Walk of the Week: Kilgarvan and MacCaura's Grave, Co Kerry

WHEN I walked this route, mid-March 2014, the banks of the attractive little rapids on the Slaheny River above Coolyard Bridge were being reinforced. There are many classic mountain-river rapids and waterfalls to admire on this walk.

Just beyond the bridge, we go left, up a waymarked, unsurfaced road away from the river. It is soon below us again, heard more than seen. After a kilometre, at a farmhouse and a new, stone-faced house on the left, the shaley track becomes a green road leading down to a ford and galvanised metal footbridge across a stream running into the Slaheny. Clearly, vehicles use the ford, but with the exceptional rain this winter, only a tractor could safely make the crossing.

A grassy lane takes us up from the stream on to a narrow, tarmaced road, where we turn right — there is waymark just above us. This country road ascends gently. To our left, we see the shoulders of large mountains, covered in snow. Nearest is Esknabrock and beyond it Stoompa, 705m. The road is gravel surfaced, with no houses for long stretches. After passing a water tank on the lane, a brown fingerpost ahead announces the site of the Battle of Callan and MacCaura’s Grave (McCarthy’s Grave). A curved stone wall encloses a rounded boulder with a memorial plaque behind it in Irish and English recording it as the burial place of Donal, Chieftain of the MacCarthy Fineens. ”. . . in faithful remembrance of him. He died in the Battle of Collon (sic.) August 1261 where he liberated the Kingdom of South Munster from Norman domination forever. He himself was killed at this very spot, where he was buried. May his soul have rest in the Kingdom of Heaven, and the souls of the men who died with him.”