A deep glacial corrie lake ringed on three sides by cliffs almost 365 m high, hidden in the Comeragh Mountains. A steep 1.8 km walk gets you to the shore; the exposed 6–7.5 km rim loop is a proper mountain day.
Above the boulders a final steep heathery pull leads onto the Comeragh plateau; a short detour reaches Fauscoum (789 m), the highest point of the range. From the rim you look straight down onto the lough and out over West Waterford towards the coast.
The easier option: a steep but straightforward 1.8 km each way to the water, climbing about 250 m in 1–1.5 hours. From Kilclooney Wood you cross the road, pick over a wet patch by the Ire River and follow a grassy path up. Children manage it fine, and the view from the shore is the picture everyone comes for.
A rough 6–7.5 km horseshoe around the rim with 600–700 m of climbing, taking 3–4 hours. Do it clockwise to get the relentless first climb out of the way. The ridge is narrow and exposed, with a rocky scramble needing hands and long drops to the lake below.
Coumshingaun is a textbook glacial corrie: cliffs wrap it on three sides, rising about 365 m above water that is over 50 m deep and roughly 700 m long — the biggest tarn in the Comeraghs. The whole area is a Special Area of Conservation.
The walk starts at the Kilclooney Wood car park, a Coillte conifer wood of spruce, pine and larch on the lower slopes. Look for the picnic bench — the trail heads up through the forest from there.
Feral goats work the high slopes, otters turn up at the water's edge, and peregrine, raven, buzzard and hen harrier hunt the corrie. Among the rocks and bog grow rarities such as mossy saxifrage.
Mahon Falls, an 80 m waterfall with a flat 20-minute walk in, is a short drive away and makes a gentle counterweight to a hard morning on the ridge. The scenic Comeragh Drive links the two; Dungarvan, about 20 minutes away, is the place to end the day.
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