Devil’s Bit Loop

Interesting walk by a famous landmark steeped in History & Mythology. Moderate fitness. Adjacent to Templemore Town. A-B. Starting from the car park follow the purple arrow through the kissing gate and onto a sandy laneway. Continue uphill to reach forestry where you turn left at a kissing gate and, almost immediately, turn right into forestry. Follow the ‘green track’ uphill to reach the Rock Tower (on your left) and join a forestry road. This is the point from where the loop ‘proper’ begins - you will return to here later. Ahead of you is a Mass Rock and shrine, and uphill the white cross that marks the summit of Little Rock. You will get to it later - for now, turn left. B-C. Continue to follow the purple arrows along the forestry road, and enjoy the views south to the Galtee Mountains. As it ascends gently it sweeps right to give you fine views northward into Counties Laois and Galway. Pass two green tracks and a forestry road (all on your left) before reaching a 3-way junction where you turn right. C-B. This section of tree-shaded forestry road takes you uphill before turning left and, after 400m joining a narrow track which swings around Little Rock. There is a short spur up to the cross - the views from it are well worth the trip up. The narrow track joins a ‘green’ roadway near a shrine and Mass rock. Turn right and downhill - and after 60m you rejoin the forestry road at Rock Tower where you started the loop. This time - go straight across. B-A. Continue to follow the purple arrows downhill through forestry, turn left at the exit and, almost immediately, turn right onto the sandy farm laneway which takes you back to the trailhead.