Mahon Falls

Mahon Falls drops in a series of steps down the back wall of a glacial corrie in the Comeragh Mountains, falling roughly eighty metres over dark sandstone. The walk in is short, about twenty minutes on a stony path from the car park, following the river up a treeless valley with scree slopes on either side and sheep on the track. The approach road forms part of the Comeragh Drive, and on the way up there is a stretch known locally as the Magic Road, where a car left out of gear appears to roll uphill. The falls are free, unstaffed and busiest on summer weekends.

What you actually see

• The falls - a stepped drop down the corrie headwall, strongest after rain.
• The corrie - the glacial bowl of scree and sandstone holding the valley.
• The Magic Road - the optical illusion on the approach lane.
• The valley path - a short stony walk along the river from the car park.

When to go

After heavy rain, which in Waterford is not a difficult condition to meet. Spring and autumn give the strongest flow, while a dry July reduces the falls to threads down the rock. Mornings are quieter than afternoons. The valley funnels wind, so a still forecast in Dungarvan can still mean a gale at the car park.

Honest expectations

In dry weather this is a disappointing trickle, and people who drove an hour to see it say so. The path is loose stone, wet in places and awkward in ordinary shoes, and it steepens near the base. There are no facilities at all, the car park is small, and litter and sheep share the ground. Cloud often sits on the headwall.

Nearby

Dungarvan is half an hour southeast; the Comeragh Drive loops the mountains.