A haunting 1785 folly tucked deep in Portlaw Woods — climb its 92 stone steps for sweeping views across five counties from an open-air summit with no guardrails.
Ascend the 92-step cut-granite spiral staircase to the top of this 70-foot round tower. The summit is open and unenclosed — exhilarating but exposed. On a clear day you'll see five counties: Waterford, Wexford, Carlow, Kilkenny and Tipperary, plus the Comeragh Mountains and Curraghmore Estate. Note: recent visitors report the entrance gate has been welded shut (mid-2025); check current access before travelling.
A 4.53 km loop trail through Tower Hill woods — mature oak woodland (a candidate Special Area of Conservation) with ivy, holly and hazel undergrowth. Look for the rare Lobaria pulmonaria lichen, an indicator of ancient woodland. The route mixes woodland paths and a short section of quiet local road. Easy grade, roughly 1 hour.
Near the woodland exit above Clonegam, the 'Hussian Gap' is named after the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars. A 19th-century Marquis buried his beloved military charger, Jock, inside the boundary walls here — the headstone was recently removed to Curraghmore Estate House for safekeeping.
The plaque above the doorway reads: 'La Poer Tower, erected in the year 1785 by George, Earl of Tyrone, to his beloved son, his niece and a friend.' The son was Marcus Beresford, killed in a riding accident aged 12–13; the friend was his tutor Charles Poliere de Botens; the niece is believed to be Catherine Annesley.
No café on site, so bring your own. There's a bench a short walk from the woods with peaceful woodland surroundings. For proper dining, nearby Curraghmore House and Mount Congreve Gardens (both a short drive) offer tea rooms and cafés.
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