A walk in Glanworth gives a unique view of Ireland's historic past. Ancient prehistoric sites, medieval buildings and other aspects of our heritage can be viewed.

Begin at the Chapel Square at the Church which was built in 1948 using the stone from Galty Castle, (this is also mentioned in the Galty walks 13.1 where the site of Galty Castle is identified).

Walk downhill past the old Church and Community Hall. Directly ahead are the ruins of Glanworth Castle.

Dominating the village skyline, Glanworth Castle once controlled a strategic crossing point on the River Funshion. Built by the Condons in the 13th century, the castle soon passed to another Norman family, the Roches, who effectively controlled much of North Cork between then and the 17th century. Recent conservation work by the Office of Public Works, has now rendered the complex safe and accessible to the public, preserving for us a unique record of Medieval grandeur in Ireland.

Turn left for 30m and then turn right, taking the road towards Mitchelstown and Ballindangan. Immediately on the left hand side you will pass the ruins of the Church of Ireland including the graveyard.

In recent years, almost three hundred headstones have been refurbished.

The earliest gravestone so far discovered in the cemetery is that of MB who died in 1720. The identity of MB is unknown.

Further along the road on the left, you will see the ruin of the Dominican Friary, overlooking the sweep of the Funshion Valley, including the beautiful weir which crosses under the bridge at the mill.

The Dominican Order set up their foundation in Glanworth in 1275 on the invitation of David Roche, Viscount Fermoy, and the occupier of nearby Glanworth Castle. One of the first of the 'intellectual' religious orders, their arrival in Glanworth was then a significant coup for the Roches. However, their time in Glanworth soon coincided with the religious persecutions of the following centuries so that by the end of the 18th century they were no longer being assigned to Glanworth as their sponsors, the Roches, had gone the way of most of the Irish ruling families.

Now only their convent, with its square central tower, remains as a witness to their troubled past, though its dedication to the Holy Cross lives on in the name of the local parish church.

Below the Friary on the river bank is St. Dominic's Well, once credited with miraculous cures and where devotion to the Saint is being revived again.

One kilometre further along the road, in the front garden of a farm on your right, you will see the Bishop's head, a sculpture by Johnnie Roche of Castlecurious believed to be the last of five which he completed.

Further along the road, on the right side you will see the ruins of an old castle called Currahoo Castle. Then as you proceed along the road you return to the Funshion. On your left you will see the remains of a railway bridge and a five arch bridge called Ballykenly, built in 1820.

Cross the bridge and turn right along a nice meandering road through the countryside. Continue along this road to the top of the hill from which one can see the remains of Caherdrinna Castle. At the 'T' junction turn right keeping Caherdrinna on your left.

On your left in a field nearby is the remains of an Early Christian Church called Killeenemer (The Church of our Lady).

The road continues down with a magnificent view of the Nagle Mountains which form a backdrop to Glanworth Abbey and its other monuments. As you proceed along the road you will pass the remains of Dunmahon Church; note the way the road has to go around the church ruins.

Next, take the left fork past the large house on your left and continue until you meet a 'T' junction, at which you turn right towards Glanworth (2km).

Along this stretch of road, is possibly one of the richest areas of antiquity in the Fermoy district. You are surrounded by ring forts, megalithic tombs and souterains.

Persons with an interest in this type of antiquity should enquire at the village of Glanworth for permission to see some of these.

Approach Glanworth over the twelve arches of the narrowest bridge in Ireland, beneath Glanworth (Roche's) Castle.

If you cross Glanworth's bridge by car, be prepared to stop and reverse, if another vehicle from the other side, reaches the middle before you! A mid-fifteenth century structure, the bridge is indeed the narrowest if not the oldest public bridge in every-day use in Ireland, permitting as it does the passage of only one vehicle at a time.

The 12 arch bridge, in its picturesque setting under Glanworth Castle, is surely one of the most photographed in the country, as well as providing inspiration for many an artist.

Beneath the Castle is the Old Mill, now refurbished as a hotel and restaurant (Glanworth Mill Country Inn) and beneath the bridge is the beautiful weir.

A working mill wheel and a tastefully restored mill building, complements the tranquillity of Glanworth's ancient past. This late 18th century unit provided Glanworth with its first taste of the Industrial Revolution. Originally a corn mill, it functioned as such until the mid 19th century when it was converted to the production of woollen blankets. Once a major employer locally, it fell foul of modern synthetic textiles and finally closed in the late 1960's. Its peaceful waterside setting bears witness to an era of honest toil and an environmentally friendly industry.