GREAT DRIVES ROUND RAVEN'S ROCK:The landscape of the Comeragh Mountains and Slievenamon makes the southeast one of the most pleasing places to drive in the State, writes BOB MONTGOMERY
THE SOUTHEAST of Ireland is an area that has seemed to be, by comparison to other areas, relatively neglected in this series. At least that is the perception and as we know, perception is everything. So this week and in the next article in this series, the plan is to go some way to setting that right.
Little persuasion was needed to return to this part of Ireland as the landscape of the Comeragh Mountains and Slievenamon is amongst the most pleasing on the whole island of Ireland.
So for today’s drive we’re in the very heart of this territory, just a few kilometres south east of Clonmel.
From Clonmel cross the River Suir and take the R678 out of town taking care to ensure you pick up the correct road as it’s easy to go the wrong way.
The R678 itself is a pretty route out of Clonmel winding its way through luxuriant wooded areas as it climbs up to the foothills of the Comeragh Mountains.
The area to which we’re headed takes its name from Raven’s Rock, a hill of some 316m just to the north of the R678 and which incidentally has long given its name to a number of motorsport events which have taken place in this area down the years.
The turn to take is about four kilometres out of Clonmel and is marked by a sign for a caravan park. The road heads almost due south at first, climbing all the time, up past a microwave dish mast until the landscape becomes purely mountainous terrain peopled only by sheep – watch out for the first of several sheep grids on the road.
To the east of the road rises Shauneenbreaga, all of 547m high and the mountain dominates this part of the drive.
To the southeast rises the main bulk of the Comeragh Mountains, one of the most impressive mountain ranges in Ireland. Knockanaffrin (755m), Coumfea (711m) and Knockaunapeebra (726m) are amongst the highest of the many peaks in the Comeragh mountains, all making a spectacular backdrop to this road.
After about three kilometres, the road begins to drop down towards more fertile land with fine views over green farmland stretching into the distance towards the southwest. Coming to a T-junction, swing right and take a road that eventually leads back almost to the starting point.
Although this road almost parallels the earlier part of this route it provides a very different landscape.
As the road starts to climb away from the River Nier, the landscape is dominated by Lachinafrankee (520m) to the west. There’s a viewing point here that provides a fine view back towards the fertile fields to the southwest.
Before too long, the road begins to drop down, eventually joining up once more with the R678 slightly closer to Clonmel than where this drive began.
However, before that there are a series of tight hairpin bends that descend towards an area known as the Punchbowl – a section of road used in time gone by for a hill climb event.
Now, the parking area that is on the first of these hairpin bends allows magnificent views out over the town of Clonmel and beyond.
But, as I’ve seen so often on my journeys this year, the views are blighted by rubbish left by the very people for whom the parking area was provided in the first place. In this case it’s the burnt-out remains of a car that has apparently been there for some time.
This is an extreme example perhaps, but one I’ve seen repeated throughout the country this year. Perhaps, it is a sign of these recession times that this and other rubbish left by thoughtless people has not been removed?
Despite these thoughts, don’t let this put you off making this drive through some of the loveliest countryside on this island.