Cumeengadhra

Location: Cumeengadhra is the glen south-west of the Healy Pass on the upper reaches of the Drumminboy River, above the waterfall.

Description: There is a vast amount of rock there, though a fair proportion of it is discontinuous in the usual West Cork-Kerry fashion. Four routes were done there by Ms E. Healy and F. Winder, but records are sketchy.

Waterfall Flake 110m V.Diff
F. Winder, Ms E. Healy. 17.8.54
As one ascends for a little way by a track by the waterfall that leads up to Cumeengadhra, to the right of the waterfall a slight rib runs up to a great flake high up. To the left of this line are blank-looking walls, to the right are green overhangs. The climb follows the line of the rib to the flake.
1. 15m. Climb up the rib, hard at first. Spike belay.
2. 10m. Up to left of crack and right of holly tree. Thread belay.
3. 25m. Follow rib slightly leftwards. Flake belay.
4. 25m. Continue up.
5. 35m. Up great flake and continue to top.

Up The Tooth 100m Diff
F. Winder, Ms E. Healy. 17.8.54
If one walks up to the top of the buttress on which the previous climb lies, one can traverse easily left onto broad ledges that grow narrower as one moves further left. Where the ledges almost fade out, one can do pleasant mod. to diff. climbing up a series of slight buttresses for about 100m and can then scramble to the top of Cnoc Fiacla.

Shadowy Walls 40m Severe
F. Winder, Ms E. Healy. 17.8.54
In the north-west corner of Cumeengadhra, between the previous climb and the next one, a gully runs up the back wall. A series of fairly clean walls run up to the right of this. This climb takes an obvious route up these. The details are lost. The first section is at least Severe.

Mantle's Edge 65m V.Diff
F. Winder, Ms E. Healy. 17.8.54
At the back of Cumeengadhra there is a large, steep slab with the ruins of a cottage at its base - we called this the Sheep-King’s Mantle (the inhabitants of the lower reaches of the Drumminboy River referred to those living in the higher reaches as the Sheep Kings; this may include families who once lived up in Cumeengadhra itself). In 1954 this cottage at the back of the coum was still tenanted by an old man who lived in a tunnel in the sheep’s wool with which it was packed. The centre of this slab should be climbable on small holds from bottom to top, but the possibilities of protection looked poor for such a central attack. Instead, an easier and protectable route was taken near the left hand edge.
1. 25m. Climb up the slab to a ledge along which a traverse can be made to the vertical step at the edge.
2. 40m. Climb the step and traverse along a thin line of vegetation for about 20m. Climb back across to a patch of vegetation. Climb straight up from this to the big ledge above. A traverse off was made along this ledge because of time and midges, but the slab could be climbed for about another 30m.