After a short break we resume our hill walking exercises.
When you look at the picture, you see a sharp-peaked feature on the silhouette of the slope of the mountains in background. Remember it, I will tell you what it is in the end of this post. The mountains you see in the picture belong to the Knockanaffrin Ridge, and we are walking across the Comeragh Plateau.
I feel sorry for the little lamb – the gusts of wind are throwing the hail at the car window, but he is standing there and staring at me.
Another season, another storm. Heavy rain passed over Clonmel and the hills we visited in my previous post from the Comeraghs.
In my first Comeragh blog post you saw the other side of these distant Laghtnafrankee mountains – Glenary Valley. To get a closer look at the mountains, we will turn to the other road. There are two roads, both of them finally coming together and taking you across the Comeragh Plateau from Clonmel to Ballymacarbry. Right now we are walking along the Harney’s Cross Road, the upper one.
This is a closer view of Laghtnafrankee from the lower road. The real summit is right behind it. There is also Laghtnafrankee SW Top on the left side. On the other side of Laghtnafrankee there is a natural amphitheater – so called Punchbowl. If you enlarge the image by clicking on it, you will see a tiny lone hiker on the slope, right where the shadow of the cloud begins. He gives you sense of the scale. The Comeragh Plateau is nestled between the Lachtnafrankee and Knockanaffrin Ridge.
This is the view from the lower road with the Knockmealdown Mountains in background.
I took many photographs of these stunning crepuscular rays that winter afternoon.
Another season, and the mountains look different again. Shauneenabrega Mountain is wrapped in thick fog.
The horse ignores me. She hates snow. I think that this horse ‘works’ at the nearby turf cutting. I remember the bad experience I had visiting the Woodstock Oyster farm and abandon the idea of walking across the bog to the turf cutting site. May be another day.
The same road in Spring with the Three Graces refusing to pose for me.
More of the Knockanaffrin Ridge in this picture. The summits of these mountains offer beautiful vistas with Lough Mohra Coum nestled beneath the steep slopes. You can walk from one mountain to another along the crest. Most of the summits have cairns.
I like the minimalist look of this picture 🙂
The top of the Long Hill ahead. We are returning to the main road between Clonmel and Rathgormack .
Early June is my favorite season in the Comeraghs when Rhododendrons bloom.
Do you remember the first picture and mysterious sharp-peaked thing on the slope? It was the summit of the beautiful Knockanaffrin.
You can walk from Knockanaffrin to Knocksheegowna along the crest. There is a trig pillar near the highest point on the top of Knocksheegowna. If you hike over The Gap ( the trail starts just a few meters from here), there is a beautiful Nire Valley on the other side – it is where we are going to walk in my next blog.
Down the hill to new adventures! 🙂
Have a wonderful weekend!
Making memories 
Beautiful pics especially the photo of broom beside a fence post with barbed wire wrapped around it that one is absolutely stunning. Sheep are a favorite of my cousins and I will show them to her later. Thanks for the tour in such a lovely piece of Gaia
Thank you so much! That fence looks very old. Probably there was a shed somewhere near, but it is long gone. I wouldn’t risk to leave the road – it is all bogland, and I have never seen anyone hiking to the mountains from this side. This place belongs to sheep and turf cutters. I have another 2-3 Comeragh posts in mind – stay tuned 🙂
Looking forward to it.
What a beautiful area! Love the pix and especially the sheep!
As ever your photography and well chosen words take me off on a trip of exploration. You have the ‘gift’.
Mike, thank you, it is too kind of you to say that. Glad you don’t mind to do some hill walking 🙂
Living in the places I have lived hill walking is par for the course…lived on top a hill in Dartmouth, Devon and now the same thing in Dover, Kent…keeps me fit.
You have similar landscapes I believe.
This bit here is white cliffs but back in Devon was a lot like your land (only with far too many people about the place). My soft spot for Ireland remains and I really must return one day before I snuff it!
You better hurry up before they invent a new border-crossing procedure 😉
Don’t I know it. We had a place in Northern France all sorted. We thought…to be safe we’d just get the referendum out of the way and all would be well…now this debacle.
A mess.
Most true.
Reblogged this on Janet’s thread.
Thank you Janet!
Beautiful photos, Inese. What pretty country. I love the photo of the lone sheep gazing at the crepuscular rays as if deep in thought 🙂 Thanks for the wonderful ride. ❤
Thank you so much, Diana! That sheep is standing there whenever I drive by 🙂 I think this herd of sheep finds a shelter in the ruins. Some of them are more brave than the others, and they venture to the road to nibble on the sweet grass. xx
Inspiring photos of some wonderful landscapes Inese, in spite of (or more likely helped by) the moody weather. Love the irreverance of the three graces!
Thank you so much for stopping by! The weather can get moody in the mountains. Sometimes a cloud gets stuck on the summit and stays there until it is empty 🙂
What a delightful adventure through your Comeraghs, Inese. All your photos express the peace and lush beauty of the area, thank you. Funny one of the horse who really has taken to ignoring the kind person beside him. Happy trails to you!
Thank you Jet! The horse was funny indeed. I was talking to her, but she never ever turned her head in my direction. I wonder if she has been abused, made work too hard, and as a result, lost trust.
There are stunning views on your photos. Lovely paths
Thank you so much, Gunnar! The weather is mostly hazy in this area, and the views are not clear, but sometimes the sun does magic 🙂
I loved each shot! Thank you very much for sharing. I am reluctant to say this to a person from Ireland, but your shots look very much like the highlands and Northern Scotland in general.
Thank you so much, Cindy! I am sure you are right. My daughter has been in Scotland and her photographs made me think of Connemara. I will post a Connemara blog some time this winter.
I like all your photos, although that minimalistic one is lovely, I spied the yellow on the broom and as for the three sheep trotting in the opposite direction? Brilliant. A lovely love post my darling. I look forward now to my next walk with you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thank you so much for your lovely comment! I wish I did more hill walking, but in fact I just drive around, which is a shame. The weather has been rather featureless in January, and I am not in a good shape, so my outdoor activities are limited to the virtual walks on my own blog 🙂 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Don’t you worry re the hill walking. I have always loved that umbrella title that covers the most dangerous things. The weather has been not too bad…featureless, I guess. I do not like to think of you in a not good shape. Not at all. In fact I pretty well hate it. OU okay? xxxxx
I will know more in February xxxxxx
Okay my darling. I hope you are ok. I am sending you hugs. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hugs right back at you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Stunning pics, Inese! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
Beautiful pictures Inese but one day maybe you’d walk somewhere I can pronounce?
xxx Massive Hugs xxx
Haha David, not around here 🙂
The names come as a bonus. I love to listen to the sound of them. I enjoy these names, they add to the timeless beauty of the ancient mountains. It is like music to my ears 🙂
Many hugs! xxxx
Stunning photography. I remember a holiday in Ireland as a kid. The photographs remind me of Ireland – not just because of the weather.
Thank you for stopping by! These mountains are easy to reach by car, so I am going there whenever there is a chance. I always thought you have very similar landscapes. They are not exotic looking, but still sweet and serene.
England’s green, Ireland greener still.
Yes, all the year round.
Another series of stunning landscapes!!! I just love how you captured the mood of the place, the wonderful animals (naming them the 3 graces is very apt 😉 ). Many of your pictures would be great for painting as well I think 🙂 My very favorite today is the pic with the lovely sun rays and the sheep guarding the street 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend, Inese! 🙂 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ❤
Thank you so much, Sarah! We will follow this mountain road straight to the next blog post 🙂 xxxxxxxxx
Yippieh!!! 😄 xxxxxxxxxxxx
Very beautiful post, Inese 🙂
Thank you for sharing this with us.
Thank you so much, Irene! Our mountains are green in the winter, so I want to share a little bit of green 🙂
Oh Inese — what beautiful, glorious photos! And the one of 3 sheep walking on the road is whimsical as well as lovely. Thank you so much for this stroll. Mega hugs.
Thank you for stopping by, Teagan. I never get bored taking pictures of sheep 🙂 Many hugs.
Enchanting landscape, indeed, Inese! I liked the image with the ruined cottages…must have been a lonely life out there…..
Thank you Sue! There is a lively farm nearby, I don’t know why this one was abandoned. The red roof doesn’t look old. The view is breathtaking 🙂
Reblogged this on John Cowgill's Literature Site and commented:
By an amazing lady named Inese.
Thank you so much for the reblog!
You are very graciously welcome.
This is such enchanting scenery. Thanks, Inese!
Indeed, such enchanting.. I love to see those small roads with very close green hedge along. The picture of the 3 sheep walking side by side with yellow flowers in the far back ground is lovely. It makes me wonder what they were talking to each other. They were like 3 good friends.
Thank you so much! You would also love the silence in this place. If there is no car around, there is no other sound, just may be an occasional bird.
Young sheep keep together, and are often seen in twos and threes.
That is interesting to learn the sheep keep together in two or three.
They grew up together, I guess 🙂
Wonderful atmospheric shots peppered with wry humour. I approached the end with ambivalence because I didn’t want to come to the end of the pictures, but did want to find out what the pointy thing was – before I forgot it 🙂
Thank you Derrick! 🙂 Isn’t that mountain special? It is quite high, and the top is usually covered with snow when the temperature drops down. If you are somewhere on the other side of the mountains, it is fun to see a tiny white triangle amidst the green hills.