Barrow Way Borris Loop

This 20km route brings us down the Barrow, Ireland’s second-longest river. It brings us from Carlow to Kilkenny. We enter at Ballytiglea Bridge. The first thing we notice is that the river is a dirty brown. It is almost chocolatey. I presume this is caused by Storm Francis which travelled through here recently.

barrow way canalboat

We walk along the grass to Borris Lock. The canal section is on our side with the river flowing on the far side of the island that runs down the middle. To our left are the woods of Borris House, stately home of the Mcmurrough Kavanaghs and some of Ireland’s tallest trees. Flying ahead of us is our first heron of the day, its wingtips dipping the water as we disturb it.

Barrow Way Borris

We walk along the dewy grass to the first lock at Borris. It was built in 1790. As usual, we have to take our coats off as the day heats up and we start to warm with our slow and steady pace.

borris lockkeepers cottage

We mosey on. The river flows steady and wide and a cormorant floats alongside us. He dives beneath the surface. Every now and then he will splash his wings in the water like a puppy dog (if it had wings). It is clear that he is washing.

Our other acquaintances are dragonflies. The CEO manages to persuade a small and dainty beautiful demoiselle to pose. I chase the big hairy ones called Brown Hawkers but achieve nothing except peppering the quiet air with curses.

beautiful demoiselle barrow way

The woods give way to clearings every now and then. They are full of some types of orchids. A gushing stream flows out of the estate and we cross it on the triple arches of Bunnahown bridge which has carried people over here since 1765. The views open up ahead of us with woods on both sides now. Small birds dip and dive to catch surface skating insects.

borris estate bridge

Further on, we hear the water roaring across Ballingrane Weir. Our side is quieter as it diverts into the lock. It is swampy here, with an old raft going back to nature in the reeds

raft on barrow river

The lock keepers house here is in poor condition but we stop anyway. The CEO has to adjust her footwear. A rambler from the New World rests on his full backpack. He has already walked the length of the Barrow down to St. Mullins and is on his way back up again. He plans to divert onto the Grand Canal and head towards Tullamore. He tips his hat to us and we part ways.

rambler resting by Ballingrane Lock

We move on southward. Another weir is already roaring ahead of us. This must be Clashganny Weir, a popular swimming spot for locals that is manned by lifeguards during the summer. I am more interested in a giant rock jutting out of the Barrow. I like big rocks.

The CEO is unimpressed by this. Both of us forget the geological wonder as another cormorant flies towards us. The seabird is as confident in the air as it is in water. Its long neck and razor beak jut ahead like a stealth fighter and its wings propel it through the air. It lands on the branch of a bare tree and proceeds to wobble forward and backwards like a drunken sailor as it balances itself with wings outstretched to dry itself.

Clashganny Weir is accessible from the road so there are families picnicking here. It looks like there are good changing rooms and toilets but none are open due to the pandemic. Children with nets dip the waters in the hope of landing pike or piranha. We rest our feet, eat a bar and drink some water. The sun is high.

We walk along the edge of Ballykeenan. The woods are steeper to our left with giant rocks creating cliffs. The river splits ahead again. We follow the sedate canal but we can hear the roar of the water on the other side once more. Day-trippers from Graiguenamanagh pass us on bicycles. They have to carry their bikes through fallen trees from the storm to get to Ballykeenan Lock.

debris on barrow way after storm francis

After Ballykeenan Lock and the canal towpath, the views open out again. Grassland on the right becomes woodland again. We see a wooden walkway along their edge. A heron balances on a tree, listening to a group of birds screeching in the woods like a pack of monkeys. They sound like jays.

barrow way

We can hear a bird of prey screeching in a big tree to our left but we cannot see it. We pass a sign saying “Graig – 1 mile” on a cliff rock. Sheep lie in the sun below a hill with corn growing on it. The view changes as we go around the bend to reveal Brandon Hill – the highest point in Kilkenny.

barrow way brandon hill

We enter the town as kids jump in off the far side of the bank. This side of the town is called Tinnahinch and is technically in Carlow. The other side is Graiguenamanagh and is in Kilkenny. They are both essentially the same town connected by a stunning seven arch limestone bridge. It has triangular cutwaters at each base and recessed niches that look Venetian. A plaque on the bridge says that the English blew it up in 1798 to stop Irish rebels crossing it.

graiguenamanagh bridge

We lunch at the Waterside Cafe where we eat good Indian food, drink homemade Elderberry cordial and listen to the Nordic euro pop of Abba.

Graig, as the locals call it, is worth exploring. It is an old monastic town so there are statues of monks everywhere. It boasts the smallest lane in the world as well as being home to the famous Mrs O’ Leary who emigrated to the States and whose cow kicked over the bucket that started the great fire of Chicago. But as the man says, we have miles to go before we sleep. I stock up on snacks while the CEO decides which canal boat she would prefer to live on.

graiguenamanagh canalboat

We leave the town by the Widows Cottages. They are an unusual style of house. We follow the road as it climbs up over the Barrow. This is our usual walking terrain – a small road into the back of beyond.

graiguenamanagh widows cottages

We pass Silaire Woods, a community-owned green expanse which contains the walkway that we could see from the river below. It looks like a beautiful loop in its own right. We can see squirrels scampering above us. We are now above the Barrow and can see the route we had just walked with the Blackstairs mountains behind it. It is great to see it from a different perspective.

blackstairs barrow way

This road is quiet and high and the sun beats down on our hats. Sloes are in season and we see clumps of them along the hedges. The CEO is delighted by their blue-black shade and is threatening to collect some to make gin. They were a staple of mine when walking home from school, but like sugar sandwiches and New Romantic music, I find it hard to believe I could ever have stomached them.

We see a buzzard above us. At first, we think it is just a crow but as it spreads its wings we see the telltale outer feather splayed out like fingers. It does not hang around and moves on, following the river.

We come to a small bridge where a hill stream runs down towards a building. The shade of the trees are welcome after the sun and it looks like an old mill but I cannot find anything on the map. We walk on and the scenery to our left opens up over Kilkenny.

kilkenny scenery

The road gets narrower. We meet some tractor drivers who look delighted that someone is checking out their road instead of the postcard Barrow Way. We pass old stone farmhouses and fields divided by old stone walls. Every available space along here is covered with car batteries. I have no idea why.

kilkenny car battery on wall

We come to an old schoolhouse that dates from 1825, which makes it one of the earliest schools I have ever seen. Across the road is a Church of Ireland chapel which is being lived in. A swing hangs from a tree.

ullard church kilkenny

Further down the road, we take our afternoon break at a different Ullard Church. This one was built in the 12th century on the grounds of St. Fiachra’s monastery after he went to France to become the patron saint of cab drivers.

ullard church kilkenny

The site is built on sloping ground so we rest on the grass to catch the last of the afternoon sun before the rains come. Both myself and the CEO agree that this would be a nice distance to stop walking for the day but we still have another few km to go. Across the river valley, we can see the chateaux like style of Borris House on the horizon.

Back on the road, we discover a limekiln incorporated into someone’s front entrance. We have these at home but I have never seen one in such good condition before.

limekiln kilkenny

We finally meet the main road and take our last right on the loop that will take us back towards Ballytiglea Bridge. This road is busier than we would have liked and we are both tired. I take point position and watch for oncoming traffic while the CEO keeps her road anxiety at bay by looking for sloe bushes as we walk. Her attention is rewarded when she comes nose to beak with a large buzzard sitting on a gate directly across from her. I watch as it flaps away in shame at being caught unawares by two rovers on the road.

Google Maps: 52.601010, – 6.953295

Distance: 20km

Time: 10am – 5.30pm

Type of walk: Canal trail (50%), small back road (35%), main road (15%)

Views: Green grassland, woodland, canal waters.

Animals: Horses, donkeys, cows, sheep, herons, cormorants, jays, butterflies, dragonflies, ducks, squirrels, buzzards.

Humans: A few rovers along the Barrow, nobody on the road.

Traffic: Very few cars on the small road but plenty on the main road.

Plant of the Day: Himalayan Balsam, which is not a poor man’s orchid like we thought. This invasive species runs the whole length of the river. It looks beautiful and it is, but when it dies back in the winter it causes flooding.

Himalayan Balsalm

Negatives: We would have liked to explore the Silaire Wood loop but just did not have the time. Likewise the Clashganny Wood loop.

Memorable: The old Ullard Church had a handball alley attached to the back. That was a nice surprise.

handball alley ullard church

Score: 9/10

This was a long route so let me know if I missed anything or if you have anything noteworthy to add.

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