GREAT IRISH DRIVES:ONE OF the great pleasures of writing this column is the discovery of hitherto unknown (to the author at least) roads, writes BOB MONTGOMERY
I’ve previously written of the road from Clonaslee to Mountrath, which travels across the Slieve Bloom Mountains via the Cut, and for today’s column we returned to the same region.
The Slieve Bloom mountains are something of a peculiarity, rising up from the flat midlands of Ireland to quite respectable heights.
As so often happens in Ireland, one can turn off the main Dublin-Limerick road, travel just a few short kilometres and be in a totally different environment, almost devoid of traffic and habitation.
We started our journey at the Pike of Rushall, that evocatively-named crossroad on the N7 just a short distance past Castletown. Initially we followed the brown signposts for the Poet’s Cottage in the village of Camross.
However, instead of turning left at Camross crossroad into the village itself, we continued straight ahead for almost 2km until we came to a left turn marked by a sign reading “road hazardous in winter”.
This is the start of a truly spectacular road that climbs over the Glendine Gap and on towards the village of Kinnitty.
From its start, the road quickly begins to climb through a densely wooded valley, a feature that may often serve to obscure the beauty of the place. However, here – and, indeed, along most of this road – it serves only to enhance the stunning valley and the many panoramic views that can be glimpsed through the trees.
Onward and upward, the road rises through the valley. It was noticeable when we traversed the road that it was sprinkled throughout by small stones, washed down from the surrounding hillsides by recent heavy rains.
Small irritations aside, this is a wonderful road through a landscape more reminiscent of Bavaria that of Ireland’s midlands.
The Killeen river runs close to the road during most of the ascent towards Glendine Gap, while Arderin rises to 527m to the southwest of the road. To the north, both Carroll’s Hill (482m) and Stillbrook Hill (496m) tower over the road.
All too soon, the road’s highest point is reached, marked by a monument that also marks the border between Laois to Offaly.
Climbing to Glendine Gap, the views to the south are increasingly spectacular, while once over the highest point of the road, the landscape is gentler as the road descends towards its meeting with the road into Kinnitty.
The road on the Offaly side of Glendine Gap is not as good as that on the southern – or Laois – side of the drive, and care should be taken in places where there are some large pot holes.
During the two hours or so that I spent in an unhurried exploration along the road, I met no cars whatsoever, which is remarkable, considering that at no time was I more than 10 to 15 minutes’ drive from the busy N7.
Glendine Gap was certainly an unexpected find for me – and I would go so far as to put it among the top 10 roads I’ve written about in this series.
Without travelling far, its possible to get away from all signs of civilisation along this fine road and to enjoy a landscape quite different to others on this island.