Kilballyboy Woods
Overview
Kilballyboy Wood covers 212 hectares, featuring Scots Pine, Sitka Spruce, and Douglas Fir. Located at the base of the Vee/Knockmealdown Mountains, it offers views of surrounding ranges including Ballyhouras, Galtees, Keeper Hill, Devil’s Bit, Slievenamon, and Comeraghs. Three national trails, the Tipperary Heritage Way, East Munster Way, and Blackwater (Avondhu) Way, intersect here. Looped walks vary from forest roads to narrow paths and open mountains, with rough terrain and occasional obstacles, especially after rain.
Things to do
Walking Trails
Kilballyboy Loop
Trail Start Point: Forest Car Park
Length: 4.8KM
Time: 1 ¼ Hrs
Degree of Difficulty: Easy
Metres Climb: 60 Mtrs
Attributes: Loop Trail (Returns to starting point)
Finish Point: Forest Car Park
Trail Way Marking: White on black background
Dogs: Dogs must be kept on lead
Bay Lough Loop
Trail Start Point: Forest Car Park
Length: 4.5 KM
Time: 1 ½ Hrs
Degree of Difficulty: Moderate
Metres Climb: 170 Mtrs
Attributes: Loop Trail (Returns to starting point)
Finish Point: Forest Car Park
Trail Way Marking: Blue
Dogs: Dogs must be kept on lead
Vee Valley Loop
Trail Start Point: Forest Car Park
Length: 9KM
Time: 3 ½ Hrs
Degree of Difficulty: Strenuous
Metres Climb: 276 Mtrs
Attributes: Loop Trail (Returns to starting point)
Finish Point: Forest Car Park
Trail Way Marking: Purple
Dogs: No Dogs Allowed
Visitors Facilities on site
Points of Interest
The Vee
The Vee Pass is world famous due to its breathtaking panoramic views across the valley. The scenery climbs, dips and changes constantly to delight the eye at every turn. As you rise through the beautifully wooded countryside along the river valley, the landscape opens up offering a variety of textures and colours, including peatland, rocky headlands, rhododendron groves and blanket heather. It was here that Johnny Cash got his inspiration for his hit song Forty Shades of Green.
Every year between mid-May and mid-June the Vee becomes covered with the bloom of rhododendrons, which were planted here in the 1960s, and have since spread to cover the entire valley.
The mountains rise to 2,600ft (800m) above sea level, with wonderful views of the ‘Golden Vale’ between the Knockmealdown and Galtee Mountains. The Vee offers views across the valley to Clonmel, Cahir, Ardfinnan, Clogheen, Ballyporeen and Cashel.
Grubb’s Grave
Samuel Richard Grubb
26/09/1855 – 06/09/1922
Lived at Castle Grace, one of the seventeen Grubb mill sites in County Tipperary, none of which enterprises survived the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the agricultural downturn which followed, further exacerbated by the Great Famine. His father and mother had been “Disowned” by the Quaker community in 1844, for indulging in music, dancing and other unsuitable activities, leaving his family outside the normal religious practice. Thus his wish to be buried on his mountain property, originally part of the Glengal/Butler Cahir Estate. His wife Alice is buried in a rock outcrop at Kiltinan Castle, near Fethard, as is his daughter Joan Salles de la Terriere.
The family were of German/Scandinavian origin, the first coming to England in 1540, as minder to Ann of Kleeves, fourth wife of King Henry VIII, before descendants coming to Ireland in 1654.
Béal Locha/ Bay Lough
Bay Lough is a corrie Lake formed by glaciers in the ice age. Located in the Vee Valley, Knockaunbulloga, Knockmealdown Mtns.
Legend has it that Mary Hannigan, aka “Petticoat Loose”, had killed her husband and following her death, she returned as a witch and tormented locals. A priest banished her to empty the bottomless lake with a thimble, where she remains today.