Sunday’s four boot walk was expertly led by Ger who took the group from Ballybawn Lane up to the ridge which marks the boundary between counties Wexford and Carlow and north to Carrigalacken and then on and up to Caher Roe’s “den” for lunch.
Caher Roe was Cathaoir na gCapall, a raparee of the late 17th and early 18th century from the family of O’Dempsey of Clanmaliere in Co. Laois. He was known as a horse-thief, and the ‘Den’ was one of his refuges, reputedly a cave, but none is known. This was a meeting-place on the last Sunday in July, known as Mountain Sunday, for people from couties Carlow and Wexford at a celebration of Lughnasa.
After lunch, the group finished the climb to Blackstairs mountain with the earlier sultry weather being replaced by dampish cloud. Return was by a direct descent towards Carrickalacken.
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