The Lesser Known Knockmealdowns

Most walkers visiting the Knockmealdowns are likely to head for the eponymous mountain by way of the Sugarloaf with the starting and finishing point at the Bay Lough car park. The lesser visited western hills of the range are well worth visiting too. We started and finished at the Crow Hill car park (A in the map) and we did a circular loop taking in Knockclugga,Knockshanahullion and Knocknalougha. It is an easy 12 km hike without any significant ascents or descents.

There are a couple of curious man-made rock sculptures near the summit of Knockshanahullion: one is a dolmen about four feet high and the other, standing proudly erect a small distance away, is an unmistakable phallus shaped creation made from three stones and is about six feet high. Do they date from the megalithic period perhaps? Was the phallus shaped one the site of some ancient annual fertility ceremony involving druids and maidens cavorting in the nude? Alas, no. I assumed they were created in the last year or so but I was surprised to see a photo of the dolmen in Simon 3's report from 2003 in which he described it as "modern-megalithic" :-) The fact that it has remained intact nineteen years on is impressive and a credit to the people who built it. I don't know if the other one was there in 2003 or if it's of more recent vintage but they are both interesting and amusing curiosities and worth checking out.

A note for those intending to travel to the Crow Hill car park from the south: I drove from Carrigtwohill in East Cork and the satnav took me through a torturous route via Conna and Araglen. Avoid. Instead, take the M8 as far as Mitchelstown and thence via Ballyporeen. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/188/comment/23708/

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simon3 on Knockshanahullion

Knockshanahullion is readily reached from the same place as Farbreaga, namely the road at Crow Hill (R983 089). Incidentally, this road at 450m is easily the highest of the passes across the Knockmealdowns. Follow the Avondhu Way until you come to Knockclugga. Cloghy means a stony place and there are certainly stones all around. This irreverent monument from the “modern megalithic” period was standing on Knockclogga in early 2003. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/188/comment/350/

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A nice 11km loop that takes in this summit and Knocknalougha

Nice walk today, Started at carpark above Bay Lough (plenty of parking) at D (S031 101), from there follow the Avondhu way west (head towards statue west of carpark to get started) as far as E (S016 097), you are now leaving county Waterford and entering the Premier County. On the way to E (S016 097) you'll pass on old broken style at the edge of a forest at F (S022 094), this is where you'll rejoin the Avondhu way from the top of Knocknalougha.
From E (S016 097) follow the posts to the top of Knockshanahullion G (S000 105).
From the trig point at the top of Knockshanahullion, head for the top of Knocknalougha H (S020 100), this isn't terribly steep, but can be very slippery, be warned, I almost ended up on my a** a few times. When heading towards Knocknalougha, if you encounter a fence running east-west, keep it on your right it will lead you almost all the way to the flat, fairly uninteresting summit, now stop and enjoy the views (30m visibility today so no views for us).
From the summit head south to F (S022 094) and retrace your steps to the car park.
A possible alternative that I haven't tried is: from Knocknalougha summit, head north to I (S017 115) where you'll meet a rough path, follow this path east then south to Bay Lough and follow the trail back to D (S031 101) to the car. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/188/comment/6657/

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jackill on Knockshanahullion

The Eastern Knockmealdowns viewed from Knockclugga near Knockshannahullion.
Knockaunabulloga is just left of centre , the Avondhu way coming from the Vee gap skirts along the edge of the forestry visible below.In the background you can see the Sugarloaf with the ridge to Knockmoylan and Knockmealdown. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/188/comment/1437/

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Route Changes on Avondhu Way

Approached from carpark above Bay Lough (B). There are new signs on the waymarked trail saying "Blackwater Way Please Note Route Changes". The waymark arrows on the markers look shiny and new, above them it says "Blackwater Way." The half-hearted anglicisation of Avondhu has now been changed into the full-blown anglicisation of Blackwater (who decides these things?).
There is what looks like a brand new stile at one of the county boundary fences (C). This route change makes the route up Knockshanahullion slightly shorter and more direct now, though I took a vaguely curved route following some fences northwest and then made my way west along the vague track that comes across from Knocknalougha. Now that I knew the lay of the land I took the direct route straight back to point C from the summit. It was a gentle walk, a carpet of dwarf heather made the going easy, as did the fact that mountain grasses have been battered into submission by recent bad weather and lay obligingly flat along the ground. Total time there and back from the car, including a couple of stops along the way; 3 and 3/4 hours. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/188/comment/19902/

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