The Hymany Way
The Hymany Way forms part of the Beara-Breifne Way. It is a long-distance 80km trail which begins in Portumna and ends in Ballygar and the entire route is typically completed in four days but can also be enjoyed in shorter stages. It is designated as a National Waymarked Trail by the National Trails Office of the Irish Sports Council and is managed by the Aughrim Development Company Limited.
Starting in Portumna, the trail follows the banks of the River Shannon before turning inland at the townland of Friarsland, near Eyrecourt, to reach Clonfert. From Clonfert, it crosses bogland to the townland of Cloonascragh. On the final approach to Aughrim, it passes the site of the Battle of Aughrim (see Battle of Aughrim Trail).
North of Aughrim it passes the Esker Riada, a series of meltwater ridges stretching from Dublin to Galway created at the end of the last ice-age. “Eiscir’’is a mound or an elevation and this was the highway used by travellers going from east to west through the midland bogs of Ireland. On route to Ballygar you pass Cloonigny Castle, now in ruins, with its moated site, occupied by “Shane De Moy’’ (O’Kelly) in 1574. Close by is a ringfort containing a souterain. Due to the ecological importance of its plants and animals, Killure Bog was declared a Natural Heritage Area in 2003.
