GREAT IRISH DRIVES:IF YOU like meandering down quiet country lanes gently folded into the landscape then the area we're exploring this week is probably just right for you. Glimpsed in the distance while near Castlewellan for a previous article in this series, Slieve Groob (534m) rises due south of Belfast in the rolling Co Down countryside, writes BOB MONTGOMERY
Around 420 million years ago the rocks that form this landscape were created and large volumes of molten rock, or magma, were generated at depth. Here, unlike in parts of, for example, Tyrone, much of it remained underground and cooled slowly into the hard igneous rock called granodiorite, which today forms much of Slieve Groob.
We approached the area around Slieve Groob from the B175 road which runs from Castlewellan to Ballynahinch, turning off at the sign for Drumkeeragh Forest. This is soon reached and by then the eastern slopes of Slieve Groob were rising to the west of our road. By continuing along this road and bearing left at the next crossroads, we arrived at a junction just outside the tiny village of Finnis. Again bearing left we continued on this road until we reached the car park provided at the gap between Slieve Groob and the smaller Cratlieve or Legananny mountain (429m). From its car park one can walk the short distance to the top of Slieve Groob where there are several masts. In the car park is an interesting monument through part of which one can view the source of the Lagan River. In addition, there are fine views in a northerly direction over the rolling Co Down countryside towards the city of Belfast.
By continuing on this road to the next junction and bearing right and then right again at the following junction one comes to the Legananny Dolmen, named after Liagán Áine meaning the “pillar stone of Anya”, the mythological mother goddess loved by the warrior Finn McCool. Dating from 2500-2000BC, the capstone of the Legananny Dolmen balances elegantly on three unusually tall and thin upright stones and is a favourite with tourists and photographers visiting the area.
We continued along this road until we turned right at the next junction followed by two left turns at subsequent junctions. This brought us to the Windy Gap on the slopes of Slievenaboley Mountain (324m). There is another car park and picnic area here and towards the south are magnificent views towards the Mourne Mountains. What is fascinating about the view from Windy Gap is the way in which it forms a watershed between several quite different types of landscape.
To the south the Mourne Mountains rise in dramatically rugged fashion. To the east is Slieve Groob where the River Lagan rises before its short run to the sea at Belfast, while over the high ground of Slievenaboley Mountain and Deehommed Mountain to the northwest the mountainscape gives way to a patchwork of small green fields stretching as far as the eye can see.
In this exploration we’ve just touched on the main attractions of this area, but there is far more to see and explore. It’s a gently – for the most part – rolling landscape that meanders around Slieve Groob. It’s surrounding hills and will form the basis of a very pleasant day spent exploring should you drive this way.