Life

Follow me up to the Carlow Walking Festival

Ahead of next weekend's Carlow Walking Festival, John Manley dons his hiking boots and explores some of the county's bucolic byways

The pathway along the banks of the Barrow River Picture: James Burke
The pathway along the banks of the Barrow River Picture: James Burke The pathway along the banks of the Barrow River Picture: James Burke

"IRELAND’S Col du Tourmalet," I say smiling smugly, ever the wordsmith. She says nothing and most likely just rolls her eyes as we stride determinedly together upwards. Later the internet tells me I’m not the first to make the comparison, which I find reassuring rather than dispiriting. A long steep, tarmac road running up the Co Carlow side of Mount Leinster – Stua Laihean – all the way to the top means it has become something of a pilgrimage for cyclists. It’s within easy reach of the southern fringes of Dublin, if you’re fit enough.

But what I actually meant to say was "Ireland’s Mon Ventoux", a homage to the ‘beast of Provence’, the conical, limestone-capped mountain in southern France and another Tour favourite. Whereas it has an observatory at the summit, Mount Leinster has a TV transmitter, hence the (gated) road for very occasional service – and hang gliding enthusiasts’ – vehicles.

We’ve left our bikes and lycra at home on this particular occasion, though if I’m honest neither of us would be fit for this gruelling climb using only pedal power. Instead, we’re on foot, content to spectate as cyclists whizz downhill past us or steadily rock their way to the top. When walking you can at least stop for a breather, however; on this unrelenting incline there is no respite for the cyclist until the summit.

The climb proper begins at ‘the Nine Stones’, a viewing point and car park at about 440m. We’ve already walked a mile or more by this stage, our preamble along a quiet-ish single track road with a gentle slope. The origin of the Nine Stones' name (of which there are actually 10) is unknown but one theory is that they commemorate nine shepherds lost on the mountain one night in a particularly nasty winter’s storm.

The weather can be horrendous enough on a September afternoon, as we discovered on our first attempt at Mount Leinster the previous day, when the persistently heavy rain was being driven sideways by gale-force winds.

It’s a much better day for the second attempt, though I’m not sure we could see all eight counties that it’s said can be viewed from this point – Carlow, of course, Laois, Kildare, Wicklow, Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny as well as the mountains of Tipperary – and the coast of Wales on a good day. The vista on top should be better still.

Because we’re walking on tarmac rather than typical Irish upland terrain, progress is quick and we’re on the summit cairn at 770m within 45 minutes. The view is a mixed bag, though. For me the incongruous, brutalist infrastructure that dominates this otherwise sparse landscape is a curiosity rather than a blight – though I’m happy there’s not one on every mountain. Like skeletal legs, the taut cables holding the 120m TV mast in place extend beyond the compound’s boundary fence where they are secured in concrete feet. At the base of the mast is the nerve centre of the beast – a grey box-shaped building with industrial vents and giant fans humming 24/7.

Cast your eye in other directions and the view is as good as any in Ireland. The most prominent landmark is the nearby Blackstairs Mountain – Na Staighri Dubha – a twin almost for Mount Leinster, though slightly smaller at 735m. These two are the only peaks in the Backstairs that would match anything in the high Mournes, but there’s still plenty of space to roam in the surrounding foothills.

A walk exploring the Blackstairs is among the highlights of the forthcoming Carlow Walking Festival, an annual ramblers’ gathering taking place next weekend. Pitched perfectly at serious walkers and those who like to give their legs a stretch without getting their feet wet, the 14 guided walks that make up the festival programme are largely clustered around the southern end of the county.

They range from a leisurely 3 km in the comparative urban setting of Borris to a more challenging 17km that takes in both Mount Leinster and Blackstair. In between these two extremes there are themed walks with well-informed guides, like biologist and regular RTE contributor Éanna Ni Lamhna.

The festival reflects the growing popularity of walking in the Republic generally, where it seems to get more recognition as a tourist driver than it does north of the border. This has led to the promotion of routes with full land access based around established rights of way and old rural pathways.

The accommodation for our short Carlow break is away from the county's bucolic byways at the Mount Wolseley Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort just outside Tullow. As somebody who's slightly adverse to ruining a good walk by lugging a bag of clubs and hitting a small ball across a too-well-manicured landscape, this venue has the potential to be hell on Earth. Thankfully, though, there are more than enough non-golfing distractions at Mount Wolseley to ensure those who don't know their birdies from their bogeys are well catered for.

With a gym, pool and spa, it's reasonably easy to escape the golfists, who by cruel coincidence were gathering at the resort while we were there for a three-day competition. The hotel offers two dining options: a bar menu and fine dining in the excellent Frederick's Restaurant.

Carlow may not have quite as much rugged landscape as Co Wicklow or the cultural kudos of Co Kilkenny, but there's always a hospitable welcome and plenty on offer for those seeking a quiet, relaxing weekend break.

FACT FILE

:: Carlow Walking Festival takes place over three days from Friday September 30 to Sunday October 2. It offers a choice of walks for beginners, experienced and advanced walkers, and features themed walks, including flora and fauna and history and heritage. The walks are colour categorised so you can tell whether they suit your needs at a glance. The cost of each walk varies between €5 and €20. A weekend ticket is available for €30.

See www.carlowtourism.com/walking festival

:: The Mount Wolseley Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort is situated less than a mile outside the town of Tullow. It is set at the centre of a picturesque 18-hole championship golf course. The leisure centre at Mount Wolseley Hotel Spa & Country Club offers a fully equipped gym, 20m pool, hot tub, sauna, and steam room, and a range of spa treatments.

See www.mountwolseley.ie