Coomhola Bridge: Priest's Leap, Hiking and Geology

Coomhola Bridge can be explored through different walking and landscape themes: the Coorycommane Loop starts and ends at the bridge, Priest's Leap shapes the area's road and cycling routes, and named rock formations are exposed at several locations. This offers different ways to plan your trip – from a waymarked hiking loop to a longer cycling tour and geological features.

Hiking and Cycling: Two Different Scales

The Coorycommane Loop is a challenging 4.5-kilometre circular hiking trail that starts and ends at Coomhola Bridge. The loop is estimated to take about three hours, with an ascent of 160 metres. Blue arrows mark the route, and dogs are not allowed. The combination of distance and time estimate helps with day planning: allow around three hours for this hike and check local trail conditions before setting out.

The Priest's Leap Cycle Loop is on a different scale: the 60-kilometre route starts in Kenmare. After a 16-kilometre descent, it runs through the Borlin Valley and parallel to the Coomhola River to the junction at Coomhola Bridge. The signed climb to Priest's Leap begins there. Over the seven kilometres to the summit, the route gains 560 metres in elevation. Comparing it with the Coorycommane Loop highlights the different scales: a roughly three-hour hike over 4.5 kilometres on the one hand, and a 60-kilometre cycling loop with a specified climb on the other. Road and weather conditions can change; check them before setting out.

Priest's Leap between Cork and Kerry

Priest's Leap is a steep, almost straight, single-track pass between Coomhola Bridge in County Cork and the village of Bonane in County Kerry. It lies east of the winding N71 main road between Bantry and Kenmare. At 463 metres, Priest's Leap is the highest mountain pass in Munster; the road runs from County Cork across the border into County Kerry. These details distinguish the pass by both its location and its elevation. If you are planning your route using a map, keep the pass and the N71 as two separate road references: Priest's Leap lies east of the N71 and is itself a single-track pass. Road conditions can vary, so it is advisable to check them before setting out.

Rock formations around Coomhola Bridge

North of Coomhola Bridge, rocks of the Old Head Sandstone Formation are exposed. Between Coomhola Bridge and Snave Bridge, rocks of the Kinsale Formation are exposed, including the Ardaturrish, Reenagough and Ardnamanagh members; these sections are accessible. Take particular care when visiting roadside and riverside sections. The different names help distinguish the outcrops described: the Old Head Sandstone Formation is noted north of the bridge, while the Kinsale Formation, with its three members, is exposed between the two bridges.

The Coomhola site on the Coomhola River also displays a continuous stratigraphic sequence of Carboniferous rocks. “Stratigraphic” refers to the sequence of rocks; here, the sequence's continuous structure is the site's defining feature. For those interested in geology, both specific formation names and a sequence of Carboniferous rocks are highlighted as distinct aspects of the surrounding area.

The legend behind the name

A local legend is associated with Priest's Leap. A priest pursued by British soldiers is said to have made a miraculous leap on his horse near Kenmare in County Kerry, landing several miles away at Knockboy in County Cork. According to the legend, this is how the mountain pass got its name. The story thus links Kenmare, Knockboy and the pass through a tale passed down over time; it offers a different way to learn about Priest's Leap than the straightforward details about its elevation, road route or cycling trail.

Discover more destinations: Bantry, Ballylickey, Ardfield, Slievemore, Cork, Ahakista, Killeagh, Tracarta.

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