Itinerary: Walking Weekend in Tipperary
Day 1) Transfer from Dublin to Cahir – walk on Knockmealdown.
In the morning we will leave Dublin and make our way to Cahir, where we can leaves our bags before making our way towards the “Vee” to begin our walk. Our hotel is in the heart of this historical town, and you have a great range of shops, restaurants and pubs within a few steps.
Sugarloaf and Knockmealdown Mountain: We start this walk from the car park where there are unusual stone buildings. These buildings were once used for horses to rest after ascending the long haul up to the mountain pass. In front of us there is Bay Lough where it is said that “Petticoat Loose” a local witch who would pull you under if you swam in its waters. Yes this place is steeped in local folklore and stories.
To begin our walk we take a well worn track that immediately rises from the road following a county border wall built during the famine. The wall reaches all the way to the summit of the Sugarloaf. We will take this trail at an easy pace to suit the group. We then continue to follow this wall along the top to the summit of Knockmealdown Mountain. From the summit there are fantastic views in all directions of the Knockmealdowns, Galtees and the south Irish coastline.
Grade: moderate Length 8.5 km, Duration: 3.5 hrs, Ascent: 610m, Terrain: Open mountain tracks.
Afterwards we will return to Cahir to enjoy dinner together and check out the nightlife in this lively town and perhaps enjoy some music in one of its traditional pubs.
Day 2) Walk the Liam Lynch trail – Lop walk
This morning after breakfast there will be sometime to visit Cahir castle if you wish before we travel out towards Goatenbridge to start the Liam Lynch walk. From the car park here we will be taking the purple route and part of the Munster Way trail. After approx 4Km we will reach the Liam Lynch memorial which overlooks the Golden Vale of Tipperary. We continue on this forest trail around the side Crohan Mountain to the top of a valley at which point we cross a bridge and start to make our way back to where we started.
Liam Lynch was an officer in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence and the commanding general of the Irish Republican Army during the Irish Civil War. After hiding out in a house in the Knockmealdowns his unit were suddenly surrounded by the Free Sate Army and it’s here that Liam was shot while trying to escape. He was the Chief of Staff of the anti-Treaty IRA, its commander in chief and his death signaled the effective end of the Civil War.
Grade: easy moderate Length 11.5 km, Duration: 2.5 – 3hrs, Ascent: 120m, Terrain: Forest trails.
Afterwards we can travel somewhere to enjoy a coffee before we make our way back to Dublin.