the evening light—especially in County Wicklow, where every bend in the road reveals a piece of history or a sweep of mountain beauty. Over two recent evenings, I explored two routes not far from each other—each steeped in legend, rebellion, and raw, rugged charm. If you ever doubted that the past is alive in Wicklow, these spins might just convince you otherwise.

Knockananna Credit Union. Prettiest in the country!

Evening 1: Knockananna, The Billies, and the Ghosts of 1798

My first loop began in Knockananna, a village on the border with Carlow —tucked into the hills and humming with local pride. The road led me high up into Askanagap, home of Ballymanus GAA club, also fondly known as The Billies, a tribute to local 1798 rebel Billy Byrne.

Byrne wasn’t just a namesake—he was a key figure in the rebellion, fighting at Arklow, Mount Pleasant, Kilcavan, and finally Vinegar Hill in Enniscorthy.

His tragic end is remembered in memorial plaque in front of the Club. Captured in 1799, he was tried in Wicklow town on the evidence of four paid informers—Dixon, Doyle, Davis, and Bid Doolin. As the story goes, he was playing handball in the prison yard when summoned to his execution on Gallows Hill. His brother had raced from Dublin with a reprieve, only to arrive 15 minutes too late.

As I rode back toward Knockananna, the road brought me to the hauntingly beautiful Rosahane Graveyard, tucked away on a quiet hillside. Two young deer darted across the road below me—one of those small, unforgettable moments that make evening cycling in Wicklow so special.

Evening 2: Aughavannagh, Glenmalure & the Shadow of Fiach MacHugh

The second evening took me deeper into the mountains, starting from Aughavannagh, a peaceful spot nestled in the heart of Wicklow. My route looped around Ballinacor Mountain, dropped down into Greenan, and then swung left into the wide, silent majesty of Glenmalure.

This is no ordinary valley—it’s a 20km-long glacial trench, once the stronghold of the O’Byrne Clan. In 1274, they ambushed a Crown force here. More famously, in 1580, Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne crushed an English army in the Battle of Glenmalure, inflicting between 500 and 1,000 casualties in what remains one of the most decisive rebel victories in Irish history. I can only imagine how remote this place was before out modern network of roads.

At the entrance to the valley stands a huge boulder: one face honours Fiach MacHugh; the other commemorates Michael Dwyer, another 1798 rebel of legend and a native of nearby Glen of Imaal. It’s a stark reminder that these quiet roads once echoed with battle cries and coercion of the native population.

From there, a tough climb over Drumgoff brought me to a stunning final descent—one of those long, freewheeling glides that make every climb worth it—back into Aughavannagh as the evening light melted into the hills.

Both routes were rich in scenery and history. From rebel battlegrounds to glacial valleys, ancient graveyards to whispering forests, these were two great evening rides that inspired the legs and the soul!

The weather was perfect. The roads were quiet. And the hills and the locals—well, they haven’t forgotten.

From Rebels to Rail Trails: A Joyride Through Rural Wicklow

Today’s 28km spin through the quiet roads of south east Wicklow reminded me yet again why I love cycling in rural Ireland. I parked up at Crossbridge Church and set off into the April air with no particular hurry—just the promise of a loop that would wind me through history, hills, and the kind of scenery that stops you mid-pedal to take it all in.

My first leg brought me around by Ballycumber and Kyle, two townlands that feel suspended in time. There’s a peaceful rhythm out here—sheep in the fields, the odd tractor, and birdsong that fills the gaps where traffic might be elsewhere.

Just after Kyle, I spotted a River Ford marked on my Ordnance Survey Map and I made a short detour: a quiet stone at the roadside caught my eye: a memorial to Luke O’Toole, the GAA’s first full-time secretary. Luke served ar secretary of the GAA from 1901 to 1929; an historic time in Irish history. He would have dealt with the most tragic day in GAA History; Bloody Sunday, on 21st November 1920, in Croke Park when British Forces murdered 14 innocent people during the game between Dublin and Tipperary. It’s a simple marker, but a powerful nod to someone who helped shape Irish sporting life from this very landscape.

Onward to Ballinglen! I stopped at the bridge to read another piece of local memory etched in stone—this one erected in memory of two local brothers Philip (22) and Patrick Lacey (22) who were shot beside the bridge while returning from the Battle of Vinegar Hill on 21st June 1798. A nearby seat, unveiled in 1998 by President Mary McAleese, invites you to pause. I did just that. Sat for a moment in the quiet, the only sound the murmuring of the Derry River below, and thought of the lives and stories rooted deep in this place.

The scenery all along the route was nothing short of spectacular—mountains rising up and rolling away to the horizon, softened by spring’s early green. There’s something nourishing about being surrounded by hills; they don’t rush you, just rise steadily and remind you how rejuvenating the outdoors are for mind and body.

From there, I rolled down into Tinahely, a real hub for hill walkers with its many fantastic loops. Rather than take the road out, I picked up the old rail walk, which winds gently along a narrow wooded path toward Tomnafinnoge Wood. It’s a lovely trail—tree-lined, quiet, and full of little surprises. One of those was a ‘rag tree’ along the way, its branches fluttering with ribbons and cloth left behind by those with wishes, prayers, or memories to leave. A simple, powerful tradition still alive in the hedgerows.

Tomnafinnoge is one of the last remaining mature oak plantations in Ireland. The magnificent oaks were planted by the Fitswilliam Estate several hundred years ago and timber from the forest is said to have been used in the construction of Trinity College Dublin, King’s College Cambridge and St. Paul’s Cathedral London. During the 1980s, a public campaign by locals, politicians and artists such as U2’s ‘The Edge’ ensured the survival of the woods from total destruction and the remnants are now protected as a ‘Special Area of Conservation’ owned and maintained by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

After Tomnafinnoge, I turned uphill toward Ballyraheen. The climb had some bite, but nothing too fierce, and the reward was a roadside audience: a herd of colourful goats, lounging and curious, as if they were expecting me. Their presence gave the whole moment a kind of comic charm. You just don’t get that on a spin around Carlow Town!

The loop closed back at Crossbridge, with 446 metres of climbing in the legs and a warm satisfaction in the soul. Not a long spin, but one rich in variety—history, beauty, solitude, and the kind of quiet moments that make rural Ireland such a joy to explore by bike.

If you’re ever looking for a route that feeds the legs and the spirit, you could do worse than this corner of Wicklow. And if you’re lucky, the goats will be out to greet you too.

Lingering in the Lingaun Valley

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.

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!