Dunmanway Hillwalking Club’s new Yew Tree Hill Loop Walk shows the group going from strength to strength as more and more people take up the activity, writes Kieran O’Mahony.
THE incessant rain wasn’t going to deter the committed members of Dunmanway Hillwalking Club from attending the recent launch of the new Yew Tree Hill Loop Walk at Sam Maguire Plaza in the town centre.
The event was a sort of homecoming too for county mayor Cllr Joe Carroll, who performed the opening in his native town.
The development of this 9.8km loop walk is the result of a lot of hard work from within the popular club, whose members worked alongside the West Cork Development Partnership (WCDP) and the Outdoor Recreation and Infrastructure Scheme Fund.
Dunmanway Hillwalking Club was set up in 2004 by a few enthusiastic walkers, keen to follow other West Cork towns who had their own hillwalking clubs, and who wanted to tap into the wonderful ranges of hills and mountains on their doorstep.
‘Back then we had about 30 members and today we have over 50 members. There seems to be a club in every West Cork town and the popularity of hillwalking has soared in recent years,’ said Tommy Collins, club secretary.
‘I just love just getting out into the countryside and enjoying the scenery and the walking trails, and also getting away from the concrete paths and roads. It’s fantastic to get out on a trail where you come across a different scene at every turn you take.’
Tommy said that, as well as their regular club members, they also have a lot of cross-club members, who might be joined with one club but can be an associate member of another club.
‘You can go hillwalking with one club today but then go out with another one at the weekend, and that’s the joy of being a hillwalker. People can also come along as a guest for a couple of walks to see if it is for them, as we have both short hikes, usually 10km to 12km (‘A’ walks) or longer hikes which tend to be between 15km and 20km (‘B’ walks).’
It’s also worth noting that the club is affiliated with Mountaineering Ireland, so that members of the club can avail of the associated insurance protection. That allows guests to go on three hikes with a club before making a decision on joining. Their walks run every two weeks on Sundays and alternate with A and B walks.
In an effort to establish the club’s own walking route, the Dunmanway Trails Management Committee was formed, with 10 members.
Their hard work with the assistance of the WCDP and the kind permission of numerous landowners has resulted in the recent opening of the 9.8km Yew Tree Hill Loop Walk, which is open to the public and gives hillwalkers a panoramic view over Dunmanway town.
‘The famed Yew Tree Hill affords a full circle view over the whole of West Cork and as far as Mullaghanish and the Paps in Kerry. The route starts in the town centre and has 4.4km on public roads and 5.4km on a mixture of open mountain, woodland and grassland and it takes an estimated four and half hours to complete.’
Tommy added that the development of hillwalking trails will play a valuable role in supporting the town’s future economy and will complement existing activities in the locality including the West Cork Leisure Centre, pitch and putt course and kayaking and canoeing on the nearby Bandon river.
‘Up to now there were no recognised walking trails in the Dunmanway area and these walks are designed to fulfil the needs of the activities visitor as well as helping to link up with other walking routes in West Cork such as the Sheep’s Head Trails, Fastnet Trails and the Beara/Breffni Way. These trails will also support the sustainable development of the outdoor recreational sector in West Cork.’
Speaking at the launch of the new trail, county mayor Cllr Joe Carroll praised the club for establishing such an important trail which he said will be of huge benefit to Dunmanway.
‘These walks are of great benefit to the many towns and communities and we can see that out west, along at Kilcrohane for example and walking is a big part of tourism these days,’ he
said.
Arran O’Driscoll, rural recreation officer with WCDP, said they were delighted to support the club and help them with the assistance of the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Outdoor Recreation and Infrastucture Scheme Fund.
‘The walk is a fantastic natural resource and is already proving very popular and we hope more people will visit and experience it for themselves.
‘It wouldn’t be possible without the permission of local landowners and the Trail Maintenance Organisation.’
The Yew Tree Hill Walk leaflet (available locally)
For more details on how to become a member, see dunmanwayhillwalkers.com.
