Overview
Florence Mac Moyer, the last hereditary keeper of the Book of Armagh, is buried under a large ash tree in the churchyard here – the man who pawned that medieval manuscript for £5 and later gave evidence at the trial of Oliver Plunkett. That grave is the reason to pair the short woodland walk with the old church, and it’s the single most interesting thing on the site.
The walk itself is a strip of mixed woodland squeezed between farm fields, following the Creggan River through a fairy glen of deep mossy, ferned banks. It’s small, but it walks much bigger than it looks. The estate was the demesne of the Synnot family, linen merchants, and was one of the first properties handed to the National Trust – given over by the Hart-Synnot family in the 1950s. The walk runs on National Trust land today.
Walking the glen
The loop is waymarked from the small car park at the junction of Ballymoyer Road and Drumcrow Road. It’s logged as 2 miles (about 4.5 km on some maps), takes roughly an hour and 25 minutes, is graded moderate and climbs around 59 m in total. The riverside stretch is the good part – flat, mossy, the Creggan running alongside – and the looped top section that traverses the steep glen is the harder, muddier one. If you’re short on time or unsure of footing, do the river path and turn back.
In spring and early summer the floor carpets over with primrose, celandine, bluebell and foxglove. There’s a rope swing at a flat spot by the river, so a change of footwear for children is a sensible idea.
Two honest warnings. The route crosses Ballymoyer Road, which is busy and fast, so keep children close there and at the steep drops above the river. And as of April 2025 walkers reported the trail blocked by dozens of fallen trees; the woodland is open year-round, but it’s worth checking the path is clear before you make a special trip.
The old church and the Mac Moyer grave
The churchyard sits a short walk from the car park. St Luke’s parish church was consecrated in 1822; beside it stands the older ruined church, a much earlier structure, set in the original parish burial ground. It’s open all year and free.
The draw is Mac Moyer’s grave beneath the ash tree. As hereditary keeper, the Book of Armagh had passed down his family for generations; he pawned it for £5 and gave evidence at the trial of Oliver Plunkett, the Archbishop of Armagh. A plaque at the grave tells the story.
Practical information
- Distance: roughly 2 miles (about 4.5 km) loop
- Time: about 1 hour 25 minutes
- Difficulty: moderate – steep and muddy in the glen sections
- Ascent: around 59 m
- Parking: free, but very limited – only 8 to 10 spaces at the junction of Ballymoyer Road and Drumcrow Road
- Facilities: none on site (no toilets); shops and toilets are in Whitecross, the nearest village
- Accessibility: low-gradient sections near the start suit wheelchairs and pushchairs; the steep glen is not suitable for limited mobility
- Opening and admission: open year-round, free
- Contact: 028 3031 3170 (Newry Tourist Info) / 028 9751 0721 (National Trust)
Getting there – Access is from Ballymoyer Road, between Whitecross and Newtownhamilton; the car park is at the junction with Drumcrow Road. The satnav postcode BT60 2JN gets you close, though not always right to the gate, so watch for the turn.
What to bring – No facilities means your own water and snacks. Wear boots or sturdy shoes for the uneven, muddy ground, and pack spare clothes for children who’ll find the rope swing.
Nearby
- Gosford Forest Park – Walled demesne with woodland trails and a mock-Norman castle, about six miles away at Markethill.
- Camlough – Lake under Slieve Gullion for picnics and fishing, around four and a half miles east.
- Ballykeel Dolmen – A well-preserved Neolithic portal tomb near Mullaghbawn, six miles off.
- Armagh City – The two cathedrals and the Observatory and Planetarium, six miles away.
Come on a weekday morning before the handful of parking spaces fill, and give yourself time to read the plaque at the ash tree – the Mac Moyer story is the thing you’ll remember.