Corbally Wood

 


 Ordnance Survey: Discovery Series 75.

Distance 13.1 kilometres    Time 2 hours  45 minutes (including 15 minutes for lunch)

Degree of difficulty: Easy/Moderate. Mostly quiet back roads and well maintained gravel paths. 200 meters of rough untracked woods.

Total ascent: 71 metres.

Trailhead: Grid Reference S 516 227. From the T - junction in the centre of the village of Mullinavat, take the The South Leinster Way, signposted Piltown, for 5.8 km.  Entrance to the forest is on the right, 300 meters after a junction signposted "Piltown 9". There is ample space for 6/7 cars at the steel barrier, but note this is a working forest, so please park responsibly.

Before you cross the metal barrier to begin the walk, take some time to glance over your shoulder in an easterly direction at superb views of the fertile valley of the river Suir.  Across the road and to your left is Carrigatubrid Wood while the main point of interest is Tory Hill, which, at 292 meters, is the highest point in South Kilkenny. Known to have  provided shelter to highwaymen of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, treasure is reputedly buried in secret caves on its slopes.

Start the walk by entering the forest and proceeding uphill through stands of evergreen trees for 1200 meters. An inviting track continues straight on at this point but leads nowhere in particular, so ignore it and swing left, down the hill, until the path comes to an abrupt end at a Y- fork. Straight ahead, and slightly to your left, there is a rough path leading through a narrow gap in the trees. Follow this around the edge of the forest, keeping the trees on your left for 50 metres until you meet a stone drain exiting the woods  on your left. Do not cross this - instead, follow it to your right for 100 meters until it re enters the forest on the other side of a rough cleared area.

 After crossing a drain, you will notice on your right a wide treeless corridor leading away from you through the trees. This may be wet in winter. Follow this for about 150 metres through the rather gloomy woods at Monavinnaun, until you exit the forest ay crossing a low ditch to emerge onto a well maintained gravel path. Turn left, downhill, and having crossed a metal barrier, you will reach a T-junction, where you will turn right, uphill. You are now on what is known locally as "Tyler's Lane". To your left, across some fields, is a wooded hillock, while ahead in the distance you may see the masts on the summit of Corbally Wood, your eventual destination.

Continue on Tyler's Lane until you emerge onto the L-5118, a quiet, seldom-used back road, where you will turn right. Follow on for 730 metres until you reach the first entrance to Corbally Wood, marked by the ubiquitous metal barrier, with ample parking for several cars. Turn left into the wood.

In summertime, this stretch of woodland is lined with wild flowers such as purple - loosestrife and is a haven for butterflies and insects. In August/September blackberries grow in profusion along several stretches of his little-used track.

Continue on this gravelled path until you are forced to choose between carrying straight on and back to the public road, or turning right, uphill towards the highest point on your route, the masts.  Shortly after turning uphill, you will pass a track heading further into the woods on your left. Ignore this, and carry on up the hill to arrive at a series of rather ugly communication masts overlooking the ancient Gaelic Barony of Iverk. In the distance can be seen the Comeragh Mountains of County Waterford. You have now passed the halfway mark on your trek, and this is probably as suitable a spot as any for lunch.

Continue on past the masts to emerge eventually at a T-junction, and turn right down the hill to shortly pick up a left turn which will enable you to retrace your steps and arrive several kilometres later at the entrance where you originally entered the woods at the metal barrier. You are now back on the L-5118 for 730 metres before turning left into Tyler's Lane. This time, continue straight on for the full length of the lane (almost 2 kilometres) to emerge back onto the South Leinster Way at Grid Reference S 507 224. Turn left, uphill towards Mullinavat, to arrive at your point of departure, 1 km ahead, on the left.


Three facts about Corbally Wood:


>>>  Corbally [Ir: An Corrbhaile] probably means "The Townland on the Edge"

Carrigatubrid [Ir: Carraig a' Tiobraide]: The Rock of the Spring

Monavinnaun [Ir: Móin a' Mhionnáin]: The Meadow of the Kid Goat

>>>  The RTE "Suir Valley" transmitter is 50 meters high and relays the Saorview terrestrial television service, as well as some radio services, to an area from just west of Waterford City to the outskirts of Clonmel, County Tipperary. Its power output is approximately 2000 watts, and the mast also carries mobile phone transmissions and ancillary services. The original mast was installed in the 1960s, and the site would have been  chosen because it has a direct line-of site to the Mount Leinster transmitter in the Blackstairs Mountains.

 >>>  If you are lucky enough, you may spot Ireland's rarest mammal, the pine marten [Ir: An cat crann: the tree cat]. Related to the Irish stoat. otter and badger, pine marten numbers have been recovering gradually in recent years and have been noted in Corbally Wood and surrounding areas for several years. They are excellent tree climbers and depend on woods and scrublands for food and shelter. They are omnivorous and will eat berries, fruits, birds, frogs and rodents. Though mainly nocturnal, they can sometimes be seen on summer days.