The falls
Mahon Falls is a spate waterfall, which is the single most useful thing to know before you drive out. The River Mahon steps off the Comeragh Mountains plateau over bare sandstone for about 80 metres, but how much water comes with it depends entirely on the weather. After a couple of days of rain it’s a fast, loud rush. In a dry June it thins to a trickle and first-time visitors wonder what the fuss was about. Time a trip to the sky, not the calendar.
The falls sit at the head of Coum Mahon, a corrie scooped out of the mountain by glaciers during the Munsterian Ice Age around 100,000 years ago. The name comes from the Irish Mathghamhna, meaning bear. The same river once drove five mills on its way down to the sea at Bunmahon, and the tunnel and chimney of a 19th-century corn mill still stand downstream at Furraleigh.
If you only have half an hour, walk the short path to the base and leave the mountain loop for another day.
Walking to the falls
Two routes, very different in ambition.
The short walk from the car park to the base is the one nearly everyone does. It’s a mostly level gravel path, roughly 2.5 to 3 km there and back (sources can’t agree on the exact figure), taking about 40 to 50 minutes. The falls are in view the moment you leave the car, which keeps children moving. The path turns rockier and steeper near the end, finishing on natural stone steps. Wear sturdy shoes: after rain both the gravel and the rocks at the base get slick, and pushchairs struggle past the first few hundred metres.
The longer route is a roughly 11 km loop of about four hours onto the open moorland above the falls, described variously as the Coum Tay or Coumfea walk. Treat it as a proper hillwalk, not an extension of the stroll. It is largely unmarked, turns to bog after wet weather, and has sheer drops along the ridgelines, so bring a map and know how to use it, or a reliable GPS. It’s no outing for a first-time hillwalker in poor visibility.
For a sense of scale: in 2005 kayaker Michael Reynolds ran the top of the falls, a vertical drop of about 17 metres. Nobody is suggesting you follow him.
The Magic Road
Just past the car park, a short stretch of the approach road plays a trick on the eye. Put the car in neutral and it appears to roll uphill of its own accord. It comes down to the road’s camber and the slope of the land around it rather than anything stranger, but it’s a reliable few minutes of fun for a carful. Try it only when the road is clear.
Wildlife
The damp ground around the boulders supports ferns and mosses that don’t grow just anywhere, including Wilson’s filmy-fern and fir clubmoss. The uplands are good country for birds of prey: peregrine, merlin, kestrel and buzzard all hunt here. Red squirrel and pine marten live in the nearby conifer plantations, though you’d be lucky to see either.
Practical information
- Getting there: signposted off the N25. From Waterford City head towards Dungarvan and turn onto the R676 at Lemybrien, following the signs. It’s about 25 minutes from Dungarvan and 40 from Waterford City; sat navs find it under ‘Mahon Falls Car Park’.
- Parking: free, near the trailhead. It fills fast on sunny weekends, so come before midday or after 4pm.
- Facilities: almost none. There’s a picnic bench and no toilets, so bring water and take your litter home. Open all hours, free.
- Weather: the Comeraghs are exposed and the weather turns quickly. A waterproof and a warm layer earn their place even in July.
Nearby
A short drive east brings you to Coumshingaun Lough, a glacial cirque backed by some of the highest cliffs in the country, though its walk is a good deal tougher than this one. South, the roads drop down to the Copper Coast and its string of coves, and the Waterford Greenway is within easy reach. For food at the end of the day, Dungarvan and its harbour cafés are the obvious stop. Check the forecast before you set out, and remember the falls are at their best a day or two after rain.