Kanturk Hillwalkers and Mountain Climbers | Blog

On Saturday 20 th April the club outing was to the Knockmealdown mountains. We left town on a beautiful morning. Traveling through Mitchelstown , Ballyporeen and Clogheen to arrive at our starting point below Bay Lough. Changing into our walking gear, we headed south through the rhododendrons up a fairly steep incline. Finally our path leveled out and the corrie lake of Bay Lough   was spread out before us. The surrounding hills reflected in its brooding dark waters. There is a haunting beauty about it. The lake is reported to be bottomless. It also said to be frequented by a 19 th century lady called Petticoat Loose. This lady of ill repute is supposed to have been banished by the local parish priest. ( Didn’t they rule the roost back then ). Her punishment was to empty the lake with a thimble. At twilight she can sometimes be seen on the far bank trying to tryin to accomplish her impossible task. ( A bit like Teresa May. Poor woman ). Skirting the lake we climbed gradually up ...

Sunday 7 th April the club walk was from Derrycunnihy to Peakeen mountain.Leaving town on a sunny crisp morning the temperature was one degree. Traveling west the mountains were obscured by fog. However by Rathmore the fog had lifted and the Derrynasaggart Mountains were revealed in all their glory. The temperature was also rising by Barraduff it had reached three degrees. Eventually we reached our parking spot at Derrycunnihy church. It was now a pleasant sunny day and the mercury was at seven. Derrycunnihy church was built in 1890 and served as a Catholic Church. It is now in disuse and sadly falling into disrepair. It has a fine copper covered spire. It is a beautiful building that should be preserved and put to some use. There is a well known ghost story attached to it. Apparently several years ago a young girl was killed off her bicycle near it. She can be seen sometimes wandering around near the church dressed in white. Sometimes at night she can appear in a car that would ...

On Sunday 24 February the club walk was on Torc Mountain in Killarney. We left town on a grey overcast day. As we traveled west the sky brightened. Reaching our destination we found the car park full. Some volunteers were engaged in clearing fallen timber, and battling with the ubiquitous rhododendrons.This invasive shrub is destroying the native habitat. Full marks to the volunteers who give of their time so that we can enjoy the national park. We had to park at the Torc Waterfall Park. Today we had two options. One was to go up the Cardiac Steps , or to start at the old Kenmare road car park. There were no takers for the second option. Suitably dressed we set off. Our path took us parallel to the N71,  we crossed it and continued  along a track until we came to a branch to the left. The steps start here. From here it's practically straight up the north face of Torc Mt. , through woodland and rhododendrons. Behind us views of Kilarney's lakes opening up. Up & up th...

                                                                                                                                                                       On Sunday 10 February the club outing was to the Ballyhoura Mountains. The Ballyhouras run for approx six miles east to west on the border of Cork and Limerick. The sky was pregnant with rain to the west, but to the east they looked clear. Arriving at the trailhead on the road to Ardpatrick, we parked up and put on our walking gear. There are good facilities here with a shop and toilets etc.  Mountain bi...

  On Sunday Oct. 28th the Club had a Bus trip to do part of The Kerry Way Stage from Sneem to Kenmare. Again we left town at 8am with a good travelling party of 14 to head off to West Kerry and our starting point of the Blackwater bridge. As usual with our club we use Kealy's Coaches  who always offer us a good service and a luxury bus for our trip.   Our destination was the Blackwater Bridge between Kenmare & Sneem which was our starting point of our walk on the Kerry Way walking route which goes all around the famed Ring of Kerry. No matter how many times you come here you still marvel at the beauty of this part of the country. Our walk started along the shoreline of Kenmare Bay and looking across at the Beara Peninsula and other places we have been earlier in the year.  After a while we came back onto the main Ring of Kerry Road until around Templenoe we veered onto country roads and a bit of climbing as well but this left us with complete views ove...

On Sunday 14 Oct on a beautiful clear morning, with a slight touch of frost we left town at 08.30. We were headed to Muckross House in Killarney. As the morning fog along the Blackwater valley burned off, the Derrynasaggart mountains were in sharp relief against a blue sky to our left, in front of us the Reeks could be seen. Arriving at Muckross we changed into our gear,and went to the cafe for tea / coffee. Outside the windows the lush parklands stretched out before us, with Torc Mountain as a backdrop. The summit of Torc Mountain at 535 meters was to be the highest point of our walk. The first part of the walk took us through gravel paths on level ground before we crossed the N 71. Then we were climbing gradually through woodland and finally we reached the path on our left. This is the start of what seems a never ending stone staircase. Up and up they go all the while fantastic views of the lakes coming into view behind us. On our right buried somewhere in the dense unde...

Now that my biro has dried out the blog can finally be written. On Saturday 15 Sept. the club had originally planned to do the Gougane Barra loop,however it was changed to the Cumeengeera Horseshoe route. This is in the rugged Beara peninsula bordering Cork and Kerry. We set off westwards towards Kenmare on a dry morning. Arriving in Kenmare we stopped for tea / coffee, before heading through Lauragh and to the start of the hike at Shronebirrane stone circle. This is at the head of Rabach’s glen.  Called after Cornelius “Rabach” o Sullivan. Rabach means violent in Irish and Con earned his nickname well. In 1800 he murdered a sailor who called to his door one bad stormy wet night looking for shelter. He later murdered a woman who had witnessed the crime and had threatened to inform the police. Eventually he was caught and hanged in Tralee Gaol in 1831.... We climbed the Horseshoe in an anti clockwise direction. The weather was excellent but the climb was a thigh burning slog to rea...