A former Shanbally Estate demesne on the southern slopes of the Galtee Mountains, where towering Californian redwoods, exotic conifers and rhododendrons line a river that runs through the woods — and entry is free.
The shorter waymarked loop takes about an hour and is the best introduction for families: it passes the finest specimen trees around the car park, crosses the Burncourt River and enters a stand of native Scots pine. Many broadleaves are tagged and named, and a suspension buggy can manage the surface.
The river divides the wood as it flows through, and two footbridges let walkers cross to both sides. After heavy rain it becomes a powerful mountain stream cutting through red sandstone.
Picnic tables sit near the car park and the open grass by the lodge, making this a good spot to bring a packed lunch.
A 2 to 2.5 hour loop on old forest tracks through an enclosed exotic rhododendron canopy, past the Mountain Lodge, with viewing points over the lowlands to the Knockmealdown Mountains and a shallow river ford to cross. Dogs are allowed on a lead.
This former demesne woodland holds Californian sequoia, Bhutan pine, Wellingtonia or giant sequoia, yew and Monterey cypress, many brought back from Grand Tours by the Shanbally Estate. Information boards name the different tree species.
At the northern end stands the hunting and fishing lodge the Viscount Lismore erected in the 19th century. Once a youth hostel, it is now used for community events and is being restored by the local Burncourt community.
Glengarra is one of the Millennium Project sites, planted in 2000 with oak, ash, Scots pine, yew and birch — a tree for every household in Ireland.
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