Overview
Derrycassan Wood covers about 179 acres on the north-eastern shore of Lough Gowna, just outside Mullinaghta and a short drive from Granard in County Longford. The pull here is the mix: quiet lakeside forest laid over the bones of a country estate. At the entrance, beside the Gaelic football pitch, there’s a children’s playground and, more often than not, a mobile coffee van – so it works as an easy family stop as much as a walk. It’s free and open around the clock, with no ticket office to navigate. You park and head straight into the trees.
A walk through history
The wood sits on the footprint of the former Dopping Hepenstall estate, which centred on Derrycassan House – a three-storey mansion built in 1760 with walled gardens, an orchard and a summer house. The house was demolished in 1939, and much of its stone was reused to build St Columba’s church in the nearby village. The estate’s outline still shows: low garden walls, a pair of ornate gate arches and two stone bridges survive among the trees. Older still is the rath, or ringfort, hidden in the woodland – the dwelling place of some of the area’s earliest inhabitants. The state forestry service took over the land in the 1930s and planted the conifer stands that form the wood’s backbone today.
Derrycassan has one unlikely footnote. In 1487, an Irish translation of the Roman poet Statius’s epic ‘Thebaid’ was transcribed here, a reminder that scholarship went on in these townlands long before the Georgian house rose.
Walking trails
Three way-marked circular routes start and finish at the main car park near the entrance. All are graded ‘Easy’, and dogs are welcome on a lead. If you only have half an hour, do the Nature Trail – it gives you the best of the wood, lake view included, for the least effort.
- Nature Trail (Blue) – 1.2 km / ~30 minutes: A short loop along a quiet riverbank, crossing a historic stone bridge to a wooden viewing platform over Lough Gowna and the tree-covered Inchmore Island. Flat and gentle, ideal for young families.
- Walled Garden Loop (Red) – 2.3 km / ~45 minutes: Heads inland to trace the foundations of the 18th-century walled garden, through thickets of rhododendron and elderberry, with the ornate gate arches the clearest marker of the old layout.
- Main Avenue Walk (White) – 3.2 km / ~60 minutes: The longest route follows the original tree-lined avenue that once led to the mansion, climbing gently over esker country for broad lakeside views. You’ll pass the low stone remains of Derrycassan House, an old boat house near the shore, and the earthwork of the rath.
Flora and wildlife
Derrycassan supports around 20 tree species. The canopy is dominated by Sitka spruce, Norway spruce and Douglas fir, with native stands of alder, ash, oak and beech, plus Western hemlock and Western red cedar in the plantation blocks.
Spring is the season to come. The understorey fills with bluebells and periwinkle, while rhododendron and holly form dense thickets. Willow and alder scrub line the riverbanks, and after rain the fungi push up through the leaf litter. Birdwatchers regularly spot blue and great tits, goldfinches, and the occasional woodpecker in the older broadleaf patches; the lake edge draws waterbirds, though sightings vary with the season.
Practical information
- Getting there: The wood is reached via the R395; signage for the car park is clear from the main road.
- Public transport: A bus from Longford town stops at Derrycassan, about a ten-minute walk from the wood.
- Parking: A free, unmarked car park at the entrance. There’s usually ample space, but arrive early on summer weekends for a spot near the trailheads.
- Opening hours and admission: Open year-round, 24 hours a day. Entry is free.
- Facilities: A playground and a mobile coffee van sit at the entrance; picnic tables and benches are scattered near the lake, and a viewing platform stands on the Nature Trail. There are no toilets on site – the nearest are in Granard, about five minutes away by car.
- Accessibility: Trails are unpaved but generally level. The Nature Trail suits most walkers and pushchairs on dry days; the Main Avenue Walk climbs the esker ridge and turns slippery when wet.
- Dogs: Permitted on a lead at all times.
- Safety: Stay on marked paths near the riverbank and the rath earthwork, and wear footwear with grip – roots and damp leaf litter can be slick after rain.
Nearby attractions
If you have time to extend the day, the Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre is a short drive away, built around an exceptionally preserved Iron Age bog road with displays on early Irish travel and peatland history. For a different kind of heritage stop, Ballinamuck is a quiet lakeside village with peaceful walks and the memorial to the 1798 Rebellion battle fought there. Both pair well with an afternoon at Derrycassan.
Come in late April or May for the bluebells, bring a waterproof whatever the forecast, and grab a coffee from the van at the entrance before you set off – there’s nowhere to buy one once you’re among the trees.