Were there any 'Famine Roads' built in Kerry?

lazybones32

I know there are a few in West Cork but are there any that you know of around the Kingdom? With the long evenings making a return, I intend to go visiting a few if I can.

Tried the library but there are few books that deal with the local aspects of the Famine rather than the larger issue.

The original track of the Healy Pass through the Cahas was a famine relief project.

JonathonS

If you are interested in old roads in general you should consider the Butter Roads. For example the stretch of the Kerry Way between Mountain Stage and Kells. Its not long, but the views are spectacular.

And if you develop sufficient interest in this a visit to the Butter Museum in Cork is a must.

Think the Kerry Way stretch from Glencar through the Black Valley was an old butter road. Pretty sure some book on Kerry, like the one published by UCC a few years ago, would show the development of all roads, know I've seen it somewhere.

lazybones32

I live on a Butter Road but am kind of looking for the roads built during the Famine as part of the relief projects.
Yeah Conor74, the R574 was started as a relief road and I must source that book by Dr. Lehane. I've been to Healy pass a few times without knowing its origin. Also turns out that Kerry had the highest rate of emigration from 1856 to 1910 (all other Munster Counties - bar Waterford - are in the top 10 for that period too.)

newman10

In Beaufort, there is a Road locally called "The Board of Works" which runs from Gap of Dunloe to Glencar along the base of the Mountains.
Did hear that it was a Famine Road but am open to correction

JonathonS

At a guess there will not be very many Famine roads, and those that exist may not be of great length because within months of the road-building programme getting started it was replaced by the soup kitchens.

Boom__Boom

I have heard of there being Famine Walls in Killarney.

No idea where though.