Croghan Hill walking route to open to the public

While many of us have scrambled over barbed wire to make it to the top, Offaly County Council have announced that they will create an official walking trail to the top of Croghan Hill.

The authority have secured 15 acres at the summit of what is an extinct volcano, and will be working with farmers to secure an access path.

In the medium term, Amanda Pedlow, the Council's heritage officer, said a information board will be erected displaying all there is to know about the exciting site. 

"It will inform the public all about the extinct volcano, the burial mound at the top, the Hill's connection to St Brigid and St Patrick," Ms Pedlow told the Offaly Independent this week.

"There are three farmers bordering the 15 acres and there will be lane going up from Croghan junction. We will be working with the farmers to come to an arrangement to access the route to connect the land at the top.

Croghan Hill is the base of an extinct volcano and reaches 234 metres high. It has a pre-Christian burial mound, early monastic site, as well as an Ordnance Survey triangulation station on top of the burial mound. The trail will follow the path of an old trackway from the 1910 Ordnance Survey map.
Visible from much of the Midlands, visitors will now be able to see the wonderful vistas of several counties from the top.

Ms Pedlow added that a fantastic area of diverse grassland lies at the summit, and farmers will continue to graze young animals there at certain times of the year.

"There is a lot of curiosity around Croghan Hill and while some may have been up it before for St Patrick's Day and other occasions, there has never been a dedicated signed trail before, so people will feel more comfortable to explore.

"It will undoubetedly draw tourism into the area. Visitors coming to stay in Tullamore normally walk out to Geashill. This will create a nice looped walk, from Tullamore, to Geashill and on to Croghan Hill. I think these sites will compliment each other very well.

"It's a very short climb really, only 20 minutes, and not taxing like Croagh Patrick, so Croghan Hill will have a wide appeal to people all levels of activity."

Ms Pedlow finished by saying she'd like to thank the landowners who have been very tolerant up until now by letting people access the hill and for continuing to work with the Council in bringing forward this historic site to the attention of the public.