The Irish Times today profiles the walk up Clara Mountain bringing in Mount Leader House and other items along the route:
—————–
Reminders of the Anglo-Irish ascendancy are a compelling attraction on the way up Claragh Mountain.
THE GHOSTS of old estates with their haunting reminders of the Anglo-Irish ascendancy always provide a compelling attraction and I can mooch around them for hours, especially if they are not well frequented. Such is the case with the Mount Leader Estate through which the Duhallow Way provides access to Claragh Mountain (452m) whose profile provides such a fine backdrop to the town of Millstreet.
Inside the now gateless portals the stream-eroded remnants of the old avenue lead to a broad expanse of open parkland beyond which stands Mount Leader.
Built in 1834, this fine Georgian mansion was lived in until the 1970s. The speed of dereliction has been so rapid it gives the impression that it was abandoned at a far earlier date and only the shell remains but the interior and exterior walls seem solid enough. Cut into the side of Claragh, the site looks out over the Finnow Valley to the Boggeragh Mountains beyond.
Read the full article on the Irish Times
