Fit The indoor & outdoor activities supplement
Walking in The Comeraghs
Edited by Conor O’Hagan
Walking
The pride of Waterford is well worth a walking weekend, says Conor O’Hagan (with difficulty)
Never the most fabled or celebrated of Ireland’s high places, the Comeraghs of County Waterford nonetheless are a remarkable and varied range, stretching from the coast near Dungarvan inland to Clonmel. The central area of the Comeragh Mountains is dominated by a boggy plateau, surrounded by spectacular rocky coums decorated with small but scenic lakes.
Video: There’s a short but highly evocative video of walking in the Comeraghs on YouTube. Find it under ‘Coum Tay Loop’. Also check out ‘Mahon Falls’. Doug McKinlay’s video on the Adorama YouTube channel ‘Long Lens Landscape Photography’ also features some high-quality footage from the Comeraghs.
For walkers, the Comeraghs are definitely one of the finest ranges in Ireland, with an unparalleled mix of classic mountain features offering walks ranging from easy Sunday afternoon sharpeners to full-on, expedition-grade challenges. There’s the long and vertiginous Knockanaffrin Ridge, the lofty plateau, the inspiring falls of Coum Mahon, the atmospheric coums of the Nire Valley, the historic Crotty’s Lough, named after the 18th century highwayman William Crotty, who holed up here before being captured and hung in 1742. Coumshingaun is regarded as the jewel of the Comeraghs, a glacial lake said to be one of the finest examples of a corrie or coum in Western Europe. All these and more are best explored on foot from trailheads easily accessed by road. And at the end of the walking day, the fleshpots of Waterford City and Clonmel await the hedonistically-inclined. Map: O.S. Discovery Series Map no. 75 is the standard hillwalker’s reference to the Comeraghs.
Book: Tipperary & Waterford - A Walking Guide By John G. O’Dwyer www.collinspress.ie Web: www.comeraghclub.ie/ www.dungarvantourism.com www. mountainviews.ie www.activeme.ie/guides/walks/
50 Senior Times l January - February 2017 l www.seniortimes.ie
Comeragh Plateau