Nire Valley Trails - Coumlara Loop
Walking Trail · Waterford
Nire Valley Trails - Coumlara Loop is a 6.6 km strenuous waymarked loop in Waterford, starting near Ballymacarbry.
Grade
| Activity | Grade | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking | Strenuous | Challenging | 3 hours 30 minutes |
Getting there
Starts at Nire Valley Car Park, near Ballymacarbry.
- Trailhead coordinates
- 52.26683, -7.59517
- Irish Grid reference
- S 277 128
- Ordnance Survey sheets
- Discovery Series Sheet 75
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.
About the trail
This walk takes you on sand road, roadway, track and mountain terrain heading towards the lower slopes of the Comeragh Mountains, crossing the Nire River, a stream flowing from Coumlara, the shoulder of Carrignagower and on to The Gap, returning along a mountain track to the trailhead. The area is beautiful and remote with scenic views.
- Waymarking
- Red arrow on white background
- Dogs
- No
Who manages it
Waterford City & County Council
Waterford City & County Council
Conditions and closures change. The operator is the authority on both, not this page.
Trails nearby
Measured trailhead to trailhead, in a straight line.
- Nire Valley Trails - Coumduala Loop 0 m away · 8 km trail
- Nire Valley Trails - Gap Walk 0 m away · 6 km trail
- Nire Valley Trails - Sgilloges Walk 0 m away · 7 km trail
- Boolas Loop 3.9 km away · 9.6 km trail
- Lough Mohra Loop 5.2 km away · 7 km trail
- Rath Beag Loop 5.2 km away · 3.1 km trail
Common questions
How long is the Nire Valley Trails - Coumlara Loop?
6.6 km, recorded as a loop on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. It climbs 350 m in total. Sport Ireland estimates 3 hours 30 minutes.
How hard is the Nire Valley Trails - Coumlara Loop?
Sport Ireland grades it Strenuous, with an overall difficulty of Challenging. Grades are set against national criteria, so they are comparable with other registered trails.
Where does the Nire Valley Trails - Coumlara Loop start?
Starts at Nire Valley Car Park, near Ballymacarbry. The trailhead is at 52.26683, -7.59517 (Irish Grid S 277 128).
Can you bring a dog on the Nire Valley Trails - Coumlara Loop?
No. The register records dogs as not allowed on this trail.
Who manages the Nire Valley Trails - Coumlara Loop?
Waterford City & County Council. 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: Nire Valley Trails Some of the property traversed by the Nire Valley Trails 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.