Overview
Of the roughly 1,000 who set out with Donal Cam O’Sullivan Beare from west Cork in the winter of 1602, only about 35 were still alive when they reached the Boyle River at Knockvicar. That march – a fortnight’s retreat north after the defeat at Kinsale – is the reason a village of fewer than 300 people turns up in the history books at all, and its route is now retraced by the Beara–Breifne Way, which passes through here.
Today Knockvicar (Irish: Cnoc an Bhiocáire) is a quiet stop on the R285 between Boyle and Carrick-on-Shannon, on the Arigna Scenic Drive and a couple of minutes from Lough Key Forest Park. For a short break, walk the towpath by the bridge; if you’re planning ahead, the alpaca farm is the draw – but book, because it barely opens (more on that below).
History
The O’Sullivan Beare survivors crossed the Boyle here before pushing on into Leitrim to reach O’Rourke’s castle at Leitrim village. A Franciscan priory is said to have stood on the site in the late Middle Ages, falling into ruin after the Reformation, and there’s a Second World War pillbox tucked into the village – an unexpectedly recent piece of military history for so quiet a place. Excavations at nearby Kilteasheen between 2005 and 2009 turned up medieval farm tools and domestic pottery, filling in the everyday life of the area.
The best-known local name is the actress Maureen O’Sullivan – Jane in the Tarzan films – who spent part of her childhood in this corner of Roscommon.
What to see and do
The bridge and towpath
The Boyle River runs under Knockvicar’s stone bridge, and a flat towpath follows it – an easy walk or gentle cycle. About 300 metres upstream you reach the weir and the Clarendon lock gates, which control the water dropping into Lough Key; it’s a quiet spot to watch small craft work through the lock or to birdwatch. There’s a small car park by the bridge.
Knockvicar Alpaca Farm
Just outside the village, the family-run alpaca farm keeps around 50 animals, with a Hawthorn walk and hand-feeding on the visit. Here’s the catch worth knowing before you drive out: it keeps very short hours. The farm generally opens from March, and in the peak of July and August it’s Sundays only, 10am to 3pm. Visits and guided treks are by arrangement, so contact ahead – phone 086 052 6560 (ask for Angela) or book through knockvicar.ie. Wellies or sturdy boots are wise after wet weather, and bring your own water, as there’s nothing sold on site.
Tara Marina and Lough Key
At the mouth of Lough Key, Tara Marina offers moorings for boats and runs the Tara Marina Restaurant & Bar – a handy stop if you’re on the water, and a reason on its own to end a walk here. Knockvicar’s real value is its position: it puts several bigger draws within a short drive.
- Lough Key Forest Park – canopy walks, boat tours, cycling trails and the Boda Borg adventure centre, a short drive north.
- Boyle Abbey – a well-preserved 12th-century Cistercian ruin by the river.
- Strokestown House Gardens & Famine Museum – a historic estate and museum on 19th-century Irish life and the Great Famine.
- Arigna Mountains – the rugged backdrop to the scenic drive, good hillwalking country.
For an overnight, the Riverhaven Log Cabins and Riversdale Log House sit on a working farm a few minutes away, with wood-burning stoves and their own forest trails; a 500-metre riverside walk reaches the local shop and post office.
Getting there and practical information
Knockvicar is easiest by car via the R285, which connects to the N4. Public transport is thin – Bus Éireann stops in Boyle and Carrick-on-Shannon, and it’s a short taxi from either.
Parking at the bridge is free and open year-round, and the towpath and lock are accessible at any time, though water levels rise and fall with the rain. Signal holds in the village but drops in the wooded stretches of the towpath, so carry a map if you’re walking the full length toward Lough Key. The Kilteasheen dig site is on private land at the Riversdale Estate; contact them in advance if you want to see it.
Treat Knockvicar as a calm half-day: a towpath walk, the lock, a booked alpaca visit and lunch at the marina before you carry on to Boyle or Lough Key.