Rothar Routes

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

Posts tagged ‘The Barrow Way’

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.

It’s the Simple Things..

Sunday morning cycles are one of life’s great pleasures! It’s nice to get up on the bike and head out along the traffic free by roads, listening to birdsong, admiring nature and ending up in little places that I would never see while in the car.

Ballyadams Graveyard and Holy Wells

The plan this morning was to take the train to Kildare and head for the Grand Canal to try out the Greenway but when I arrived at the station there was a huge queue of people out into the car park. I gave it a miss! Instead I took the Sleaty Road and headed out past Barrowhouse, into Athy and hooked up with the Towpath as far as Castlemitchell.

The Barrow has been very high over the past while but it has receded now and you can see the River Griese as it enters under this bridge on the towpath before Maganey.

Athy has a strong sense of identity with the Barrow Line of the Grand Canal and it had a daily connection with Dublin back in the late 1800s; a fly boat service left the Capital at 7am and arrived in Athy at 5pm! A long day for such a relatively short journey! There was a fall out between the Barrow Navigation Company and the Grand Canal Company over the high rates being charged and eventually the Barrow Navigation was taken over by the Grand Canal Company.

I continued north as far as Milltown Bridge and then took to the road past Castle Mitchell GAA Club and headed over past Ballintubbert House and on to Ballyadams. I spotted an old Church ruin and Holy Wells on my ordnance survey map and took a little laneway down to see if they were still there. The old graveyard is well maintained and there’s a small Church ruin with a memorial erected in 1631 in memory of a Robert Bowen and his wife Alice Harpole (Shrule Castle?), decorated with a coat of arms.

I wasn’t confident that there would be any sign of the Holy Wells as they were located on the map in a wooded area, long since gone. But credit to the farmer, who obviously reclaimed the land, but he didn’t plough the wells out of it! Guardians of our past. I spotted two tiny figurines on a little hillock and I got in over the gate to have a closer look. Sure enough, they mark the spot of the wells! Delighted that they were still there and the traditions maintained. There’s a metal plate over the well but it’s still there!

I was on the home leg of the morning cycle now and popped in through Ballylinan and closer to home. A nice 60kms spin on a beautiful mild morning.

Taking the Long Way Around

There’s more than 60,000 unique Townlands in Ireland, that stretch back to the Middle Ages or before. They remain the basis of rural addresses and provide a sense of identity. No where else in Europe has preserved their place names. Loyalty to the home place is so strong in Ireland, stretching back thousands of years – look at the rivalries between the tiniest of clubs! Most of these names were originally in our native tongue but were transposed into English after the Act of Union. Here’s the names of some of the Townlands I cycled through yesterday:

The Irish version of the names usually provides a clue as to the location – many names will include the likes of ‘Carraig’, Dún’, ‘Rath’ etc.

The Long Way Around

South Carlow is an area of outstanding natural beauty, it doesn’t attract big numbers of tourists but those that do stray in tend to like what they see and return again! I met a surprisingly big family group in Rathanna, probably staying in Osbornes Storehouse. The route I took is mainly in local roads with a few stretches of rough lanes and with plenty of hills – over 850 metres of climbing in 55kms. I must have crossed the disused route of the old railway line from Bagenalstown to Palas East four or five times; there are some beautiful bridges and it’s lovely to see the old station house at Ballyling beautifully refurbished since I last took a photo of it.

An area of outstanding natural beauty, bordered by the River Barrow on the West and the Blackstairs Mountains on the East. There are numerous heritage sites all over south Carlow with many great examples of rock art, which I’ve covered previously. Today was about fresh air and exercise – even if it was assisted…

River at Rosdelllig

I presume this warning is an old sign associated with the railway line. Saw this near Dranagh.

Saturday Cycle

Mute Swan protecting cygnets….. wouldn’t take him on!

A bit of sunshine on a Saturday afternoon and a nice cycle along quiet country roads and on the Barrow Track… never fails to surprise.. The network of local roads in this country is tailor made for cycling. Today brought me out towards Ballylinan, Barrowhouse and home via Maganey and the Barrow Track. I estimate that once I left town I met fewer than 10 cars in 35kms and yet was never more than 15kms from Town..

There is a really well kept monument to the Barrowhouse Ambush, just outside the village, which was erected on the 100th anniversary of the Ambush in May 2021. The site was the location of an ambush by the B Company, 5th battalion of the Carlow Brigade of the Irish Republican Army of a convoy of Royal Irish Constabulary officers. Two local volunteers, William Connor and James Lacey, both young men of just 26 years were the only fatalities on that day.

I love the roads around Killeen, Barrowhouse and across to Kilkea. It’s great cycling terrain, good surfaces, quiet roads and flat! There’s always something to see and there’s the Barrow Track to approach Carlow Town from.

Today I had just met Dermot McGrath at Westfield Lock, and we fell into talking about Carlow v Wicklow. I’m tipping Carlow for the revenge in Aughrim tomorrow! Just after I passed Dermot I pulled the bike to a quick halt as I saw this beautiful group of Mute Swans.

Dermot’s dog appeared too and Daddy Swan was on point right away, hissing and making himself big to scare him away.

A lovely loop for anyone looking for a quiet route to cycle.

Local Loops are Lovely!

Not all bike journeys have to be epic! I had a lovely short cycle this evening along the Barrow to Maganey and returning via Sleaty. There is always something new to see to bring either a smile or a scowl to my face!

Leaving town I past a few lads, the worse for wear, falling around the Town Hall car park; I was to meet them later in Bridewell Lane, one of them crawled on the bonnet of a car, shouting for the Guards, blocking the lane and preventing cars driving through..mad stuff.

Not long after I met this man on the Barrow track, where I often bump into him and his pet Jackdaw who he brings for a walk!

One of the great advantages of the grassy banks of the River Barrow is its capacity to cater for all sorts of users. Hikers, fishermen, swimmers, cyclists and canoeists. I met a large group of canoeists who had pitched their tents at Bestfield Lock gates, something that would be impossible if this was converted to a hard surface to create a bike path. I often meet groups, usually on Bank Holiday weekends, who come down from Athy or Monasterevin on their way to St Mullins at the tip of County Carlow. These boys were well set up with all the gear!

The Barrow Track will always be special to me; it’s a beautiful green corridor full of nature and biodiversity that we are obligated to protect. We must ensure that no further damage is done to one of our greatest natural resources because when it’s gone, it’s gone forever. I spotted a cormorant and an egret today, birds that you won’t see too often in these parts but the Barrow is their home and needs protecting.

I cycled out to Maganey bridge and crossed over into Laois; three counties on this little loop, Carlow, Kildare and Laois! I wheeled left towards Knockbeg and it was a glorious evening on this quiet local road, one of my favourites.

With the sun setting in the west, the light at Sleaty was golden and perfect to take a photo of the famed St. Fiac’s Cross at Sleaty Church ruins.

Below is a lovely tale from the Schools Collection on the Dúchas website. It was recorded in Fairymount School, Crettyard in 1938:

“In the seventh century there lived in Sleaty or Sletty a saint whose name was St Fiach. The ruins of his church are still to be seen on the road leading from Ballickmoyler to Knock-beg. It is surrounded by a grave-yard circular in shape in the middle of a big field and is called Rathillenane. Tradition his it that every lent the Saint went to the doon of clopook and spent seven weeks in fasting and prayers. He took seven loaves with him and on those he lived during lent.
The doon is a circular pile of limestone rising sheer from a broad plain to a height of 150 feet. At its base is a cave or tunnel cut through solid rock beneath the hill in the direction of Stradbally. On the other side is a smaller tunnel facing for Luggacurren. Through this tunnel St Fiach (usd) used to go to three times every night to pray in the ruins of Clopook. The tunnel is half a mile long ending in a vault beneath the church. The writer travelled about 300 yards through this under ground passage, some years ago. On the top of the doon is a level floor about 50 feet in diameter. On the North end of this green carpet is the withered stump of a white thorn.
On the Luggacurren side of this old tree is a square piece of earth about 4 feet long by 2 feet wide. This is said to be where the saint stood while celebrating Mass in the shelter of the old white thorn.”

— from Dúchas, The Schools Collection