Exploring the Soul and Science of a Native Woodland in the Blackwater Valley in North Cork

This walk follows a stream flowing down from the Nagle Mountains to the River Blackwater through a valley in Philip's Woods known as Gleann na nDibergach (The Glen of the Outlaws) first mentioned in the fifteenth century manuscript, the Book of Lismore.

It is a continuation of exploration of this woodland by Ted Cook (I.N.T.O. Heritage Specialist) and Diarmuid Crowley (Geographer) arising from a guided walk in the same location during Heritage Week 2024. The theme of Heritage Week 2026 is ‘Heritage at Risk’ . We are also at risk of losing our collective attention to place. This walk is conceived of as an invitation to tune into the complexity and wonder of this place.

Guide dogs only. Please bring suitable footwear for some uneven terrain. Please bring a packed lunch.

Please note our meeting place for this walk is not the main entrance to Castleblagh Woods. It is a carpark on the L1500 local road 2 kilometres west of Bloomfield crossroads / roundabout near Ballyhooly.

An article by Ted Cook and Diarmuid Crowley about our Heritage Week 2024 walk is available at:

https://heritage.heritagecork.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2023/04/2024-08-18-Philips-Wood-Caslteblagh-near-Ballyhooly-Ted-Cook.pdf