Walking Ireland’s Mountains

The South-East

There was one particularly fine view over the inset Loch Muskry (a classic armchair corrie complete with water cushion) along to the cone of Galtymore. O'Loughman's Castle was very clear: a squat, square, crenellated tower until it is approached off Greenane when it disintegrates, as if by magic, into a crumbly conglomerate outcrop. It must be a place of legends.
Hamish Brown, Hamish’s Groats End Walk, 1981

The small mountain ranges of the South-East are with one exception composed of either old red sandstone or Silurian rock. They are somewhat subdued in form but nonetheless surprisingly high, and boast one of Ireland's few Munros (peaks over 914 metres/3,000 feet high). Unusually for-Ireland, all the ranges are outside the ambience of the sea: they mostly rise from rich, well-populated, cultivated land and wide, coniferous plantations. One other general point: the Galtees, Knockmealdowns and the Comeraghs are quite close to each other, none too demanding and have plenty of varied accommodation around them. The South-East extract from Walking Ireland's Mountains continues:

Route 1: Galtees – Galtymore
Maps 18 and 22 (half-inch).
Drive 1.7 miles west of Condon’s Pub to junction of minor road running south off Glen of Aherlow Road and just west of bridge (R 871281). Cross to east of bridge, take first tarmac road south to end of forest on left, ascend Cush initially on rough path, take ridge to Galtybeg (detour to O'Loughman's Castle adds four kilometres, climb 240 metres), climb Galtymore (cross, trig pillar), then follow wall that begins on west side of summit, leaving it to descend spur on west side of Lough Curra. Follow earthbank running north on east side of this spur to reach south end of track, and take track downhill to start.
Distance: 13 kilometres. Climb: 1,050 metres. Time: 4.5 hours.

Route 2: West Galtees
Map 22 (half-inch).
Start at end of tarmac (R 868197), reached by taking turn north off N8, 0.8 miles east of Kilbeheny, and forking right after further 1.2 miles. Walk track north to Monabrack, follow spur to Carrignabinnia (detour to Galtymore adds six kilometres, climb 350 metres). Keep steep ground on right to follow wall to Lyracappul (wall ends here), climb Temple Hill (large cairn, trig pillar), descend south-east to reach stream and follow it to end of tarmac near confluence of streams (shown on map). Walk tarmac south-east about 500 metres, then ascend spur on left to grassy track near crest of spur. Walk tracks to nearby start.
Distance: 12 kilometres. Climb: 800 metres. Time: 3.75 hours.

Route 3: East Galtees
Map 22 (half-inch).
Start at Mountain Lodge Youth Hostel (R 919210). Take forest track north-west on east of stream. At forest end after two kilometres, walk west to cross two streams and then pick up intermittent tracks to col north of Knockeenatoung. Join better track (the “Black Road”) running initially north then north-west to col between Galtymore and Galtybeg; climb Galtybeg. Walk east to O’Loughman’s Castle (prominent tor), descend to col towards Greenland, walk south-west to forest edge to join outward track.
Distance: 13 kilometres. Climb: 700 metres. Time: 3.75 hours.

Route 4: East Knockmealdowns
Map 22 (half-inch).
Start at car-park at signposted Liam Lynch monument (S 096112), reached by driving south from Goatenbridge/Goat’s Bridge. Walk towards monument and take firebreak right to open ground. Climb Crohan West, Knockmeal, Knocknafallia, Knocknagauv, Knockmealdown (trig pillar) – avoid corrie to north-east of latter. (Detour to Sugar Loaf Hill and contour back adds five kilometres, climb one hundred metres – this is one of the most scenic parts of the range.) Walk spur north to point 2,521 feet and then descend directly east (thus avoiding forest to north) to walk track along the banks of Glengalla River. At end of track cross two adjacent streams to east, thereby reaching main track running north. Follow forest tracks, signposted to monument, to reach start.
    An intermittent bank or wall which runs from Crohan west to Knockmeal and then follows the county boundary west (and therefore not necessarily over all the peaks) is helpful to navigation.
Distance: 16 kilometres. Climb: 850 metres. Time: 4.75 hours.

Route 6: North Comeraghs
Map 75 (1:50,000), Discovery Series.
Start at car park (S 276128). Walk back along road, turning right just before church. Walk road to end and continue straight ahead on track into open country, initially following stream, to Knocksheegowna (outcrops, trig pillar). Walk ridge south-east over Knockanaffrin to the Gap. Path to start.
Distance: 16 kilometres. Climb: 650 metres. Time: 4.5 hours

Route 7: Comeraghs - Coumshingaun
Map 75 (1:50,000), Discovery Series.
Start at Kilclooney Bridge on R676 (S 349116). Take side road/path west to corrie lake of Coumshingaun and ascend south arm of corrie (some mild scrambling near top) to reach plateau near Fauscoum (point 792 metres). Descend north arm of corrie to lake, retrace steps to start. Route may easily be extended to take in rims of corries to west and south, but note much featureless terrain.
Distance: 8 kilometres. Climb: 700 metres. Time: 2.75 hours

Route 8: South Blackstairs
Map 19 (half-inch); this map is inaccurate in its depiction of roads in the area.
Start on minor road (S 792451). To get there, take road signposted “Glynn” from Ballymurphy for 0.8 miles, turn left here, drive for further one mile and park at the right-angle bend. Walk south to cross nearby gate on left just before first farmhouse on right, walk initially indistinct track roughly south to col north-east of Carrigalachan. Climb Caher Roe's Den, point 2,409 feet, walk along its north spur to descend north-west through fields to road at about S 810478. Turn left, walk along road for two kilometres to crest of low hill; take very narrow road here on left through Walshstown, turn left at tee for start.
Distance: 13 kilometres. Climb: 650 metres. Time: 3.75 hours.

The final South-East extract from Walking Ireland's Mountains can be found here: Part 5

for the previous 3 instalments, click here: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Information extracted from Walking Ireland’s Mountains: a guide to the ranges and the best walking routes by David Herman, published by Appletree Press.