Slieve Foye Loop

Route Description

A–B

From the car park turn left and follow the blue arrows (together with the green and red waymarkers) along the road to a T-junction, where you turn left. The green arrows mark the shorter Commons Loop and the red arrows mark the longer 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 green loop continues straight ahead, but for Slieve Foye Loop you turn right onto a sandy roadway.

B–C

Follow the blue, red and yellow arrows along the roadway past gates and into forestry. The route continues through the forest for over 1km before reaching a forestry track on the left, where the two loops turn left and leave the Táin Way.

From here the route ascends gently to the forest edge, followed by a short 20m climb to a stile over a wire fence. Cross the stile, turn left, and follow the fence for 1km to the end of the forestry. Veer right at this point.

C–D

Continue following the blue and red arrows for 300m until you reach a bend in a grassy roadway where you rejoin the Táin Way. The red Barnavave Loop turns right here, but the Slieve Foye Loop veers left and downhill.

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

D–A

The loop continues 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.