Kanturk Hillwalkers and Mountain Climbers | Blog

On Sunday 22/04 we headed East to the Galty Mountains for the club walk. We left town at 09.00 and continued on to Kings yard, which was the starting point of our climb. The Galty mountains traverse the Limerick Tipperary border and run from East to West. At 919 meters Galtymore is the highest inland mountain in Ireland. Leaving Kings yard we headed North East to link up with the Black road. On the slopes to our left there appeared to be some evidence of “lazy beds” which were used in the growing of potatoes before the great Famine of 1845. It would also appear that the mountain was home to a good number of people in the past, judging by the number ruins on its slopes. Reaching the Black road we went north along the track.Conditions were excellent for walking and we made steady progress. It was a very gradual ascent. There were great views southward to the Knockmealdowns. In the distance the the rounded summit of Galtymore our destination loomed ahead. Reaching a cairn it was dec...

On Sunday 8th April the club walk was the Kealkill to Gougane Barra section of the Saint Finbarr’s Way. After leaving town at 09.15 we made our way to Gougane Barra, where we had coffee and left a car with our change of clothes. We then continued to Kealkill to begin our walk. As it was Pilgrim Path week the car park was full so we had to park in the village. We started at Carriganass  ( Rock of the waterfall ) Castle. This castle was an outpost of Donal Cam O’Sullivan Beare. After the battle of Kinsale in 1602, having lost control of his strongholds in Dunboy and Dursey. He led his band of 1000 followers past this castle in mid winter, on a tragic journey to Leitrim. Attacked by both Irish and English on the way only 35 arrived in Leitrim 14 days later. We continued up the road past the castle climbing all the way. After after a little Bantry Bay can be seen.  Two and a half kilometers later we leave the road crossing a stile on our left, climbing steeply towards Knockb...