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

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

(S) Unless you’re in a rush, it’s well worth beginning with a five-minute detour to visit St Patrick’s Well and Chair. Otherwise, from the car park, walk along the track to a barrier, then turn right (South) and climb a set of forest steps. The chair is hewn from massive boulders, and is located along the ridge some 100m further on. The moss-cloaked stones make this an evocative place, and it’s tempting to linger a while to soak up the atmosphere. When you’re ready to leave the forest, continue South along the road for 890m.

(1) Take the second road on the left (South-East), which offers good views over Lough More. You now follow a series of narrow lanes straight ahead.

(2) Then turn right (South-West) along L1135 to descend across a river to reach the main R186 road. Each junction is signed to help keep you on the right course.

(3) Cross straight over the R186, following signs towards Bragan Penal Cross.

(4) Approximately 600m later, the route turn right. The road climbs gradually and is flanked by trees on both sides. After 3 Km you emerge from the vegetation to a sudden view across open, peat-cloaked hillsides. This is the expanse of moor that surrounds Sliabh Beagh. Continue to the highest point of the road, marked by a picnic area and an open landscape that allows fine views in all directions.

(5) You’ll also notice a sign directing you left to Bragan Penal Cross. The cross itself is a detour of a few hundred metres from the road, and it commemorates a local priest, Father McKenna, who was shot here around 1754. After visiting the Penal Cross, keep walking on the same toad for a few hundred meters and join a lay-by. (E)

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

End : Bragan, Eshcloghfin, Co. Monaghan (near to the Bargan Mountain and the Bragan Penal Cross)

Parking : Car parks are situated along the route

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?
Tradition relates that St Patrick said mass in the chair in Altadaven Wood, and blessed the nearby well. However it’s likely that the site’s importance pre-dates St Patrick. The name Altadaven translates as ‘Glen of the Druid, or Devil’ and archaeological evidence indicates that the chair was probably also used for pre-Christian rituals.