South East Ireland
Carlow | Kilkenny | Tipperary | Waterford | Wexford
Return To Main Map | Home

The Southeast has some of the finest farmland in Ireland, and also has some very fine mountains for walking. The Comeragh and Monavullagh mountains have rather boggy summit plateaux, but this is more than counterbalanced by the very beautiful glacial cirques, now filled with lakes, which fringe them.

Northwest of them are the Galty Mountains, a long range with fine summits, of which Galtymore is the highest and, at 919 metres, one of the highest peaks outside County Kerry. To walk the full length of this range is a great day's experience.

Facing the Galtys across a wide fertile valley is the Knockmealdown range; it too has fine summits, giving a good, but less demanding walk than the Galty ridge.

These three ranges are the main attractions for walkers, but there are several smaller mountain areas - the Blackstairs, isolated Slievenamon, and the Ballyhoura Mountains - to attract the walker. The Southeast is well served with Waymarked Ways. Coming down from the direction of Dublin, the South Leinster Way brings you across the Blackstairs Mountains and down the Barrow Valley to the Comeragh Mountains. The East Munster Way takes you along the lower slopes of the Comeraghs and the Knockmealdowns, and the Blackwater Way will deliver you to County Kerry. There is also the Ballyhoura Way, partly in the mountains, partly across the fertile Glen of Aherlow, and lastly the Barrow towpath, which leads gently along the back of this very beautiful river.