Horse riding:
The opportunity to do pony trekking in the mountains was considered and it was felt that current facilities are not well known. There is the Anvil Lodge Riding School based in Ballindaggan which is 11 km from Bunclody and it offers individual and group packages and it was felt that this could be promoted further.
Mountain Bike Trails:
There is an interest in developing mountain bike trails in the area. The mountain bike model in Ballyhoura, County Limerick was discussed and it was felt that this is a model that Bunclody could explore further to examine if it is possible to replicate in this locality. It is our understanding that this was developed as a joint venture between Ballyhoura Development and Fáilte Ireland and approximately 92 km were built on Coillte property with their permission.
However, if these are developed on land owned by Coillte, it is imperative that discussions take place with them initially to identify if this is compatible with their national strategy on ‘Off-Road Cycling, 2012’.
However, it is recognised in the Coillte report that mountain bike club activity is currently taking place in Deerpark / Kilbrannish at a moderate to high usage level. This mountain bike trail is promoted on the Trailbadger website and it profiles the facilities and a movie depicting features of the trail.
The cost of further developing these mountain bike trails is significant however, as substantial investment was required to develop the Ballyhoura mountain bike model on Coillte property. An alternative possibility for mountain bike related tourism could focus on private, commercial ‘trail centres’ which have become very popular in the UK in recent years, especially in Scotland and Wales. One such centre has opened in Ireland, near Roscrea, County Tipperary called ‘Bike Park Ireland’ which appears to be quite successful.
Racing 795 is a Mountain Biking and Triathlon club that involves cyclists, runners, swimmers and adventurers. Racing 795 was formed in 2008 with a mission to promote participation at all levels of triathlon and mountain biking in a friendly, supportive and enjoyable environment. The membership currently stands at around 50, mostly drawn from north Wexford and south Carlow. Competition and personal improvement is encouraged and their base is in Bunclody. Opportunities to develop tourism events in conjunction with this Club could be explored.
Walking:
Bunclody is surrounded by mountains which are easily accessible from the Town. WLD has delivered a series of walking trail training programmes over the last 18 months involving 16 communities around the county including Bunclody. There are a series of well-developed walks near Bunclody including Kilbrannish Loop; Coolmelagh Loop and Mount Leinster.
Bunclody is also situated just 5 km from the end of the Wicklow Way in Clonegal. This is a popular long distance walking trail over 127 km long which continues up to South Dublin. There is also the South Leinster Way that starts near Bunclody and this is a long distance walking route which runs from Kildavin, Co. Carlow to Carrick-on-Suir in Co. Tipperary covering 102 km in length. The predominant features in the landscape are Mount Leinster, Brandon Hill and the river valleys of the Barrow, Nore and Suir.
It was recognised that walking trails are one of the Town’s major tourist assets which are currently under-developed. It was felt there was scope to develop these further through advancing new trails; more promotion of the existing trails and also encouraging guided walking trails. There is a company called Blackstairs Eco Trails, based in Borris which offers Eco Trails, Guided Hikes, Workshops, Foraging, Foraging Hen Events, Teachers Courses, School Visits, Childrens’ Trails and Fun in the Wild. Links could be developed with this company to identify if guided walking tours could be made available to visitors staying in Bunclody. Annual events could also be designed around foraging or other eco themes.
