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.