The Black Valley
The Black Valley is a beautiful, remote mountain glen seven miles long at the southern end of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks mountain range in Kerry. It is often sought-out by hikers finding thrir way through the Ring of Kerry. The valley is also known as or Cummeenduff, which is from the Irish Com Uí Dhuibh, meaning 'Black Glen'[1][2]
- Location map: 51°56’55"N, 9°38’47"W
The glen is found to the south of the Gap of Dunloe and north of Moll's Gap; it is used as a southerly access into the Gap of Dunloe.[3]
The valley is usually accessed by driving to Moll's Gap and then continuing east on the R568 road until a small side-road (at V853774, labelled "Gearhasallagh" after the townland), descends steeply north into the valley.[3] The Black Valley is part of the Kerry Way, a walkers version of the Ring of Kerry beginning and ending in Killarney,[4] and is also part of a 34-mile loop of the Killarney–Gap of Dunloe–Black Valley–Moll's Gap area,[5][6] popular with cyclists.[7]
The Black Valley is also a southerly access route to the Head of the Gap in the Gap of Dunloe, and to Lord Brandon's Cottage. The Black Valley is also noted for being one of the last places in mainland Ireland to be connected to the electricity and telephone networks due to its remoteness: it was finally connected in 1976.[8][9]
See also
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about The Black Valley) |
References
- ↑ Cummeenduff Glen: Logainm
- ↑ The Black Valley: RingofKerry.com
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 'Go Walk: The Black Valley, Co Kerry' Tony Doherty in the Irish Times 15 June 2015
- ↑ The Kerry Way - IrishTrails.ie
- ↑ 'Summer cycles: Two new books to guide you on your journeys': Dan MacCarthy in The Irish Examiner 3 May 2017
- ↑ Molls Gap, Gap of Dunloe, Black Valley Loop: Mapmyride.com
- ↑ Gap of Dunloe-Black Valley-Molls Gap-Killarney Loop: Bikemap.net
- ↑ Kerry Way (Town & Villages): Black Valley – CIE Tours
- ↑ 'Black Valley to get landline service': Irish Examiner, 4 April 2007