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Walking
Almost 20 years ago Emyvale Development Association prepared a number of Walks around Emyvale, suggesting that
people could select one of them and complete the walk and watch out for the various sights along the way as
highlighted by us. At the time we produced a little Booklet containing the Walks and I have decided to post the walks
again and perhaps some might enjoy reading about them if not actually doing the Walking. We started all the Walks
at the Leisure Centre.
Walk 1 (4 Mile in Length)
The Leisure Centre, which was built 1981-1985, on the site of a former Methodist Meeting House which had been
erected in 1836. A Patrick Murphy taught a Hedge-
school here for Catholics and Protestants in 1837.
Opposite Centra is where the Old Emyvale Inn was
and it was there that the Dublin Derry Mail coach
stopped and changed horses and had food. Irish
scholar, John O’Donovan, stopped there in 1835.
The Oratory comes next on the left hand side. This
used to be the Courthouse where Petty Sessions
were held every fortnight. It was burned down by
the Irish Volunteers during the War of Independence
in 1921.
On the opposite side you will see the High House
where, in 1959 during renovations, a Bronze Age
tomb was unearthed under the kitchen floor, which
indicated that people lived here some three
thousand years ago.
Next you come to the Bridge at the bottom of the
town where you will turn right. The present bridge
replaced the Old Bridge in 1994.As you head out the
road notice that the main river is on the left and the
Mill Race is on the right. The Mill Race was built
about 1810 to feed into Emy Lake to provide power
for the Mills at Emy and Mullan. When you cross the
small bridge you will have both rivers on your left until you come to the weir where they separate. The Hill on your
right is Scarnageeragh Hill, which was one of McKenna’s seven hills and had a Ring Fort originally.
Carry on until you come to a T junction and turn left here at Gola, formerly Woodlands Furniture and formerly
McCreedy’s. It was a Scutch Mill before the furniture.
Carry on to Drumully Bridge which was built before the Emyvale bridge. When you cross the bridge you will see a very
attractive restored gate-house on the right and the walls and gate posts which were the entrance to the original
Anketell Grove. Turn right her up the New Line. A large field to the left is called the Castle Field where McKenna had a
Castle in 1592. You now pass through a beautiful weeded area with oak, ash, beech, sycamore, holly, laurel, etc etc.
Turn a sharp right at the first house on the right. Look into a field on the left to see a mound which is called ‘the
Cealdrach’ (burial place for unbaptised children) and there was iron smelted and weapons made here.
Continue along the river past a house of the left and you will reach the ‘Blue Bridge’, which was erected in 1801 by
Matthew Anketell and it is mentioned by William Carleton in ‘The Fair of Emyvale’. On the left of the bridge is where
Hugh O’Neill’s army encamped on the eve of the Battle of Clontibret 1595. The field is called ‘Sigara’ ( The fairy
Garden).
Cross the bridge and continue to the end of the Line, turn right at the T junction, On the right in a clump of trees was
a Famine Burial ground.
Up the Hill and take the first right back towards Emyvale. At a fork in the road take a left and this will take you
straight back to the village. As you go up the steep hill the ‘Back Lough’ is on you left and you pass the housing
estates of Lake View and Oriel Park before arriving back to Main Street.
Walk 2. HERE