Today we will do a bit of hill walking as most of us have consumed those extra calories between the Christmas and New Year day 😉 Comeragh Mountains is a good place to start since you have already seen them from the top of beautiful Slievenamon. Here she is, my favorite mountain, as seen from the ascent to the Long Hill of the Comeraghs. First of all we will find the source of peculiar clouds that look so nice in the photographs, so let’s walk towards Slievenamon and have a closer look.
I always blamed Bulmers for the clouds – or Magners, as the product is called outside of Ireland. Famous Irish Cider brewery and the cloud maker, a timber company Medite, are situated in close proximity. Now the justice is restored thanks to the reader who pointed out my mistake.
Dramatic clouds enhance your photographs, but is this steam emission harmless? I don’t know.
The Comeraghs are formed by twelve mountains and various hills. They are located between Clonmel, Ballymacarbry, Dungarvan and Rathgormack. The highest point is at 792m ( 2,598 ft). In the photograph below you see the foothills of the Comeraghs from Clonmel side of the mountains. The upper part of the hills is wrapped in a tick cloud.
This picture was taken in March. The setting sun colored the tops of the bare trees and made them look like autumn foliage.
You are standing on the top of Scrouthea Hill – Cnoc a Chomortais. To get there you walked from Clonmel town all the way up, catching your breath and feeling lightheaded. Well, you can also drive most of the way. If it is an August Bank Holiday, another thousand people are walking up the hill beside you, partaking in the annual tradition of The Holy Year Cross Walk. The Holy Year Cross was erected in 1950. The original timber cross was carried by fifteen strong men.
I hope you already recognised the mountain in background 🙂
From here you will walk south. The picture gives impression of a rather flat surface. In fact, the descent and the following ascent are quite steep. All the brown-colored area is infamous Comeragh bog. It is wet all the year round.
In summer, the bog turns purple with the blooming heather.
Before you continue uphill to the crest of the Long Hill, walk off the main path to visit the abandoned farmstead that used to be a home to the Ireland family.
The Ireland family farmstead is the most tranquil place I have ever visited. You will spend at least an hour around the farmstead reflecting and meditating, taking photographs and enjoying the beauty and serenity. Only a hiking club party might disturb your peace, but this seldom happens. A lone hiker will more likely wait until you leave, and come down later.
After walking through the bog you will appreciate the flat, firm and dry land and silky grass of this oasis. How sad it is that the family had to desert their home and fields as they had given up the struggle to work the land.
By the way, the Ireland children had to climb the hill to attend the school in Clonmel.
Leaving the oasis you continue uphill through the bog to the summit of the Long Hill ( just for a spectacular view), keep walking south until you reach Lachtnafrankee mountain, and then a steep ascent takes you to Glenary river valley.
Across the river, there are remains of Glenary village. This was a street with the houses on the riverside and the fields on the hillside.
The village mostly consisted of clochans – clusters of houses with a shared entrance and farmyard.
It is difficult to believe that the last inhabitant left the village in the 1960s. His house had thatched roof and red door. It only took a few decades for the Nature to consume the buildings so that some of them literally disappeared.
Glenary with Long Hill and Laghtnafrankee mountain in background.
The view from the hillside over the valley. Carey Castle I recently wrote about is in the woods behind the cottage.
To return to the Cross you climb a steep and muddy track – you will need your Wellies for that. A herd of cattle walk in the deep mud twice a day, which doesn’t improve the surface of the track. This is the view from the top. The Cross is on your left, but it is not visible from here.
These photographs are 8-10 years old. I have no time to return to the Glenary Valley, but I visit Carey Castle every year.
It was a long walk but we only covered a tiny part of the mountains.
I am taking a break, and hope you will be in a good form to continue hiking in the Comeraghs in two weeks from now. Meanwhile, I will repost some of my old stuff from 2014.
Have a wonderful January!
Making memories 
I feel a bit close or can feel the wind (perhaps no wind) in the picture – like I was standing there myself. I see the snow in one of the picture. You had an excellent choice rending one of the picture in B&W. I really like that one a lot.
Please have a good break or rest. I see one of the picture with snow. I hope there is no snow or not too heavy one there. There is going be 6 or 7 inch of snow here till next week. I am not looking forward too here.
Thank you for your kind comment! 6 inches of snow! It is a lot, I am not surprised that you are not looking forward to that. We don’t have any snow now, the picture was taken years ago 🙂 I had to drive almost one hour to take that picture 🙂
Beautiful, enjoy out break.
How glorious this place is! Sad to see an old way of life overgrown. I know it’s because of modern times, but other than the brewery, that’s not too, evident.
So far, all I can find is that my great grandfather’s last name was McConaghy. I’ll be speaking to my oldest living relative this week. He is 80. He may have some info for me.
The sheep are very adorable! 😀 x
Thank you Resa! I know that there are the records from the boats somewhere in the internet, and it is how people find their ancestors. When you identify the man who crossed the Atlantic, it is easy to find those who are still living in Ireland. xx
Thank you for such a beautiful slice of the world:)). As ever, your post is magical.
Thank you so much! I am glad you joined the walk.
The beautiful Ireland scenery makes Irish Americans long for a land that looks like home but has never been seen. It must be in the DNA. Thank you for the visit.
~Ginene
Thank you so much, Ginene. They say one has to grow where one is planted. I wonder, what the world would look like if this worked out 🙂 My paternal grandmother spoke in a mixture of four languages, my dad mixed three languages. I speak three languages, one better than another, but none of them perfectly. So does my daughter. And I am sure, there are many families like us.
Come and visit the land of your ancestors, you will love your visit 🙂
Such a lovely spot to walk off the holiday meals…and not snow and ice!
True 🙂 I hope the hike wasn’t too difficult 🙂
It was a good challenge. I have Yaktrax for my shoes so I don’t slip on the ice.
I’ll polish my crutches ready. Your pictures are fantastic and the places look wonderful Inese.
Happy New Year
xxx Hugs Galore xxx
David, be ready for more climbing this winter 🙂 Many Hugs! xxxxxx
Beautiful pictures and very nice route to make!
I like specially the part about the family farmstead 🙂
Thank you so much! It is a marvelous place. I used to walk there quite often. I would stay there a couple of hours, until I saw a tiny figure of another hiker slowly make it down the hill. I knew I had another 10-15 minutes to leave 🙂
Looks like a great place for a walk – have a nice break.
Thank you Jan! xx
Plainly to sort of mountains that retained their beauty without being an obvious mortal threat (notwithstanding that care should always be taken in such an environment). An exquisite piece of scenery. As ever an enjoyable experience reading your words and studying sublime photography.
Yes, exactly, very homely mountains, the worst that can happen – you fall and make your butt wet because it is the bog on the top of the mountains. These are mostly hills, but some of them more than 700m high.
Always beautiful!
Thank you so much! Though I might use my old photographs. Checked the internet and found very little pictures of Glenary ruins. Only Carey Castle shows up in search.
You’re welcome….. well then, perhaps it really isn’t visited very often. You mentioned it was quiet there. I would love to go to a place like that and just sit for awhile and read a good book. 😉
Yes, so did I 🙂 A book, a lunch :). When I saw someone walking towards the farmstead I still had some 10 minutes to pack and leave. I could see a mile around.
Sounds like a wonderful place…. looks magical….
Thank you! 🙂
Wow another beautiful journey in Ireland. I am always attracted to abandoned buildings they hearken to my soul for some reason. There is another photo that I found stunning and peaceful and it is one where you come into a path. That would be photo 18. I am not an expert but I don’t think steam is harmful to the environment. Now I am going to research that. The snow on the cars I can do without and when you put the names of the place automatically for some reason I was speaking with an Irish dialect. Thank you for another interesting journey
Thank you so much, Joseph! Oh you would love to walk around that old farmstead. It is situated on a slope above Glenary River and under two high hills. The view is breathtaking. Old, dry and crooked pine and hawthorn trees, bright green alpine grass and the ruins themselves – everything feels different than down there in the valley. The mountain rules. People have to give up and leave.
I will take a break and post something from 2014 while I am away, but after that I resume the Comeragh theme and share more pictures. Please have a wonderful January! 🙂
Have a nice break. We all need those once in awhile. Look forward to your return and yes I would love walking around that old farmstead. Be well
Thank you! Have a good January.
Marvellous images, Inese!
Thank you, Sue! These are my oldest photographs of the mountain. I did a lot of hiking a decade ago 🙂
You and me both, with regards hiking, only more like 20 years ago for me
Luckily, we have many beautiful places where I can drive. The Comeraghs and Knockmealdowns are not that high and wild.
Fortunate indeed!
Inese, you took my breath away and made my feet itch. So, so beautiful. And the weather looks perfect for the time of year. AND you have Will ye go lassie?’ there. Love that song. Just a lovely post. What a note to leave us for a wee break on. Happy New Year so far xxxxxxxx
Thank you so much! Unfortunately all the pictures are 8-10 years old, and taken in different seasons, but I do want to drive to the mountains tomorrow if it is not raining. I go where I can drive these days 😉 Unfortunately ‘blooming heather’ is not there in January – it is why I had to post the song 🙂 Have a very happy New Year, all of you! xxxxxxxxxxxxx
I did wonder re the weather but having said that, one of the days here, last week was gorgeous. It was cold but the sun was shining. We couldn’t believe it. Been awful since though and today the mist was thick. I could barely see the shed to go get the logs in! I hope you get a drive out though my darling. It is nice to go to the mountains, Everything is so much clearer there xxxxx.
I didn’t go to the mountains – it was too foggy all day. Just met up with friends, and went to the pantomime. Driving from Clonmel back to Waterford was like diving in a sea of milk. xxxxxxxxxxx
Brilliant. It looks like the steam is the source of all clouds. Like a magical discovery.
Thank you! Isn’t it fun. I wouldn’t know about the clouds if I didn’t go to the mountains.
I love the concept that clouds could have a source like a river does. It is impossible I know yet it is a good thought to hold.
My gosh, what a slice of heaven! I love your posts and appreciate the map at the end. I have been through Killarney and was enchanted. I’d love to spend a summer in your area. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thank you so much, Cindy. In this post we covered just a tiny part of the mountains, close to Clonmel area. I have many photographs of these hills, enough for one more blog post, and then we will move to the different parts of the mountains. Thank you for putting on your hiking boots 🙂
Beautiful countryside, Inese. I enjoyed the walk and didn’t even get winded!
Thank you! Glad you are in a good form for hill walking 🙂
Thank you for bringing us with you on this amazing stroll, Inese. What a wonderful array of photos. I love cider, by the way. I was fascinated by the steam clouds. Enjoy your break. Mega hugs
Thank you so much, Teagan! Every time you see beautiful clouds think of some distant brewery that works hard to produce them 🙂 Many hugs! xx
Very nice series!
Thank you so much! I started with the oldest photographs I have of this area. I wish I could walk there again.
Such country can produce only wise and beautiful women and strong and valiant men.
(Change the above “only” to “mostly”. 🙂 )
Thank you for stopping by! 🙂