From Aughnacloy to St Patrick’s Chair and Well - Sliabh Beagh Way

Start : Bus stop, Main street (Moor Street A5) in Aughnacloy. (BT69 6AX)

(S) From the main street in Aughnacloy, walk until the bus stop and Ravella Road.

(1) Turn left (South-West) on Ravella Road. This soon brings you into pastoral surrounds, with fields on both sides.

(2) After 2 Km, cross the bridge over the River Blackwater. This river marks the international border, and for the first half of the route you will be crossing back and forth between County Fermanagh and County Cavan, in the Republic of Ireland.

(3) Around 400m beyond the bridge, turn right (North-West) onto a smaller lane.

(4) Then turn left (South) at the next T-junction. This brings you to a large painted church in the hamlet of Cavan.

(5) Turn right (North-West) along L113 here.

(6) Then turn right again (North) 1.5 Km later. Before long you arrive at the route’s first off-road section.

(7) On the left you’ll see the wooden gate and turnstile that guards the entrance to Favour Royal Forest. Pass through this and follow a track through immature deciduous trees. A mixture of native saplings were planted here in 2000 as part of the People’s Millennium Forests scheme. Follow the track as it swings left (South-West), then look out for a footpath that leads off to the right.

(8) Turn right and follow this across a footbridge.

(9) Then turn left (South-West) onto a track on the opposite bank. This brings you to another turnstile at the forest exit.

(10) Join a road and turn right (North-West).

(11) 400m later, turn left (South) onto another forest track. Here you pass through mature pine forest. Keep straight ahead at a track junction.

(12) Turn left (South-West) onto a road (C653). Follow this road for 2.5 Km, climbing beside Altadaven Wood. The section ends at the southern end of the wood, where you’ll find a car park for St Patrick’s Well and Chair. (E)

Start : Bus stop, Main street (Moor Street A5) in Aughnacloy. (BT69 6AX)

Driving to start : From Augher, take the A28. After approximately 6 miles, turn right at the T-Junction. This will take you onto the main street leading into Aughnacloy. Take the second right, Ravella Road. Here is where the route begins. Park on the main street in Aughnacloy.

Arrival : St Patricks Chair & Well, 22 Altadaven Rd, Augher (BT77 0HS)

Parking : There are some park places all along Moore Street.

Terrain : Minor roads, track and moorland

Public Transport : Translink

Facilities : Car parks and picnic sites are situated along the route

Note : If you wish, you can do several parts of this trek at once. Pay attention to the information given in each part like the duration and the elevation to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Find more information and walk ideas at Walk NI here.

Did You Know?
Ireland was once covered by massive deciduous forests, but these native woodlands were gradually cleared and by 1900, less than 1% of the country was wooded. In 2000, one native tree was planted for every household in the country as part of the People’s Millennium Forests scheme. Favour Royal Forest was one of 16 sites chosen to host the new woodlands.