The Rock of Dunamase or it can also be called Dunamase Castle is situated between Carlow and Portlaoise on the N80 road or between Dublin and Limerick on the M7 road. If you find yourself on the either of these roads and you have time to kill, the Rock of Dunmase is perfectly situated to give you an opportunity to stop and stretch the legs.

We were driving down to walk the Glenbarrow Loop and waterfall in the Slieve Bloom mountains and we drove past the Rock of Dunamase. We both looked up at the ruins of the castle as we were passing and instantaneously decided that we were also going to visit one of the ancient easts historical sites. We quickly did a U-turn and drove down the side road off the N-80 and parked the car beside the small church opposite the Castle.

Admission and parking at the Rock of Dunamase

Admission to the Rock of Dunamase is free but car parking is limited and the car park space is more of a roadside than carpark. We arrived early on a Sunday morning and we were the only car there but after exploring for 1 hour, we came back and there were only a few car parking spaces left, so come early.

Our initial view while driving up the small lane to the castle was of this dominating hilltop Castle, which dates back to the 12th century. At the start of the Dunamase Rock walk, there was an information board with a plan of the castle in its former glory and loads information about the castle’s history.

Paths and walks around Dunamase

The ruins of the castle have a gravel path leading up through the middle of the external walled entrance gate. The path leads up toward the main castle which has loads of small alcoves and windows to explore. The Castle was built on top of a hill so there are 360-degree views when you reach the top (if the weather is good that is).

The Rock of Dunamase was a welcome distraction from our road trip to our weekend hiking destination. Try to get to the Dunamase castle early, we arrived at 10 am on a Sunday morning and we were the only people visiting the castle at the time.

Rock of Dunamase how to get there

Ireland uses an Eircode system to identify houses or buildings, there is a church beside the rock of Dunamase and its Eircode is R32E170. If you put the 6 digit code into google maps it will bring you straight to the church that sits right beside Dunamase Castle.

The Rock of Dunamase walk

If your looking for a long hike this is not the place for it. There is a nice casual looped walk around the ground of Dunamase Castle which could easily be done in 15-20 minutes. The walk around the rock does provide some great opportunities for some pictures and views of the Midlands landscape.

Would we recommend The rock of Dunamase?

We would highly recommend visiting the rock of Dunamase if you are passing, as it is steeped in history and is a very nice place off the beaten track.

Fun fact of Dunamase Castle

Also, here is a fun fact about the castle: Parts of Darby O Gill and the little people and Leap Year were filmed here.

Our visit to the castle ruins gave us a great start to our day of hiking around County Laois.

Other hikes and walks in Laois

The Glenbarrow Waterfall hike

Abbeyleix Bog Walk

Monicknew Forest Walk

Arderin Slieve Blooms

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Cahore Beach Cliff Walk location

Cahore is about 20 minutes south of Courtown. The village of Cahore is best known as a fishing and holiday destination.

The starting point of the Cahore walk

We started the cliff walk at the pier here. There was lots of parking when we arrived but it was a cold windy December day.

As we parked at the pier and we brought a buggy with us (there are steps at the start) we walked back up the road to the strand Cahore restaurant and started our walk beside the coffee shop.

About the Wexford Cliff Walk

• Very Good path over 2 meters wide and perfect for a buggy.

• The walk is 2.5km out and back

• There are Great views of the coast filled with wildlife, beach and Cahore beach

• No large drops, it’s relatively safe for small kids

• Food is available at the start/end. The kids loved being able to get hot chocolate at the end of the walk. We were too early for the Pizza :(

• Lots of parking on the pier and the Strand restaurant

• Beach section optional- You can walk down to the beach at the turn around point

• Loop walk option is also available

• Buggy Friendly- One of our children is 2 years old and is out of her hiking bag and the buggy but the buggy is still being used.

Would we recommend the Cahore Cliff walk?

Yes, this cliff walk is perfect for families, our children are 4 & 2 years old at the minute and they loved this walk. At the end of the walk, you can walk down to Cahore Beach or just return the way you came.

Our Instagram Reel of our Cliff walk

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The route we intended to walk up to the top of Knockmealdown is a basic straight up and down and should be done within 3 hours with good weather conditions permitting. There is also a loop walk that starts at the higher carpark and walks up to sugar loaf hill and then over to Knockmealdown.

Getting to Knockmealdown

Waterford’s highest point is situated on the Vee road. We chose to walk Knockmealdown from the lower carpark but there is also a higher carpark beside the Shepard huts that seems to always have a good crowd of cars in it.

Hiking Knockmealdown Mountain

The hike to the top of Knockmealdown starts at the carpark on the side of the road. As we decided to ascent Knockmealdown first, we parked our car at the lower carpark, right underneath the mountain. The road is busy for a small country road but if you pay attention there should be no problem. After leaving the carpark we walk over a small bridge with a river running underneath.

Just at the Y of the two roads, a muddy track is worn into the bank beside the road sign. Climb up the bank toward the Knockmealdown mountain and start walking up toward the peak. When we walked into this area we struggled to pick out any real walking trails but our guidebook said to aim for Knockmealdown peak.

The ground at the start of the hike is boggy and full with small streams cutting through wild heather, so it is not the easiest to navigate through. Five minutes into the hike we had to navigate our way through waist height green bushes, but Ourlittlehiker loved all the hustle and bustle of the leaves hitting her rucksack.

After we hiked through the bushes the ground started to rise up toward the mountain pretty quickly. The heather was pretty thick in this section and we felt we had to raise our feet pretty high to clear the wild heather in sections. Sometimes we found it easier to find a small stream and follow it up the mountain instead of walking through the heather (thank god for waterproof boots).

After about 30 minutes of hiking, we turned around and realised we were halfway up the mountain without much effort or strain. The angle of the mountain did start to increase a bit more from here though, but thankfully the heather seemed to be very patchy from here on up the mountain and we could pick clear routes easier.

After hiking for about 1 hour we reached what we assumed was the top but unfortunately, it was a false peak. We (Semi) knew it was too soon for the top but we let our imagination run riot but when we looked to our left we could see that we were not as high as the other mountains so we couldn’t be a the top so soon.

The rest of the hike to the top of Knockmealdow was very easy, as the heather virtually disappeared near the top of the mountain. When we reached the summit of the mountain we were greeted with an amazing view of Waterford and Tipperary, we could even see the Galtee mountains that we climbed the previous weekend.

This is our first county high point that the weather allowed us to take Ourlittlehiker out of the bag to stretch her legs. The top of Knockmeadown is reasonably flat but the opposite edge of the mountain has a cliff, we obviously kept very far away from this. The views from the top were outstanding and we had a small picnic and enjoyed the views.

Knockmealdown to Sugar loaf Hill

We didn’t intend to walk the loop around sugarloaf hill but when we reached the top and we knew if we descended the way we came we would be back in the car within an hour and we still felt very fresh, so we were eager to get a longer walk in. The walking route over to Sugarloaf hill seems to follow an old wall and the route looked amazing, we had to walk it. As we don’t know when we would be back here again.

The little wall in the above picture leads the whole way to Sugarloaf Hill. The walk from Knockmealdown to Sugarloaf Hill took us 45 minutes and it was a very gentle descent to the base of Sugarloaf Hill, which sits at a height of 662.7m high.  We passed lots of sheep that were not fazed by us walking but Ourlittlehiker did her best to let everyone know there were sheep nearby (everytime she sees a sheep she shouts as loud as she can ‘SHEEEEEEPP‘), we love it and have a great little laugh every time she does it.

Coming down from Knockmealdowns high point, we could see Sugarloaf hill and it looked like we had another steep climb ahead of us again but when we reached the base of Sugarloaf hill, the climb to the top was not too bad and we did it in 10 minutes. The climb to the top is very rocky in places but we took a few detours around these sections and there even seemed to be paths worn into the hill to avoid them.

When we reached the top it was very crowded and Ourlittlehiker was fast asleep at this stage so we decided to continue walking back down toward the carpark without stopping at the top. The route back down to the carpark is a 90-degree turn to the left side from the direction we just came from. The route down from the sugar loaf hill is very easy to find but very steep in places, the walking sticks are essential here.

Halfway down the descent, we got a glimpse of a lovely lake. Even though we were descending the views still remained beautiful, we stopped many times to just appreciate the amazing landscape.

We descended the whole mountain and Ourlittlehiker was asleep from the base of sugar loaf hill to the top of it and back down the other side until we reached the road/carpark. Mountain rescue were training in the carpark and they had rescue dogs with them and one barked, she instantly heard a dog and shouted to tell it to ‘get out’ :) .

Walking the Road from Sugarloaf hill

We originally only wanted to walk up and straight back to the car and to not do the loop walk because there was a large road section. As we walked the loop around the mountain we now had to walk the road section but the thankfully all the road from the top carpark was downhill.

We originally didn’t want to do the loop walk because we wanted to avoid walking the road section. The road back to the car took us 25 minutes to walk and all the cars slowed down and provided enough room that we always felt safe. We even saw more sheep, which kept Ourlittlehiker very happy. The road section gave us the opportunity to stretch the legs after a hard descent on the knees.

When we reached the car we had a lovely picnic at the side of our car.

The verdict on Knockmealdown.

Hiking Knockmealdown mountain for the County High point, the straight up and back route is very easy but we recommend if the weather is permitting, you should to try to do the loop walk as it is well worth the effort.

Knockmealdown is one of the easier walks but it is quite high so please give it the respect that it needs and if the weather starts turning bad consider turning around as there are large cliffs to the side of this mountain.

The only negative of the loop walk is the road section, although saying that there are only a few bends and there was lovely Huts to see and the statue of the Holy Virgin Mary.  Overall be mindful of traffic and stand in when you see and hear the cars etc.

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Galtymore and Galtybeg are the highest points in County Limerick and Tipperary. Galtymore sits at an altitude of 917.8m and Galtybeg sits at 799.2m high. We packed all our hiking bags Friday evening after we got home from work, as we knew we would have an early start on Saturday morning if we wanted to achieve our plans to Climb the 2 high points.

Our Journey to the Galtees

We left home at 6:00 am as it was a 2-hour 15-minute drive to the Galtee mountains from our house. We arrived at the Galtee mountain carpark at 8:30 am, slightly later than we had hoped but we had a few stops on the way down the road. While researching this route many people seemed to walk the Galtee’s from the other side of the mountain or they do a looped route but we wanted to summit the 2 high points and then also summit Knockmealdown in Waterford too.

When we got to the carpark there was only 1 other car there but there seemed to be enough parking spots for 15-20 cars. Our guidebook says to follow the tarmac lane up the hill but while researching online we found that many other people went through the wooded area to the right. We walked up the tarmac lane passing many rural houses along the way. There is no parking up this lane so DO NOT drive up here as you will have to return back down to the carpark.

Starting our Hike up Galtymore and Galtybeg and Mountains

It was such a lovely quiet lane to walk on, we even met a local farmer that gave us advise on the route to take up the mountain. We got fantastic views of the mountains on our right-hand side and we were surrounded by fields of sheep to the left side. It was one of the hottest days we had this year, so it was so nice to feel the heat on our faces. This section of small rural roadway reminded us of the Kerry Camino.

Pointing out the two beautiful mountains we were about to climb.

After 30 minutes the road turns 90 degrees and the road climbs towards a small rural bungalow on the RHS of the road,then stops with a gate to a farm on the left and a gate on the right leading into a small wooded area and then into a boggy field (full of very nosey sheep).

Cross over the metal gate and walk into the field, there is a fence on your LHS follow the line of the fence up to the corner. The ground here is extremely boggy so try to walk on the higher section in the middle to keep out of the stagnant water. The sheep here were extremely nosey and basically followed us halfway up the mountain and were virtually on our heals. Ourlittlehiker absolutely loved the sheep and she was busy pointing, waving and baaing at them. It was so cute to watch and it was a welcomed distraction from the climb ahead.

After the corner of the fence, walk in the same line as the fence which should aim for the passing between Galtymore and Galtybeg. The below image shows the route that we took after leaving the wooded area. We aimed for the low point between the two mountains until we reached the lake. we kept left of the lake.

We crossed many small streams while walking up to the lake. The route is reasonably straightforward up to the lake and not too hard. After we reached the lake we stopped and sat on an old broken stone wall and had a little picnic and changed Ourlittlehiker into her warm hiking overalls and put the wind cover on as we knew it will start to get colder as we reach the summit.

Breastfeeding in the mountains.

The angle of the hill increased significantly and it felt like we were walking on a 45-degree pitch in places. We aimed for the middle of the Galtybeg as our guidebook said there were cliffs to the left after the lake. When we reached the same height as the passing between Galtymore and Galtybeg we started walking over toward this area as it is easier to walk up Galtybeg from this side of the mountain.

While on the saddle Galtymore was on our right and Galtybeg was on our left.

Galtybeg sheltered us massively from the wind so when we reached the low section of the 2 mountains we immediately felt a windchill, this didn’t affect Ourlittlehiker as she was fast asleep in the kids comfort 3 hiking bag. We walked to the top of Galtybeg fairly easily from the col, we followed the trail through the peat. Care should be taken here as the peat is very boggy after the winter we had (we nearly lost our boots a few times).

Galybeg County High Point

There is no high point marker on the top of Galtybeg, so we just walked along the top of the ridge until we started descending again on the other side, we then turned around and started walking toward Galtymore. The views on Galtybeg were amazing but when you look over at Galtymore our focus quickly shifted to climb the higher mountain.

It was a very easy descent back down to the col between the 2 mountains. When we reached the bottom of the Galtybeg we followed the trail up the edge of Galtymore, it was very nice to have a good firm trail to follow for a few minutes.

The trail eventually disappears and we start walking up toward the high point but keeping away from the right-hand side as there is a large cliff edge there. It is a nice walk up Galtymore that is not too long after leaving the path. We were really lucky with the weather, as we reached the top of Galtymore we seemed to get a really strong blast of heat, so we could spend a little bit longer on the summit instead of rushing off to keep out of the wind. The summit of Galtymore provides an unbelievable panoramic view of Tipperary and Limerick. On the top, there is an old concrete wall, the Trig point and a white cross.

We descended from our summit by going down the way we came up, a tip with going downhill is to sometimes walk in zig-zags and to use hiking poles. We had a small picnic halfway down which was lovely as we got to sit back and take in the amazing scenery. The sun was shining with a slight warm breeze. Before we had Ourlittlehiker we would never really stop or take breaks but now by doing so, it makes the hikes more special. As one of my favourite quotes says;

”Memories made in the mountains stay in our hearts forever”

How good was Galtymore and Galtybeg hike?

Overall this was a spectacular hike. A great mixture of small old quite country roads used by friendly farmers that will more than likely stop for a quick chat. It’s filled with extremely green farmland over-friendly sheep that are very vocal and interested in strangers. The hike up the side of Galtybeg gives stunning views of the surrounding counties and the cliffs to the side of Galtymore. You will need loads of energy to keep climbing up the side of Galtybeg but the views from the top are 100% worth the climb.

The Galtee mountains gave us a stunning hike and we highly recommend it to everyone looking for an adventure.

Our Tips for hiking in the Galtee Mountains:

• Go early to get a parking space and to have extra daylight on the mountain
• Bring hiking poles
• Bring a compass and maps
• Gaiters come in handy as some areas are boggy
• Have Good supporting ankle hiking boots especially for going downhill
• Check the weather forecast before going, you would want a fine clear day
• On a windy day make sure to take extra care and stay away from any cliff edges
• Bring your Guide Book as it tells you exactly where to go
• Bring lots of water and snacks, spare clothes, 1st aid kit etc
• Tell someone where you are going and what time you expect to finish it,
• Have fun and stop every so often to enjoy the mountain air and beautiful views.

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How to get to Glenbarrow Loop walk

The hike carpark/start point is really well signposted and provides a breakpoint if you’re driving the N7 motorway from Dublin to Limerick. We got off the motorway in Portlaoise and drove to Rosenallis and then followed all the signposts for Glenbarrow waterfall, it took us 30 minutes to drive from Portlaoise.

There is a really good size carpark at the start of the trailhead that could easily accommodate 50 vehicles, so parking should not be an issue. At the start of the walk, there is an information board detailing 3 looped walk options. We walked the blue looped walk which was called the “Glenbarrow Eco Walk” this was 7km long and we walked past the lovely Glenbarrow waterfall.

Starting the Glenbarrow Loop Walk

The Glenbarrow walk starts by walking down a small lane that is sandwiched between two moss-covered stone walls. The small lane leads down to the start of the eco trail into the pine forest.

Most of this section of the trail is walked parallel to the river, while also walking slightly uphill towards the Glenbarrow waterfall. The trail is surrounded by mature woodland that’s covered in a blanket of green moss that has even started to creep up every tree, it felt very lord of the rings here.

Most of the trail has a good hardcore surface or railway sleepers but there is mud covering some sections. We have just had a large amount of snow here so every trail that we hike lately is like this. The forest section has lots of small streams and alcoves to explore while walking towards the waterfall. After walking for about 200m the trail elevation started to rise uphill slightly and we enter Glenbarrow woods via wooden railings.

We passed a wooden hut on our left and continued along the well-worn path up the river. We started to walk on small paths cut into rocks that lead up toward the top of the beautiful 3-tiered Clamp Hole waterfall.

There was a wooden barrier/handrail alongside the waterfall with some steep rocks to climb. There are two options here, you can climb the rocks beside the waterfall (about 1.2m high) or take the path on the left-hand side which will meet at the top of the waterfall. We chose the one beside the waterfall as it looked like fun. We love climbing as its all part of the adventure.

After we admired the beautiful waterfall we continued our hike, this time on wooden railway sleepers. The sleepers cut through the woodland area and we climbed up until we reached a foresty road. We took a left here and continued along the road until we reached a 3-way junction, we veered right here and continued uphill until we reached another forestry road that had an option to enter a woodland footpath, we took a left here downhill on a lovely boardwalk.

We followed the boardwalk through a mixture of natural woodland and coniferous trees. Near the end of the walk, there was a plastic box full of leaflets on the Slieve bloom walks. We taught this was a great idea.

This path leads us back to a little lane straight to the car park. We had our lunch and enjoyed looking at the horses in the field beside the carpark.

 Conclusion on the Glenbarrow Loop Walk

The Glenbarrow Loop walk offers everything for a good Sunday adventure with the family. There are forests, rivers and waterfalls all crammed into an area filled with natural wildlife. You will need good hiking boots in winter months but there are also sections with boardwalks that has a very good surface.

The walk is extremely well signposted and there is very little chance of getting lost, trust us were experts at taking the wrong turn.

It would not be possible to hike the Glenbarrow loop walk with a toddler if you did not have a baby backpack as a buggy would not work on the railway sleepers.

The Glenbarrow is a lovely walk and a true credit to the people that maintain and operate it. This is one of the best walks in Ireland, that we have done this year. We had great fun on this trail and cannot wait to come back and explore more.

More information and maps can be found on the Slieve Bloom website here.

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