Commons Loop

Route Description

A–B

From the car park, turn left and follow the green arrows (together with the blue and red waymarkers) along the road to a T-junction, where you turn left. The blue and red arrows are for the longer Slieve Foye Loop and Barnavave Loop.

Enter the village square, turn right, and ascend to the main junction where you proceed straight on, passing to the right of Savages Victuallers. Continue following the green, blue and red arrows, as well as the yellow arrows for the long-distance Táin Way, until the route reaches the top of River Road. The blue and red loops turn right here, but Commons Loop continues straight ahead onto a stoney laneway.

B–C

Follow the laneway as it zig-zags uphill for 500m to join a wide green roadway. Here you rejoin the Táin Way (yellow arrows) and the Slieve Foye Loop (blue arrows) and turn left.

Follow the grassy roadway downhill for 300m to reach a wooden gate. Pass through it and follow the arrows to the left. The route then sweeps downhill and right and, after 500m, joins a surfaced roadway. Here you rejoin the Barnavave Loop and turn left downhill.

C–A

Continue to follow the green, red, blue and yellow arrows as the loop takes you down to the Parish Church on the outskirts of the village, then turns left and returns to the village square. From there it is only 100m back to the trailhead.

Directions

The M1 is the motorway connecting Dublin and Belfast. Leave the M1 at Junction 18 and join the R173 in the direction of Ballymascanlan and Carlingford. After approximately 17km, take the turn for Carlingford (R176, signposted Carlingford). A further 3km brings you to the village. The Tourist Office is located in the main car park on your left.