Ballyhoura - Mountrussel Loop

Mountain Biking Trail · Limerick

Ballyhoura - Mountrussel Loop is a 16.8 km difficult waymarked loop in Limerick, starting near Ardpatrick.

Distance
16.8 km
Climb
360 m
Shape
Loop
Time
2 hours

Grade

Activity Grade Difficulty Time
Cycling Difficult Challenging 2 hours

Getting there

Starts at Glenosheen Car Park, near Ardpatrick.

Directions to the trailhead

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 features some steep climbs on forest roads and singletrack as well as long singletrack descents. All of the singletrack trails have extremely varied and sometimes very uneven surfaces, including rocks, loose gravel, mud, water and roots and are often very narrow with lots of tight turns, encroaching vegetation and with trees and boulders very close to the trail. There are also long sections of elevated timber boardwalk with exposed edges and uneven and sometimes slippery surfaces.

Waymarking
Brown
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.

Common questions

How long is the Ballyhoura - Mountrussel Loop?

16.8 km, recorded as a loop on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. It climbs 360 m in total. Sport Ireland estimates 2 hours.

How hard is the Ballyhoura - Mountrussel 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 - Mountrussel 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 - Mountrussel Loop?

No. The register records dogs as not allowed on this trail.

Can you get to the Ballyhoura - Mountrussel Loop without a car?

Bus: https://www.locallinklc.ie/2019/11/23/ballyorgan-ardpatrick-kilmallock-charleville-doneraile.

Who manages the Ballyhoura - Mountrussel 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.