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| County Cavan |
After passing through County Cavan many times, I had accepted the idea that it was one of those counties which you pass through without stopping, because of its lack of interesting things to see. But recently, while reading one of the national newspapers that the west of the county has got a lot of tall mountains, lakes and even waterfalls! It’s not easy to get around the rural parts of the county without a GPS... don't count on the road signs to help you: if you find one, you might realise you've just driven 10 km in the wrong direction! If you don’t have a GPS, then my advice would be to invest in a detailed map! |
1. Start at Bellavally Gap... |
| 2. Reach a goal... [   ] This was the goal: to reach the top of Cuilcagh Mountain, which you can see on the background. In height, this is not so impressive (less than 700m above the sea level), but the conditions to access it are not always that easy (spongy ground, heathers, bogs, rocks, streams). My advice is to start the walk early in the morning to take advantage of the full daylight. Because of the time spent to find the starting point for the climb, every minute counts and it was not possible for me to reach the top of "Cuillagh". But it's postponed until next time, not cancelled ! |
| 3. Do a bit of geology... [ ] As mentioned previously, the land is made up of bogs and rocks, which all result from Glacial Activity during the last Ice Age (see photo). I really enjoyed the scenery shown on the right-hand side, a great reward for the hill walking during the day! |
| 4. Make new friends on the road... [ ] Obviously, unless you are a sheep (see photo), good waterproof walking shoes are a must to do this walk. Also note the shape of the rocks in the middle of the picture: erosion has modelled them resulting in many sharp sections. |
| 5. Admire the Tullydermot Waterfalls... [ ] You'll encounter a lot of mountain streams during your walk on Cuilcagh Mountains and if you look at a detailed map you'll notice that a lot of them gather in the valley and create the Tullydermot waterfalls. See photo on the right-hand side. |
| 6. Take a break at Slieve Russell Hotel... [ ] If you go through the village of Ballyconnell, you won't miss Slieve Russell Hotel where you can sleep, celebrate your wedding or eat if you have the money. If not, you can visit its gardens and have a picnic there. |
 Photo 6. Slieve Russell Hotel. |
| 7. Stop in Belturbet... [ ] As mentioned in the introduction, there’s a feeling that Co. Cavan doesn't really have any villages/towns worth stopping in. The village of Belturbet is an dispels that myth, thanks to its little shops and its river. On the right-hand side, you can see a couple of cute horses taken near the River Erne. |
| County Cavan in pictures | ||
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 Photo 2. Your goal: Cuillagh Mountain. |
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 Photo 3. Peatland near Cuillagh Mountain. |
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 Photo 4. Sheep on Cuillagh Mountains. |
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 Photo 5. Tullydermot Waterfalls. |
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 Photo 7. Horses in Belturbet. |
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Legend:
Nice; Worth a visit; Well worth visiting
Please note that this grading system is only based on my interests and personal experience as a French expat in Ireland. Feel free to visit the same locations and share your experience .
Free or Not Applicable 
Entrance fee ≤€5 ; €5<Entrance fee≤€10 ; €10<Entrance fee≤€15 and so on...
These price ranges are indicative only to help you plan your holiday budget and are subject to change. Discounts generally apply for families, groups, children, students and seniors citizens.
While the admission to this site is free, a parking fee may apply.
Heritage Site managed by the Office of Public Works. Most OPW sites are free of charge on the first Wednesday of every month during 2011. A Good tip: the Heritage Card entitles you unlimited admission for one year to all OPW sites (around €21).