Site Name:

National Grid Reference

M 095 568   Understanding grid references

Ordnance Survey Ireland Discovery Series:

38

Location

Clonbur, An Fhairche, is situated beside Clonbur village on R345 on the southern shore of Lough Mask.  Download location map

How do I get there?

From Galway take the N84 to Headford,  R334 to Cross village, the R 346 to Cong and the R 345 on to Clonbur village. Car parking is available at Clonbur Church car park.

Clonbur Wood Trail(s)

• Clonbur/Cong Trail
• Clonbur Wood Loop
• Download Map - All Trails

The lands were formally part of the Ashford Estate which were owned by the Guinness family until 1939. The remains of Ballykine castle are hidden among the beeches along the route of the Clonbur Wood trail (not waymarked). It is worth a brief visit. This is the remains of an old De Burgo fortification which formally stood near the lakes edge but is now standing inland as a result of drainage.

The existing forest roads provide a very pleasant  walk through Clonbur Wood. The main looped walk is approx 5.6 km long. Traversing mixed woodlands, it skirts along the south edge of Lough Mask providing  a panoramic view of the lake and its Islands.

The main tree species that you will see include Sitka spruce, Norway spruce, Scots pine Ash, Beech, Yew, Birch, Oak. Many of the exotic conifers have recently been felled as some of this area has been designated as a Life site (Life Nature project restoring priority woodland habitats).

Pine martin, otter ,red squirrel, badger, hare, stoat are the main species of wildlife associated with the area. The bird life includes widgeon, mallard and  woodcock.

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