EARLY in March of this year I told you that I had walked one of Kerry's newest tourism gems. World champion hill runner, John Lenihan was my guide on the occasion.

The beauty of the surroundings – even in March – needed no explanation or guide. So John dwelt on the tourism and health potentials of the amenity in an area hardly noted for either. He touched upon the historical significance of the area at the time and hinted that it would come more into focus as the work progressed.

He couldn't conceal his admiration for those in positions of power in the area who had shared his vision for the history steeped and rugged terrain. This is, after all, the setting which equipped him to take on the best in the world and win. John Lenihan is a product of an environment hostile to all but the fittest.

Now he has turned his attentions to taming those surroundings somewhat and opening them up to the potential that tourism holds for an area of unspoilt, natural beauty such as this.

The development work that went on through 2008 and well into 2009 bordered on either heroism or madness or both:

The construction of a bridge over one of the most beautifully located streams you'll ever lay eyes on is a perfect example of a struggle overcome. Concrete had to be poured down a cliff face the height of a four story building and ferried by wheelbarrow along the forest floor and into the foundations for the bridge. And that's only a highlight.

I revisited the area on Saturday morning last at the invitation of both John Lenihan and John Houlihan.

This time an aspect of the hugely historical area was highlighted and Mr. Houlihan announced plans to erect a memorial within the crumbling remains of the house of Seán Thaidhg Óg Lenihan: the cabin where in 1916 Robert Monteith evaded his enemies after the unsuccessful landing of arms at Banna Strand. From this secluded glen you can see the route to the hideaway taken by Stephen Fuller in 1923 when he was sole survivor of the Ballyseedy massacre. On Saturday morning representatives of the wider Lenihan family had gathered at the little site of Seán Thaigh Óg's 'hide-out' in remembrance of their family connections with the escape of Robert Monteith from the debacle of the Banna Strand landing of 1916.

In his 1953 published book: 'Casement's Last Adventure' Monteith outlines his line of escape through Ballymacelligott and his involvement with the McEllistrim and Lenihan families there.

On the arranged arrival at Arthur Lenihan's farmhouse in Woodville the occupant opened the door and greeted him thus: "I don't know you or why you are in your present unfortunate position, but I do know the cause for which you stand. Anything I have in this house is at your disposal."

"Mr. Lenihan was as good as his word. Next day, noting that I was without a change of underclothing, he cycled to a neighbouring village, and purchased the clothing. He also bought a pair of rubber shoes so that I could walk noiselessly, and a shaving outfit. He would have bought ten times as much had I but asked for it."

Monteith's account then gets into the series of events which brings him on a torturous, cross country journey across mountain and glen to Gleeeneenty and his encounter with Seán Thaidhg Óg:

"On the following Saturday, he (Arthur Lenihan) got news that there was danger of his house being searched. Homes all over the place were being raided and searched. He gave me the alternative of remaining with him or moving on to another place. It was a chance either way. I decided to move. That afternoon, his brother called on a friend, an uncle I believe, an old recluse, who lived in a glen the other side of the hills. He was asked if he would give shelter to a man 'on the run.' He immediately gave assurance he would be only too glad to give shelter to anyone in trouble with the government. He was known as Seán Thaidhg Óg. I learnt that the old man had a wonderful reputation as an enemy of landlords and governments. He lived in Glenaneenta, hermitlike, in a tumbledown cottage. He had a cow, a donkey, a venerable rooster, and two sworn enemies: a dog and a cat. It was strange the influence he had over these animals, they seemed to understand every word he said. The dog, in particular, was almost human in his intelligence."

The journey across the hill is one of epic proportions and more so when one considers that it was, quite necessarily, undertaken with the cover of darkness. There is a lot more to it and I hope to bring it to you at a later date.

The first loop which I walked earlier this year is now finished, roped, signposted and stepped where necessary. Work on the second loop is well underway and you could see a Spring 2010 opening date looming. The base for the afore mentioned monument will be built on the floor space and from the scattered stones of the home of the old hermit Seán Thaidhg Óg and its unveiling will likely coincide with the opening of this wonderful new phase.

The Discover Ireland site described Kerry's latest, unearthed treasure as follows:

"Glounageenty is an area of mystery, myth and folklore, a wild and rugged landscape that was once the sanctuary to some famous heroes and bandits alike. This loop is the shorter of two loops and it takes you along its riverbanks and woodlands to listen to singing birds, gurgling streams, and the underfoot crunch of fallen hazelnuts and oak leaves - a paradise of peace and tranquillity. For those with an interest in birdlife, ravens, hen harriers, kestrels, pheasants and cranes are all regular sightings - for nightimers it's a haven for bat life! Wild goats can frequently be seen sunning themselves in forest clearings. Tree lovers will encounter oak, birch, sallow, hazel, mountain ash, white and blackthorn, sycamore and various types of spruce in abundance. It was in this glen that Gerald the last Earl of Desmond was beheaded in 1583 after months of hiding in dense woods - a plaque now marks the spot where his blood stained the earth.

The loop takes you by the site of the Desmond Castle and on via the Ravens Glen waterfall There are glorious vistas of Carrantuohill, Ireland's highest mountain, the gap of Dunloe and Mount Brandon. More recently, valley floor, the Glounageenty River the rugged hillside and the forest glades inspired and honed local mountain man John Lenihan into peak fitness in 1991 before he travelled to the Matterhorn in Switzerland to become the first Irishman to win the world title for mountain racing.

Ascent: 215m/170m. Distance 4km. Estimated time: 1 hour 20 minutes/1 hour 40 minutes. Grade: Moderate. Minimum Gear Hiking Boots, Rain Gear and Fluid. Services: Castleisland – 8K away. Terrain: Forest Tracks, riverbank, cross country. Theme: Nature. Trailhead: Entrance to Glenageenty Loop, OS Sheet 71, Q944 1435

Contact: www.discoverireland.i/southwest

- John Reidy's