Ballyhoura - Garanne Loop
Mountain Biking Trail · Limerick
Ballyhoura - Garanne Loop is a 33.9 km difficult waymarked loop in Limerick, starting near Ardpatrick.
Grade
| Activity | Grade | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cycling | Difficult | Challenging | 4 hours |
Getting there
Starts at Glenosheen Car Park, near Ardpatrick.
- Trailhead coordinates
- 52.31941, -8.50647
- Irish Grid reference
- R 656 185
- Ordnance Survey sheets
- Discovery Series Sheet 73
The National Trails Register's own latitude and longitude fields are empty for all 1,186 trails on it. This trailhead comes from Sport Ireland's separate Trailheads dataset, matched to this trail on its register ID.
Public transport
Bus: https://www.locallinklc.ie/2019/11/23/ballyorgan-ardpatrick-kilmallock-charleville-doneraile
Before you arrive
Car parking fee on entry 5 euro - coins only Opening hours: 8.00 - 22.00 sharp (January to December)
About the trail
This loop takes in some long and fast singletrack descents as well as numerous long and demanding climbs on forest roads, tracks and singletrack trails.The singletrack is technical in places with numerous very tight turns, steep descents and features such as small rock steps, exposed roots and elevated timber boardwalks. Trail surfaces vary a lot including loose gravel, rocks, mud and water and can be very uneven and extremely narrow with encroaching vegetation, boulders and trees. It accesses areas of high ground that can be exposed to bad weather.
- Waymarking
- White
- Dogs
- No
Who manages it
Ballyhoura Heritage & Environment CLG
Ballyhoura Heritage & Environment CLG
Conditions and closures change. The operator is the authority on both, not this page.
Elsewhere
Trails nearby
Measured trailhead to trailhead, in a straight line.
- Ballyhoura - Castlepook Loop 0 m away · 48.5 km trail
- Ballyhoura - Greenwood Loop 0 m away · 5.9 km trail
- Ballyhoura - Mountrussel Loop 0 m away · 16.8 km trail
- Ballyhoura - Streamhill Loop 0 m away · 39.4 km trail
- Ballyhoura - Nature Trail 55 m away · 2.4 km trail
- Ballyhoura - Blackrock Loop 374 m away · 10 km trail
Common questions
How long is the Ballyhoura - Garanne Loop?
33.9 km, recorded as a loop on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. It climbs 630 m in total. Sport Ireland estimates 4 hours.
How hard is the Ballyhoura - Garanne Loop?
Sport Ireland grades it Difficult, with an overall difficulty of Challenging. Grades are set against national criteria, so they are comparable with other registered trails.
Where does the Ballyhoura - Garanne Loop start?
Starts at Glenosheen Car Park, near Ardpatrick. The trailhead is at 52.31941, -8.50647 (Irish Grid R 656 185).
Can you bring a dog on the Ballyhoura - Garanne Loop?
No. The register records dogs as not allowed on this trail.
Can you get to the Ballyhoura - Garanne Loop without a car?
Bus: https://www.locallinklc.ie/2019/11/23/ballyorgan-ardpatrick-kilmallock-charleville-doneraile.
Who manages the Ballyhoura - Garanne Loop?
Ballyhoura Heritage & Environment CLG. They are the authority on current conditions and closures, not this page.
More in Limerick
Trail data from the Sport Ireland National Trails Register, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Trailhead coordinates from the companion Trailheads dataset. Snapshot taken 2026-08-13.