Sights suggestions on the route Dublin to Ballinamore

yannakis

Hi guys, we always wanted to walk up the top of Cuilcagh mountain so booked 2 nights in a B&B in Ballinamore this weekend eventually The plan (as always) is to drive out and back through different routes - sample Google map (some pins are there only to show suggested different routes) http://bit.ly/2nuWtL9

Marble arch caves are in the vicinity as well, so we'll spend some time there too :cool:

What I'm looking to get suggestions on, is things to see/do on the route to and from Ballinamore. Any ideas?

munchkin_utd

on the way to the marble arch caves is the Shannon pot (source of the Shannon) and the Cavan Burren which has views right over to Ben Bulben in Sligo.

Another place with a good view is just the northern side of the border from Swanlinbar and is marked off the road "gortalughany scenic drive"

Theres a fairly detailed map of the area with points of interest including that wee detour that someone else did up already (saving me the bother !)
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1g30Plw1TwGdlvo5AWtL2jfwB094&hl=en_US&ll=54.16470874356028%2C-7.7798858727417155&z=14

munchkin_utd

On your way to or from Ballinamore, you could go via Flemmings Folly which is a tower on a hill with forest walks just outside of Ballinagh and fairly impressive views as far as Fermanagh and Longford, and allgedly Westmeath.
Its not out of your way should to take the route from Ballinamore to Cavan via Newton gore and Killeshandra (which is a horse of a road the Leitrim side of Killeshandra since recent EU money was thrown at it)
The turn to get to it off the N55 is here https://www.google.de/maps/place/53%C2%B056'27.3%22N+7%C2%B023'22.7%22W/@53.94092,-7.3907753,303m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d53.94092!4d-7.389647

yannakis

Oh my, I didn't expect so much material, but your input is amazing. Thank you!! Especially the first link, I will need to investigate that thoroughly.

I think the Gortalughany scenic drive will be part of our driving up and down, looks very promising

Is this the route you mean with your last link? http://bit.ly/2nvEzIh The turn you're pointing at seems to be a very small L road if I'm not mistaken - or is that the turn to Fleming's Folly?

munchkin_utd

yannakis wrote: »

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Is this the route you mean with your last link? http://bit.ly/2nvEzIh The turn you're pointing at seems to be a very small L road if I'm not mistaken - or is that the turn to Fleming's Folly?

the link I posted is indeed a very small L road and thats the road brings you to Flemmings folly.
Theres a forest maybe 1km down there and a parking area.

Should you do that, then you can actually continue on that wee road northwards which brings you out on the R198 at Kilmore (protestant) Cathedral which has an ornate carved doorway that might date back to the 1100s, and was seat for Bishop Bedell (who is also buried in the adjoining graveyard) who was the first person to translate the bible into Irish so that normal people could actually understand what was being preached to them.
http://archiseek.com/2009/1860-kilmore-cathedral-co-cavan/

Theres a motte and bailey there too, but you'd have to use a bit of imagination to imagine a normal settlement there centuries ago !

And acually.... when youre there sure a mile back towards Cavan is the SAS radison, so your normal bland enough 5star hotel inside, but it is in the middle of magnificent grounds diminated by the original manor house that Lord Farnham lived in till only a decade ago, and if on the road a few hours might not be a bad place to stop for a cup of tea.

Sorry, he wasnt a lord, he was a baron ! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_Farnham