Mount Melleray Pilgrim Paths - The Cross
Walking Trail · Waterford
Mount Melleray Pilgrim Paths - The Cross is a 1.9 km moderate waymarked loop in Waterford, starting near Cappoquin.
Grade
| Activity | Grade | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking | Moderate | Moderate | 1 hour 15 minutes |
Getting there
Starts at Mount Melleray Abbey Car Park, near Cappoquin.
- Trailhead coordinates
- 52.18714, -7.85741
- Irish Grid reference
- S 09800 03902
- Ordnance Survey sheets
- Discovery Series Sheets 74
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
Local Link bus service available Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from Mount Melleray to Dungarvan
About the trail
The pilgrim walking trails of Mount Melleray (Cosáin Chnoc Mheilearaí) are steeped in tradition, collectively covering over 30km of track in the lower hills of the Knockmealdown Mountains. This beautiful area has been home to the Cistercian Monks since they arrived here in 1832, having come from Melleray in Brittany, France. The trails enabled the monks, the people of Melleray and others access the mountaineous areas to harvest turf, to herd sheep and to walk long distances across the mountain range. The monks were given 600 acres of mountain land by Sir Richard Keane in 1832 and cultivated the terrain with the support of many local parishes. Today’s pilgrim walking trails cross the same paths used by the monks since the 1800’s, with a wonderful mix of meandering boreens, forest trails and open mountain traverses. The overriding symbol of peace and hope in the hills is The Holy Year Cross and it is this iconic monument that is a powerful symbol of the Cosáin Chnoc Mheilearaí. Mount Melleray is now a leading spiritual centre in Ireland, attracting visitors from all over the world. The monks gather several times a day to pray and chant the psalms, they run a guesthouse and café and offer hospitality to walkers, pilgrims and penitents. The pilgrim trails allow us to step back into the past but also to imagine the future through the timeless beauty of this landscape.
- Waymarking
- Black arrow on white background (with white cross at the centre)
- Dogs
- No
Who manages it
Melleray Mountain Meitheal
Waterford LEADER Partnership | tel: 058 54646 | email:[email protected]
Conditions and closures change. The operator is the authority on both, not this page.
Trails nearby
Measured trailhead to trailhead, in a straight line.
- Mount Melleray Pilgrim Paths - Byrne's Bridge 0 m away · 12.2 km trail
- Mount Melleray Pilgrim Paths - The Grotto 0 m away · 2.3 km trail
- Mount Melleray Pilgrim Paths - The Source 0 m away · 4.6 km trail
- Mount Melleray Pilgrim Paths - The Well 0 m away · 1.5 km trail
- Glenshelane - Blue Trail 5.1 km away · 1.9 km trail
- Glenshelane - Green Trail 5.1 km away · 3.4 km trail
Common questions
How long is the Mount Melleray Pilgrim Paths - The Cross?
1.9 km, recorded as a loop on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. Sport Ireland estimates 1 hour 15 minutes.
How hard is the Mount Melleray Pilgrim Paths - The Cross?
Sport Ireland grades it Moderate. Grades are set against national criteria, so they are comparable with other registered trails.
Where does the Mount Melleray Pilgrim Paths - The Cross start?
Starts at Mount Melleray Abbey Car Park, near Cappoquin. The trailhead is at 52.18714, -7.85741 (Irish Grid S 09800 03902).
Can you bring a dog on the Mount Melleray Pilgrim Paths - The Cross?
No. The register records dogs as not allowed on this trail.
Can you get to the Mount Melleray Pilgrim Paths - The Cross without a car?
Local Link bus service available Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from Mount Melleray to Dungarvan.
Who manages the Mount Melleray Pilgrim Paths - The Cross?
Melleray Mountain Meitheal. They are the authority on current conditions and closures, not this page.
More in Waterford
This trail crosses private land by permission
Annual Closure Notice: Mt Melleray Pilgrim Paths Some of the property traversed by the Mt. Melleray Pilgrim Paths is private property. Access is available by kind permission of all the landowners/holders on the route. Persons entering do so by permission with the consent of the landowner. No matter how often they enter, or in what numbers, they do not do so as of right. As further evidence of the permissive nature of the access, the route will be closed for one day on the third Thursday of December each year in agreement with the landowners. Nothing in this notice shall impact or address any pre-existing public rights of way.
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.