From the Community Centre, walk towards Fermoy and turn left towards Kill-St-Anne Cemetery at the Franciscan Abbey cross-roads. Take the first turn right and, if you wish, visit the old cemetery.

The old cemetery of St. Nicholas' Church at Kill-St-Anne dates at least to the 14th century, and it was in use up until the early 1960's. All that now remains of the 14th century church, is what appears to be a bell-tower, and two large gothic arches.

The gable end on the east-facing wall outlines what would have once been the chancel of the church. The smaller church located inside the archways was built in 1771 and was a Church of Ireland chapel.

The east wall of this church boasts a beautiful tracery window which, it is said, once belonged to the older church. Inside the chancel is a beautifully ornamented gothic archway which separates it from the nave.

In the graveyard are some of the finest examples of 17th century tombs and headstones in Munster. One of the oldest of the headstones is dedicated to Jane Thomas; it is a Georgian style memorial dated to 1689. The other headstone dating to 1689, is a scrolled design memorial and is dedicated to Sylvestra Jessup and her daughter Sara-May.

Two tombs in the cemetery are also 17th century in date, the first of these is dedicated to the Vowell family and is dated to 1681, while the other tomb is dedicated to the Peard family and dates 1683.

There is also a mausoleum in the graveyard dedicated to the Peards (who were landlords in the area) and this is thought to be 18th century in origin. Facing eastwards, alongside the churches, is the Barrymore Mausoleum.

It is here that the famous lords of Barrymore are buried with their families. Included here are the remains of David the first Earl of Barrymore, and his wife, as well as his relatives from Fota Island near Cobh in Co. Cork.

The cemetery is both a Church of Ireland and Catholic graveyard. The north-east corner is largely dedicated to those of the Church of Ireland faith. Here the memorials take the form of plain crosses and gabled tombs. The rest of the cemetery is Catholic, where the memorials range from Celtic Crosses to Scrolled Headstones to Table Tombs.

Proceed along this road and turn right at the first cross-road, Kill-St-Anne. Keep straight ahead through the next cross-roads and follow the pleasant meandering road towards Coole.

Coole, was an early ecclesiastical site of some significance. Constructed from stones of considerable size, the western and northern walls, as well as the southern wall, have been reduced to a little over 3ft in height. The east wall remains standing and where the altar once stood there is a lancet-style window, like those found in round towers. Directly behind Coole Abbey is Coole House, an 18th century Mansion by Davis Ducart, once the family home of the powerful Peard Landlords.

They were originally from Upcott in Devonshire, England. Richard Peard, the first of his family to arrive in Ireland, is buried in a tomb at the old cemetery of Kill-St-Anne.

Later generations of the family are interred in a family mausoleum at the same site.

Described in manuscripts from the 19th century, the house was seen as a 'plain modern building'. Coole House later came into the possession of the McCausland family. Orr McCausland, a late 19th century landlord, was at the centre of a bitter controversy in 1889, when he took up a holding on land from which a man named Richard Rice had been evicted two years earlier.

Fr. O'Dwyer, curate in the Parish at the time, was one of the people who led the agitation against Orr McCausland, an action for which he was arrested and sentenced to five months in jail.

Turn right at Coole and proceed along this road straight through the first cross-roads - Edgars Cross (1 km) and on through the next cross-roads along the winding road towards the River Bride where there is a little footbridge.

Cross the footbridge and turn right towards the first cross-roads called Leary's Cross. Midway (1km) along this road on your left is the old Kilcor Castle.

Kilcor Castle, was once the home of the O'Brien family, a branch of the famous County Clare clan of the same name.

After the dissolution of the Franciscan monastery following the reformation, tradition holds that fleeing monks were sheltered at the castle.

Fr. Cornelius O'Brien of Kilcor Castle was parish priest of Castlelyons at the time of the Williamite wars and at the beginning of the Penal code. A field known as Pairc an tSéipeal lies close to the O'Brien home in Kilcor.

Surviving the land confiscations' of the late 17th century, the family held on to their estate of 770 acres until 1851. Kilcor Castle is now in private ownership.

At Leary's Cross, turn right and proceed along the road into the village of Bridebridge. In that village you will pass the lovely old St. Nicholas Church.

The parish church of St. Nicholas, situated on the edge of the village of Bridebridge was built while Fr. Patrick Duggan was parish priest, between 1840 and 1848. It was constructed to replace an earlier building.

Gothic windows were built into the transepts and rear-gallery, a belfry was put at the entrance to the church with a niche for a statue of St. Patrick, and a bell was made by Sheridans of Dublin in 1861.

To the front of the church is a small graveyard, here there is a Celtic cross dedicated to an tAthair Peadar O'Laoighre, who was Parish priest of Castlelyons from 1890 until his death in 1920. He was regarded as one of the finest Gaelic writers of his generation. His literary achievements were well recognised during his lifetime.

Continue past the church and take a sharp right and left at the school at Stable Cross.