Walking this weekend? Try one of Europe's oldest mountain ranges

One of Europe's oldest mountain ranges at 400 million years, the sublimely named Slieve Blooms once soared to Alpine heights.

Radically reduced by the erosion of ages, these much diminished hills have sometimes been likened to a flattened tube of toothpaste. Certainly, our most centrally situated uplands lack the glaciated coums and five-star ridges of Ireland’s younger mountains but compensate with a rich folklore and many gentle circuits for ramblers who like to stand and stare.

One of my favourite walks begins at Glenbarrow; so recently, on a bracing winter morning I headed up by the nascent waters of Ireland’s second longest river.

Following the red arrows for the Old Mill Loop, it was initially downhill through woodlands muffling my steps with carpets of fallen leaves. Left and upstream then conveyed me to the 3-drop Clamphole Waterfall, where I paused, entranced, to gaze at the mesmerically rushing waters that seem in such a hurry to meet the Atlantic.

Beyond, the wandering path roughened a bit as it led nonchalantly past a parting with the blue arrows of the Waterfall Loop before descending to regain the banks of the infant River Barrow.

The Slieve Bloom Way proceeds across a footbridge here, but I continued by following the riverbank to gain an area of cleared forest. The ruins of a sturdy stone farmhouse on my left, and soon after the remnants of a mill with the strangely poignant remains of the grinding stone still visible, acted as a reminder that this area once supported an industrious community.

Forestry road

Beyond the mill, it was uphill to a forestry road. Here, the lachrymose remains of several ruined cottages provided another blast form the past.

These once formed the little village of Cones, which was populated by the Fitzpatrick, Lawlor, Clear and Conroy families. For some strange reason the remains of lost communities always make me feel somewhat sad and so it was for one dwelling here containing a plaque to Anne Clear, who in 1962 became the last person to abandon the unequal struggle with the mountainside and leave the valley.

Upwards now to escape the claustrophobic confines of the valley and gain the refreshingly airy expanse of Capard Ridge – an elongated heathery crest, which is bookended at its extremities by the 2.5m Stony Man cairn and a huge communications mast, denoted the Metal Man.

Soon, I am on a boardwalk leading to a splendid viewing point over Ireland's great central plain with the Dublin, Wicklow and Blackstairs mountains acting as a suitably dramatic backdrop.

Arrows now convey me to the Ridge of Capard Carpark and then downhill to a right turn onto forestry road. Veering right at a three-way junction it was onwards until the arrows pointed to a downhill boardwalk leading to a forestry road. Here, it is just a short ramble right to my start point where I concluded the Slieve Blooms are hard to beat for a genuine away-from-it-all experience that is achieved with minimum effort.

Map: OSi Discovery Series, Sheet 54.

Start/finish point: Rosenallis, Co Laois lies 6km from Mountmellick on the R422. Here, follow the minor road from the Catholic Church. After 2.5 kilometres, swing right for 2km to a crossroads signposted Glenbarrow. The carpark at the end of this road is your starting point.

Time: About 2.5 hours. The shorter Waterfall Loop – marked with blue arrows – takes about 90 minutes.

Suitability: The route is entirely on waymarked tracks but the terrain is sometimes uneven and includes some boggy patches. Wear sturdy boots with gaiters.