Overview
The Loobagh – An Lúbach, ‘the twisted one’ – earns its name on the way down from the Ballyhoura Mountains, meandering about 21 km through Kilfinane and Kilmallock before it joins the River Maigue south of Bruree. It is a small river, and the reason to seek it out is less the water than where it runs: straight through one of Ireland’s best-preserved medieval towns. In Kilmallock a riverside path puts the ruined Dominican Priory across the water, and the town sits at the centre of a web of walking and cycling routes into the Ballyhoura hills.
Kilmallock, on the river
Kilmallock grew where it did because of the Loobagh. The town takes its name – Cill Mocheallóg, the church of Mocheallóg – from a monastery St Mocheallóg is said to have founded on the hill here around AD 600. From the 13th century it became an important Anglo-Norman town and a centre of trade, and it kept enough of its medieval fabric to make it worth the detour today: over 1,200 m of town walls survive, along with the 13th-century Collegiate Church, the Dominican Priory founded in 1291, and the 15th-century King’s Castle. The Friars’ Gate Theatre and Arts Centre in the town runs exhibitions and performances and has an audio guide to the medieval streets. Kilmallock sits in the valley of the Loobagh, with the Ballyhoura Hills to the south and the Galtee Mountains to the east.
Walking & cycling
The riverside walkway is the short, easy option – a level stroll along the Loobagh’s bends with the Dominican Priory in view across the water, and enough of the town’s history within a few minutes to fill a morning. For more, Kilmallock is a proper cycling hub: signposted loops run from about 20 km up to 83 km, from gentle riverbank circuits to longer climbs into the countryside, and they link into the wider Ballyhoura network of quiet lanes and purpose-built mountain-bike trails.
Fishing
The Loobagh holds brown trout and salmon, and it is a quiet river to fish. A valid Irish angling licence is required, so check the current rules with the local authority or a registered club before you head out. Early summer tends to bring the most active conditions, though a patient angler can do well through much of the year.
Practical information
Access to the river and its paths is free, with no gates or opening hours. Drivers can use the main car park off Main Street in Kilmallock, and on-street parking in the town is free on Saturdays. The riverside path is mostly even going, though a few stretches near the old bridges keep their original stone paving and can be uneven underfoot. Dogs are welcome but should be on a lead near livestock. Cafés, toilets and the town’s heritage attractions are all a short walk away in the centre.
Come for the town as much as the river: walk the riverside path to the Dominican Priory, then follow the walls and the King’s Castle into the medieval core. If you drive, a Saturday gives you free parking and the town at its liveliest.