A great advantage of way-marked trails is that they offer easy access to open mountainside, writes TONY DOHERTY. The section of the Duhallow Way along Caherbarnagh is a case in point.
APART FROM their intrinsic value, one of the great advantages of long-distance way-marked walks is that they allow access to open mountainside without the hassle or, in the case of the ageing hill walker, the indignity of struggling over barbed-wire fences. Such is the case with that section of the Duhallow (Blackwater) Way that runs along the lower slopes of Caherbarnagh (682m) and its outlying peaks. These mountains, which form part of the Derrynasaggart range, lie just west of Millstreet in mid-Cork.
To get there, turn left at the church in Millstreet and follow the third-class road, keeping right at the fork and going straight through Croohig’s Crossroads. The way markers will bring you to the start of the walk. There is room for a few cars to park near the bungalow at the top of the road. A clear track leads uphill for about 700m to a metal stile. Cross the stile and at the next way marker start heading up the spur to spot height 523m. There is a fence to guide you and the terrain is an easy mix of low-growing heather and small grassy tussocks. Once you reach the summit plateau it is worth taking a diversion to your left to look down into the narrow coom of Kippagh Lough.
The next stretch up to Stoukeen is a straightforward walk on soft heathery ground up to the ancient cairn on the east side of the summit. You can either keep to the fence, which has a gate just in front of the cairn, or you can take the course that runs along the edge of the cliffs over Lough Gortavehy, which mark the southern edge of the fault line that created the Blackwater Valley. From the ancient cairn the view to the south contains far more modern monuments. In front of you are a cluster of wind turbines while beyond them, adorning the summit of Mullaghanish (694m), are the RTÉ radio and television transmitters.
The Stoukeen plateau is composed of turf banks with very wet ground in between, so you need to pick your route carefully. Beyond spot height 627m you no longer have the comfort of the fence, so if the mist is down you’ll need your compass to hand. It’s a gradual pull up to the trig station of Caherbarnagh.
From here your route lies to the northwest along the edge of the cliffs, which bring you to Glanaprehane (668m). This is your last summit of the day.
Don’t be tempted to head straight down to Lough Murtagh as you will get encliffed. Instead stick to the gentler slope of the spur until you can see the lake fully and then you can turn in towards it. Once you reach the lough you are back on to the Duhallow Way. The stile is a bit to the north of the lake.
Once over it you will come to one of the muddiest parts of any way-marked routes I have been on. For at least 600m you have to plough through thick mud. Without gaiters you would be in a right state. It is better to keep to the high ground above the route until you can see the dry track. After contouring along the lower slopes of Stoukeen the route runs up a narrow spur between Lough Gortavehy and a coniferous plantation and then turns back downhill again to join the point where you left it. Retrace your steps without a barbed-wire tear in your britches.
Caherbarnagh, Co Cork
Start and finishGrid Reference 219 888
How to get thereTurn left at the church in Millstreet. Follow the third-class road, go right at the fork and straight through Croohig's Crossroads. Turn left at the way marker and park at the top of the road.
TimeFive hours
Distance12km
MapOrdnance Survey. Discovery Series. Sheet 79
SuitabilityModerate route. Take compass, map, rain gear.
Total ascent670m
RefreshmentsMillstreet