Cullahill - Binnianea Loop
Grade
Strenuous
Length
9.7 km
Time
3 hours
Format
Loop
Ascent
350 m
Dogs Allowed
No
Waymarking
Purple arrow on white background
Start Point
Cullahill Village Car Park
Finish Point
Cullahill Village Car Park
Nearest Town to Start
Cullahill Village
Grid Ref.
S 354 741
Lat. and Long.
52.817689, -7.475445
This loop circles around a cluster of low hills above the village of Cullahill on field paths, forest tracks, lanes and minor roadways with fine views of rural County Laois as well as the Slieve Bloom, Comeragh, Galtee, Blackstairs, Wicklow, Keeper Hill and Slieve na mBan Mountains, while closer to hand it passes the ruins of Cullahill Castle, a Lime Kiln, Cummer Well and a Rath or Fort.
Maps and other information
External Links
Facilities
Parking, shop, pub, petrol
OSI Maps
Discovery Series Sheet 60
Public Transportation
Bus
Gearoid Whelan from Cork
A grand old trail there now
Emily from Tipperary
Really enjoyed this loop and the diversity of the trail. Lovely views out over the countryside and a seat en route to enjoy the view. Well marked and maintained.
Anna from Kilkenny
Did the walk on 11/1/14. Very mucky in places. Well signposted overall. About 2 hours in we entered a forest where a large section of trees had come down in recent storms totally blocking our path. We skirted clockwise around the area for 15 mins and eventually found a lane way to the right of the area and re- joined the path. Great views on this walk. In the three hours we met only one car on the narrow country lanes/roads! Very peaceful afternoon.
Yvonne from Waterford
Went on this walk on Saturday - overall a good walk (tests the fitness levels) - except for the following. A few things to be aware of - certain paths are very narrow and have electric and barbed wire running along side of it and as pathways extremley mucky and used by animals, you need to be careful. Also due to recent stormy weather the main wooded section is impossible to navigate as trees have been uprooted for several metres and no clear signs of how to get out - ended up lost! Eventually got GPS signal on phone and had to take some rather tricky routes out of woods!!
ADL from Laois
This is a really lovely walk, probably takes 30 mins less than the allotted time if you are reasonably fit. I was surprised at how soggy the ground was in November which has been dryish even on the upper stretches. Be careful on the descending steps through the copse near the end which were both wet and leaf-covered. Overall if the Cullahill village signage and website directions were improved as other contributors have noted, it would be one of the best midland loops.
Jimmy from Kilkenny
Really nice walk not over testing, but know you would have done it, terrific views, peaceful, plenty of variety as reguards the terrain. Loved it and will be a regular walker on this route. Top class.
Tom from Kilkenny
Fab walk as previous reviews stated, you can do 3 or 4 different sections if you don't want to do the lot together, each section taking about 40 mins. If you meet a local en route they would fill you in as you would need to be there to be aware of the different sections.
Marie from Kilkenny
Lovely trail, varied terrain and great views without any major climbing. Well marked and lovely stiles. But as the previous reviewer stated, the start of the walk is not marked clearly enough either on the website or on the trail sign in Cullahill village. It needs to be pointed out that you need to drive out of the village, past the castle, and park at the little carpark on the left, - about 2km from the village. There is a big trail sign and trail map here. Then you walk back along the road a short distance and follow the purple arrow in among the bushes on your right, to start the walk. You really have to watch out for this arrow. After that it's easy enough to follow the trail.
Martina from Laois
We really enjoyed this trail-it's suitable for a moderately fit child or adult. There are some lovely views all around and the terrain is very varied. I would recommend walking boots as there is a fair amount of climbing up and down hills. The best part was the lovely stone walls which reminded me of Connemara.
Note: remember to park in *Upper car park 2km from village-not the carpark in Cullahill itself. If you forget to look at "Additional features" on website you may miss this important point!
* Small carpark, on a very bad bend.
Note: remember to park in *Upper car park 2km from village-not the carpark in Cullahill itself. If you forget to look at "Additional features" on website you may miss this important point!
* Small carpark, on a very bad bend.
Tony from Tipperary