Stage 5: Glenmalure to Ballygobban Hill-Mary Lawlor

Distance:12km, Aggregate climb:425m, time: 3 hours

Leaving memories of rebels from the stage 4 walk carefully tucked away, this stage could definitely be described as the Commercial walk with large scale tree felling so much in evidence. This has to be the most isolated and remote section of the Wicklow way so far.

Leaving the car park at the Glenmalure lodge, we walked past Drumgoff barracks which is now just a shell. Turning right and over one of many lovely streams, the way zigzags up the valley of dense wood. Here you have this lingering aromatic scent of spruce, fir and pine trees that are stacked, almost mathematically in piles and at intervals, along this whole route. The Way meanders throughout the forest in parallel with the Aghavanagh river. Soon you notice the long ridge of Fananierin on the left side and Croaghanmoira mountain (664m) towards the south.

The route continues up Slieve Maan through the forest. The rhythm of the bird song took over the senses now. If,  as suggested by ornithologists, that the quality of bird song is a good indicator of fitness and courtship, then the finches and wagtails of the Glenmalure valley are very fit and romantic. While wondering about what meaning is in this  bird song and whether it was just a song, companion calling or fear of predators, we missed a sign to turn left and ended up going off track. Turning back and recovering lost ground, we turned right into a dense forest path that descends again to meet the Military road.   After a few minutes walk on the road, the way turns left into a dense forest and across Carrickashane Mountain.

At the top, on leaving the forest, there are lovely views to the right up the Ow river valley. The way winds up again through yet another forest. There is a strong sense of majesty, beauty and mystery surrounding these trees striking a balance with Coillte’s sustainable forest management. Piles of deadwood even have a role in this fascinating ecosystem, supporting plants, fungi and invertebrates.

This stage of the walk really entailed forest hopping and Robert Frost’s poem comes to mind:

Stopping by the woods on a snowy evening

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep........

The way now descends into the very picturesque Ow valley with views of Shieldstown Hill and Ballygobban Hill and then drops down a steep hill to cross a small bridge over the Ow river. At this point, we continued our walk, turning left off the way to Aughrim (8Km). For all of this stage there was no network coverage adding to the sense of remoteness and wilderness.  Approaching Aughrim, the final piece of this part of the jigsaw puzzle of the Wicklow Way was coming together when you saw the many nurseries and sawmills, all another step in the supply chain from planting to production. This was wild but wonderful.

Stage 4: Glendalough to Glenmalure-Mary Lawlor

14Km   Ascent 400m   3 hours: Fast pace 

If last week’s stage could be described as the “Holy” part of the Wicklow Way following in the footsteps of the pilgrims and monks, our trail this week could surely be described as the “battle” stage following in the footsteps of the 1798 croppies.

Starting out in Glendalough and turning in between the two lakes, we turned left past Poll an Easa waterfall. Keeping left onto a forestry road, we crossed the river, ascending through forestry across the west part of Derrybawn mountain.  The path ascends through the forest towards Mullacor (657m).  Views of Camaderry (638m),  Turlough Hill and The Great Sugar Loaf to the north were completely hindered by the mist. The route then ascends a steep climb towards the top of Mullacor.  We traversed the side of Mullacor on twin sleepers, with beautiful bog cotton on each side, like cotton wool blowing in the wind. This was a subtle reminder for us to avoid the wet peat bog on either side.

Having found what we thought was a nice halting spot for lunch, with dramatic views of Lugnaquillia (925m), we were faced, literally, with an onslaught of swarms of midges.

So our lunch break, short as it became, was dominated by talk of midges and whether drinking two dessert spoons of distilled vinegar, eating raw garlic to taint the perspiration, or a spray or two of insect repellent was better for “bite free” walking.  We had no option but to shorten our lunch break and make haste in a desperate attempt to escape those pesky flies.

We continued into Ballinafunshoge Wood joining up with a forestry road and headed down into Glenmalure Valley.  Glenmalure is the largest deep-sided glacial valley in Ireland. After a brief stop to admire the stunning views of the valley and and the Avonbeg river, we made our final descent down the Military Road and over Drumgoff bridge. We were rewarded with refreshments at the Glenmalure Lodge. There is a great history lesson on the walls of the pub which depicts the famous rebels of the 1798 rising.

I had often wondered and marvelled at the Military Road and its links to places and events. After completing this stage, I satisfied my curiosity. I was intrigued to read that the British military were often challenged by the guerrilla warfare tactics of the Irish rebels. History tells us that Michael Dwyer and up to 3,000 rebels sought refuge in the wilderness of these mountains. This led to the construction of the 34 mile Military Road from Rathfarnham to Aughavannagh, built at the beginning of the 19^th century. There are still remaining barracks at Glenkree, Laragh, Drumgoff  and  Aughavannagh. This was the British response to rout out the rebels.  Seamus Heaney describes the clever tactics used by the croppies in the 1798 rising in his poem:

Requiem for the Croppies

“A people, hardly marching on the hike-
We found new tactics happening each day:
We'd cut through reins and rider with the pike
And stampede cattle into infantry

Then retreat through hedges where cavalry must be thrown.”

While waiting for our transport back to Glendalough, talk of how to help aching muscles inevitably came up. Having heard a great tip from one of the female walkers to use epsom salts in a bath, to relax the muscles and draw toxins from the body, I was dearly looking forward to wallowing in a long “epsom bath”, content in the feeling of walking in that wild glen.