Beara Walks. Put the boots on, go explore Beara
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Dourus Point walkIt is described as a 40 minute walk, but if you did it that quickly you wouldn't enjoy the many pleasures of this part loop walk.It is a forest walk close to the sea. The picture (left) shows the forest all the way to the point, and you might think there was no daylight. However sunlight pours down through the canopy, and breaks in the coastal side opens up spectacular views/ |
| The best place to park is in the Cashakeelty car park, where the route goes up to the standing stone alignment. For the Dourus walk you walk a short distance up the Kenmare to Ardgroom road. Please take care as cars can come very fast. Walking west you will come to the entrance which is partly blocked by very large boulders. Pass through these, and quickly you are in a different world where squirrels run free, stoat and other furry animals. A rusting tractor has been left like an art piece for photographers to use as subject matter |
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The start of the walk is very pleasant, in May the bushes are in flower, showers of colour. Underfoot the ground is mostly green, like a lawn, The way follows an old road before narrowing into a lane into the trees. |
| Here we get a good view of the Caha Mountains, and a shelted inlet where yachts moor. Pause for awhile to take in the beauty of your surroundings |
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| The winding green lane | View of Knockatee |
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Just when you least expect it there is a flight of steps rising up from sea level to high ground where the walk loops back on itself and rejoins the part you entered by. The steps are made of stone, and are part of the old gardens |
| There are also stone walls where you least expect them, the stones covered with lush green moss. The walk will tease you, tempt you to walk on and see what else you can discover. It is a joy of a walk not to be missed | |
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The Rabach's Glenis a nice hike lasting 4 to 5 hours. Turn off the main Castletownbere to Kenmare road where you see sign for Glanmore Lake and Josies Restaurant. Drive for about a mile and on the right you will see a sign for The Rabach's Way. Follow this lane until the end, where you will find a house and some parking space. Leave your car here |
| You then follow a track to a style and footbridge and then up into the glen. The start is on the flat but soon starts climbing. You can go up beside a lovely stream cascading down, or a more gradual clib to the left which takes you a bit higher than you need to go for walking to the back of the glen. The route via the stream can be a bit boggy under foot as you follow an old wall into the heart of the valley |
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On the map you will see it marked as Cumeengadhra, the Valley of the Hound. The glen became famous for a murder in the mid 19th century when a man on the run from stealing navy wages was murdered by Cornellious Rabach O'Sullivasn who also murdered his female neighbour who found out about the murder. The song by Thin Lizzy was about the event mentioned in the song about gold on the Cork Kerry border |
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The Rabach's village, now ruins. The last inhabitant was living in the mid 20th century. While remote it was a place well farmed and not short of water from the numerous cascades in the area. The ruins are at the very back of the glen, where you will find a sharp ridge coming down just behind the houses on the north side. Up the secondf ravine you will find the Rabach's Cave where the man hid. From there he had a fine view of the valley below and if police came looking for him he could escape up the ravine to the Clohagh Valley high up above all else. Some say he escaped to Canada but was coaxed back to be hanged in Trall, others say he was hung in Bantry but not sure why he should be taken into County Cork when he lived Kerry. The Kenmare Journal gives an account of the story Local places to stay Mountain View, Mourlin Lodge and Helen's Bar
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Knockatee the mountain with twin peaks is a dramatic looking mountain overlooking Kilmackillogue Harbour. It looks difficult and yet it is surprisingly easy and the views from the top will take your breath away. See below
The view from the summit of Kilmackillogue Harbour and beyond to Ardgroom Harbour and Kenmare Bay |
| How to get there: Would you like a long walk or just a short one? The long, start by parking your car by the bottle banks in Lauragh which are situated opposite the start of the Healy Pass turn off in Lauragh, just a few yards from the church. This is a lovely single track road that dips and rises through leafy glades. You will pass the Ladies Mile Loop on the way. Keep walking until you reach a water pump station, about two miles from the bottle banks. There is a pull in just before the pimp station where you can park your car if you decided on the shorter walk, ie just the climb. In 2015 marker posts were added to assist you in your climb, which give you an easy way up. The start of the climb is not at all testing, just rambling across the hillside. After half a mile you will see the main peak ahead of you, turn to the right and follow a slow ascent gulley to the back of the mountain. You will now see into Tuosist as you come round the 'back' and you climb. It is quite steep, but only for a short while. Go on give it a go, just for about five minutes and before you know you are up on the top and telling yourself how wonderful you feel. The views away to Glanmore, Kenmare Bay are stunning. If you thought that was too easy then try the lower of the two peaks. It is tantalisingly close, but not at all easy to reach as the way to it drops severely and some care is needed. Enjoy your climb and be sure to take lots of pictures |
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There are three great places to stay near Knockatee, Mountain View B&B where Sheila is waiting to welcome you, also Helen's Bar on Kilmackillogue Pier and Mourlin Lodge on the main Ardgroom to Kenmare road They can be found in the Lauragh Accommodation page |
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The Garnish Loop Walk is quite a challenging walk, but well worth it for the fabulous scenery you get to see. The climb up from near the Dursey Cable Car Station is quite taxing on the legs at times, but the view across the Sound to the island is fabulous
Looking down to the sound with Dursey Island beyond, with Bull Rock off to the right. Rewarding coastal views abound on this loop, which is part climb, part walk. The walk part takes you along the road from Garnish to the cable car station. The climb being from the cable car station to Garnish
Looking from the Loop Walk route towards Garnish harbour. A satisfying walk.
There are two B&Bs on the route. Windy Point which is very close to the cable car, and Harbour View which has a commanding views of Ballydonegan Bay and Garnish. You will be made to feel most welcome in both places
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Eyeries Coastal Walk
There's a really nice loop walk along the coast near Eyeries which won't take you about two hours, maybe less if you are a fast ambler. See Eyeries from the coast, like the above picture take by Beara photographer John Eagle. Start point would be good at O'Sullivan's Foodstore on the Castletownbere side of the village. Meet some friends here, have a cup of coffee before you start. Follow the lane to the Strand that runs down beside the shop, and when you come to a fork in the road go to the left and carry on for about half a mile where you come to another. Here you go right. If you went straight on you'd come to Morty oG Holiday Cottage Head along the road and soon you will hear the sounds of the sea, go through a gate and Eyeries Strand will open out in front of you. Now follow the coast for about a mile and a half until you come to a made up road. Here you can either go to the right and return to O'Sullivan's Foodstore, or you can continue along the coast for about two miles until you come to a pier and here you go to your right and back up to the village
Coulagh Bay House B&B, Cappa House B&B and Foromanes B&B would be the nearest places to stay for doing this walk
Mines Road Walk
This is a walk with large expansive views over Coulagh and Ballydonegan Bays. You can start either in Allihies or in Urhan near Eyeries. To reach the Urhan start point take the Allihies road from Eyeries, go past the graveyard, ignore the road coming out after it but take the next left about half a mile further on and keep on it for about two miles until there is a sharp turn to the right at which point you go left and up the Mines Road. On the Allihies side just aim for the North Engine, see below.
The walk snakes up the Allihies side, going back and around the old mine shafts, giving you great views of Ballydonegan Bay and out beyond to Dursey and the animal rocks Bull and Cow. On the Eyeries side you look far out into the Atlantic with Skellig Michael on the horizon, also the Scarriff. Watch aerial video of the North Engine
To plan you walk the nearest places to stay on the Allihies side is Beach View B&B also self catering Allihies Holiday Homes and Strand View Holiday Homes. On the Eyeries side there is Cappa House and Coulagh Bay Cottages
Dunboy Woods Walk
If you like lighthouses there is a lovely walk through the trees to this one. You take the road to Allihies from Castletownbere and turn off into Dunboy, where you will find the ruins of the old O'Sullivan Beare Castle and also Puxley Mansion which was being restored up until a few years ago. You can walk from here along a coastal track all the way out to harbour's mouth and maybe take a picture of a fishing boat entering or leaving. The lighthouse is Ardnakinna, standing on the Western tip of Bere Island.
To plan your walk the nearest B&Bs to here are Summer Hill and Knockanroe in Castletownbere
Cod's Head Walk
A nice coastal walk can be had to the Cod's Head. On the road from Eyeries to Allihies drive until the road passes through a farm either just before a steep zig zag climb. You can leave your car a short distance from the farm, then follow the meandering lane to the Cod's Head. You get lovely sea views of Coulagh Bay, and away to Kerry. Towards the end of the walk you will be entering the area where ther tv film 'Falling For A Dancer' was filmed, which was one of Colin Farrell's early roles.
The nearest place to stay to this walk is a couple of miles back the road, Coulagh Bay Cottages
The Pocket Walk
Explore Beara, discover the hidden gems like the Pocket (above). Go into the Glanmore Valley and go past the lake, and you will find a nice quiet country lane meandering right to the back of the valley. The further you go the closer the mountains come together until they almost meet. After 2 -3 miles the hard surface ends and you go to the left on a made up road, which you can drive down if you don't mind grass brushing the underneath of your car. Be advised turning the car round can be difficult if you decide to drive it. If you go right to the end of the track you will come to a farmhouse, with a magnificent waterfall behind. This is also the start point for climbing Hungry Hill from the difficult north side
Watch a video of the Pocket waterfall
To help you plan your walk the nearest B&Bd to The Pocket is Mountain View B&B and Mourlin Lodge in Lauragh and you can get a great meal at Josie's
Clogher Valley
The Clogher Valley, once a populated area, now seldom visited. Whichever way you go into the valley there is a fairly steep initial climb. You can go from Castletownbere, from the Pocket at the back of Glanmore which takes you up beside the waterfall which is nice, or probably the easiest is to drive into Glenbeg from Ardgroom and go to the end of the road and park up. Ahead of you is a low ridge between two large mountains. There is a steep ravine going up, which can be slippery in the wet, but take your time and wear proper boots and take a stick and you should be fine.
The nearest B&B to here is Highfield in Ardgroom
Cumeengadhra
Cumeengadhra, The Valley of the Hound. Ruined village, and a tale of murder with the culprit hiding out in a cave. Go into Glanmore Valley and after about a mile there is a sign point to the right, directing you to the Rabach's Way. The road is almost straight but be warned it is bumpy and you'd be ill advised to go more than about 20 mph. At the end there is a farm and a lady who will charge you a fee to go into the valley. The solitude one gets from this valley takes the pressures of life away. All you hear are the baying of the sheep and the slithering sound of the cascades and at the very back of the valley there is a small ruined village. Above the village in a nearby ravine there is the cave where the Rabach hid to avoid being captured for his murderous wrongdoing. He was eventually captured, there are various accounts, some say he was hanged in Bantry, others that he was hung in Tralee
The nearest B&B is Mountain View B&B
Gleninchaquin
You could spend an entiure day walking here, maybe even a week if you was to explore it all. You could leave your car at the entrance to the road, opposite the Peacock campsite where you might like to have a coffee before you start. Or you could drive in some of the way, say 3 miles until you come to where the lakes are. There is a sign directing you to Uragh stone circle, the one pictured above. In the distance you can see the Gleninchaquin waterfall, best seen after a heavy downpour as it empties quite quickly. If you decide to tgo right to the back of the valley you will be charged an entrance fee to park up and take to the marked out walking routes. There are short and long ones. A nice one goes up and over the top of the waterfall providing a breathtaking view of the whole valley
The nearest B&Bs to here are Shaminir and Oakfield
Ladies Mile loop walk (unfinished)
This a new walk on the Beara Peninsula. A lot of work has gone into setting this up, but it isn't finished yet. Sign posts have been put up in a couple of places, but only on the walk itself and not pointing to it. The loop can be done, but it isn't totally ready. Hopefully this will be completed soon. Bridges have been put in place, and other forms of crossing dykes. The walk follows a stream towards the sea at Kilmackillogue Harbour from the mountain road to Knockatee Mountain. It is a forest walk, and really charming. The nearest B&Bs to this walk is Mountain View B&B , Mourlin Lodge B&B and Helen's Bar in Lauragh. When the walk is fully set up we will give you precise instructions on how to walk it
