Guest Speaker Featuring At Next Club Meeting

At our next club meeting on Tuesday 4 June, physio John Phelan will share his wisdom on preparation and recovery exercises and other tips for hillwalkers. If you'd like to find out how to keep your body in shape for the hills, come along to the meeting, Tuesday 4 June, 8pm, the Tudor House pub.

Sligo Weekend May 2019

Dungarvan Hillwalking Club had a fabulously successful weekend in Sligo on the weekend of 17-19 May 2019. Over forty members signed up for the weekend, and there was a wide range of walks on offer. Here are a few pics taken on Knocknarea Mountain, rumoured to be the burial place of Queen Maeve.

Three of the pics are from Derbhile Graham …

… and this pic came from Ann Mangan

A Tale of Two Thursday Walks - In Two Photos

On Thursday 9 May, two of our veteran photographers attended each of our two Thursday walks.

Michael Daly thoroughly enjoyed Peter Mangan's B walk, a looped walk which took in Crotty's Lake. Here's his stunning pic.

Then Eibhlin Power captured the merriment of the Thursday C walkers, who headed for Killineen Ridge under the leadership of Carmel. 

May Newsletter

May 2019 Newsletter

Update on Sligo Weekend

The club expects to have a magnificent weekend in Sligo on 17 and 18 May. We’ll be staying at the Sligo Southern Hotel, where we’ll no doubt enjoy great food and hospitality. But above all, we’ll be enjoying some varied and interesting walks, thanks to the hard work of Dave Byrne and his recce team, who have checked out the walks for us.

The Saturday B walk is expected to be on the mighty Ben Bulben, clocking in at 15.5km. The C walk is expected to be to Knocknaree Mountain and the grave of the legendary Queen Maeve. Also, the car pool fee is €30 for those who are sharing the driving.

Walk Report: Anne Valley Sunday C Walk, 31 March

A tidy handful of walkers ventured east to try out the extended Anne Valley walk under the leadership of Elizabeth Twohig. Nine walkers in all sampled the new route, which takes you along the Anne River. The walkers had a chance to see lots of wildlife, and the walkers were delighted to come upon a swan’s nest.

Unfortunately, we missed a chance to see an egret that had been popping up in recent days, but we were content to chat and explore the route, which was new to some of the walkers. The walk lasted just under three hours and the cloud cover never quite lifted, though it stayed dry.

Dates For Your Diary:

Saturday 6 July: Comeragh Crossing

Saturday 13 July: Club Barbecue, kindly hosted by Colm and Linda Humphries

Sunday 1 September: Cunnigar Crossing

Next Club Meeting: The next club meeting will take place on Tuesday 4 June at the Tudor House at 8pm.

If you have any news you think you’d like the club to hear about, please contact PRO Derbhile Graham, derbhile.graham@gmail.com.

Highlights from Easter Walks

On Easter Sunday, 21 April, the B walkers went on an expedition to the Galtys and Patrick Murray captured the views

The pilgrimage vibe continued when the Thursday C walkers went to Aglish Cross on 25 April and took in park of St Declan's Way. Eibhlin Power was on hand with her trusty camera.

Jeep Wanted for Comeragh Crossing

Calling all jeep owners. Richard Dykes, organiser of the Comeragh Crossing on 6 July 2019, is looking for a club member with a 4x4 jeep, or who knows someone with a jeep, who would be available to bring water supplies up Seefin during the crossing. This water is very necessary for walkers to keep hydrated during the crossing, and our usual jeep driver is not available.

If you think you might be able to help, please contact Richard via dungarvanhillwalking@gmail.com. Thank you in advance for your help.

April 2019 Newsletter

April 2019 Newsletter

Register on the Day for Kilbrien Comeragh Crossing Walk

Following on from last month’s newsletter item about registering for the Comeragh Crossing, we just want to clarify that you don’t need to register online for the Kilbrien section of the Comeragh Crossing, the 10km walk. You can register for it on the day and the cost is €20. Of course, if you do want to register for it online, you are welcome to do so. Just drop in to

www.dungarvanhillwalking.ie and choosing Comeragh Crossing from the menu on the left-hand side of the page. You can also register online for all the other Comeragh Crossing walks there.

Walk Report: St Patrick’s Day Walk

We were delighted to be able to run our St Patrick’s Day walk again after snow scuppered the walk last year. Brian Wickham led approximately 25 walkers up Slievenamon and back down again, in a walk that took just under three hours. Showers threatened but thankfully stayed away as we climbed, though it was far too cold for our annual Slievenamon sing-song at the top. However, as we were leaving, an unmerciful shower of hailstones descended from the sky. St Patrick’s wrath, perhaps?

With a tough climb and a slippery descent, this walk had a definite air of penance about it, but after that penance, there was the reward of cakes and many other goodies at Kilcash Castle. Thanks to all who contributed goodies, and thanks to Brian Wickham for leadership and for boozy cake.

Food Festival Walk

Dungarvan Hillwalking Club is running a hillwalk again for the West Waterford Food Festival. The walk will take place on Saturday 27 April, and it will be in the Comeraghs. The walk meets at the Park Hotel at 10am and then you drive to the starting point. The walk will cover a 6km route and will last four hours. Tickets are €10 and you can buy them from the West Waterford Festival of Food website. https://www.westwaterfordfestivaloffood.com. Go to events, then Trails and Tours, and you’ll find Hillwalking in the Comeraghs, where you can register for the walk. You can also drop into Dungarvan Tourist Office.

Next Club Meeting: The next club meeting will take place on Tuesday 7 May at the Tudor House at 8pm.

If you have any news you think you’d like the club to hear about, please contact PRO Derbhile Graham, derbhile.graham@gmail.com.

Thursday Walkers Walk on Water

The Thursday C walk on 28 March took the walkers to Mount Stuart, where they encountered an unexpected obstacle. Being an intrepid, cheerful bunch, they found inventive ways around it, and they helped each other true with typical generous spirit. Their struggle and triumph was captured by walk leader and enthusiastic photographer Eibhlin Power. 

Dungarvan Hillwalking Club was delighted to be able to run its annual St Patrick's Day walk again, after snowfall prevented it from happening last year. As befitting a walk in honour of a  saint, there was an air of penance about it, but that made the reward afterwards all the sweeter. This atmosphere of penance and reward was beautifully captured by David Haworth. 

Here's the penance. 

And here's the reward. 

March 2019 Newsletter

March 2019 Newsletter

Register for Comeragh Crossing Event

You can now register on our website for the Comeragh Crossing, which is happening on Saturday 6 July 2019. Visit www.dungarvanhillwalking.ie and choose Comeragh Crossing in the menu on the left-hand side of the page. You’ll get all the info you need, and a button you can click on to register your details. Alternatively, you can visit the Eventbrite website, www.eventbrite.ie, and type Comeragh Crossing into the search box at the top of the page. Registrations are only being taken online.

Walk Report: Thursday C Walk 14 February. Leader, Norma O’Meara

We hillwalkers are a surprisingly romantic lot, and this was proven when Norma O’Meara, leader of this Thursday C walk, produced Love Hearts sweets for us to sample at the traditional post-walk tea. Before that, she led a group of approximately 20 walkers along a canal bank which ended at a place called Two-Mile Bridge. There we found… a bridge! She then led us back to the start point, where we enjoyed a romantic feast served on a table decorated with a tablecloth festooned with hearts. There was a history lesson too, centred on a nearby castle, but this reporter was dossing at the back and missed it.

Venue for 2019 Christmas Party

We know it’s way too early, or too late depending on your viewpoint, but there has been considerable debate about where to go for this year’s Christmas party. Ronagh Baumann has provisionally booked the upstairs room in Merries, where we will have more room. But some members fancy some jigging and jiving, so the tennis club has been suggested. We’ve had many great parties there, but to make this year’s one a success, people will need to be willing to come forward and organise it.

Eibhlin Power has thrown a third suggestion into the mix, the Conservatory at the Park Hotel. It would be possible to have a meal there in privacy and Eibhlin will enquire as to whether we can then join the hotel’s official party nights for a dance. Please let the committee know which venue tempts you. While it’s not urgent, bookings do fill up, so it would be good to hear from you about it in the next few weeks.

Next Club Meeting: The next club meeting will take place on Tuesday 2 April at the Tudor House at 8pm.

If you have any news you think you’d like the club to hear about, please contact PRO Derbhile Graham, derbhile.graham@gmail.com.