Sean Kelly Cycle Route - The Kelly Comeragh Challange

Road Cycling Trail · Waterford

Sean Kelly Cycle Route - The Kelly Comeragh Challange is a 166.5 km very challenging waymarked loop in Waterford, starting near Dungarvan.

Distance
166.5 km
Climb
1,990 m
Shape
Loop
Time
8 hours

Grade

Activity Grade Difficulty Time
Cycling Very Challenging Very Challenging 8 hours

Getting there

Starts at Entrance to Walton Causeway Park on R911, near Dungarvan.

Directions to the trailhead

Trailhead coordinates
52.08895, -7.62019
Irish Grid reference
X 263 933
Ordnance Survey sheets
Discovery Series Sheets 74, 75 and 82

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 Eireann bus

About the trail

This route is designed for the experienced touring cyclist with four really tough climbs and some of the most scenic upland countryside imaginable. It passes via Lemybrien, Carrick-on-Suir, Clonmel, Ballymacarbry, Rathgormack, Mahon Bridge, Mahon Falls, Kilrossanty, Kilbrien and Bery's Cross and includes a loop from Carrickbeg with the back-breaking Sheskin Hill. You also meander through the gorgeous Nire Valley, into the heart of the Comeraghs, climb to Powers the Pot, descend through enchanting uplands, climb to the Máma Road with downhill for about the last 13 kilometres.

Waymarking
White signs with blue text

Who manages it

Waterford City & County Council

Smarter Travel Dungarvan, Co Waterford

Conditions and closures change. The operator is the authority on both, not this page.

Trails nearby

Measured trailhead to trailhead, in a straight line.

Common questions

How long is the Sean Kelly Cycle Route - The Kelly Comeragh Challange?

166.5 km, recorded as a loop on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. It climbs 1,990 m in total. Sport Ireland estimates 8 hours.

How hard is the Sean Kelly Cycle Route - The Kelly Comeragh Challange?

Sport Ireland grades it Very Challenging. Grades are set against national criteria, so they are comparable with other registered trails.

Where does the Sean Kelly Cycle Route - The Kelly Comeragh Challange start?

Starts at Entrance to Walton Causeway Park on R911, near Dungarvan. The trailhead is at 52.08895, -7.62019 (Irish Grid X 263 933).

Can you get to the Sean Kelly Cycle Route - The Kelly Comeragh Challange without a car?

Bus Eireann bus.

Who manages the Sean Kelly Cycle Route - The Kelly Comeragh Challange?

Waterford City & County Council. They are the authority on current conditions and closures, not this page.

More in Waterford

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.