Knockmealdown Active is a community organisation run by volunteers from along the Knockmealdown Mountains in South Tipperary and West Waterford in Southern Ireland. In the valley bounded on the northern side by the Galtee mountains there is a population of about 8,500 across 10 communities.
The Knockmealdown Active committee has members from across the area and on both sides of the Knockmealdowns; from Araglin, Ardfinnan, Ballyporeen, Burncourt, Cappoquin, Clogheen, Goatenbridge, Lismore, Mitchelsown and Newcastle. The local communities are highly integrated in all activities. They are as much occasions for us to get together and enjoy each other’s company, as they are attractions for visitors to relax and discover the natural world around us, knowing that they will be supported and are also supporting us in our work.
Our visitors are the key to our work: their spending is our income. With their support we are able to improve our outdoor facilities for everyone, introduce new ventures, and support other community organisations. We are a good team that enjoys working together.
Knockmealdown Active Story
Almost all the northern slopes of the Knockmealdowns are continuous wood, and from about 2005 our first chairperson Kevin O’Donnell had been bringing groups along various forest trails that he knew of. In 2012 with Con Ryan, the Rural Recreation officer for South Tipp Leader company they formed Knockmealdown Active with other people interested in developing the walks. They developed a plan for tourism in the Knockmealdowns with the help of Deirdre Lewis.
Using local fundraising and grants for tourism development they established the Knockmealddown Trail, a 32km linear walk from Newcastle to Ballyporeen, with eight looped walks 5-6 km off it. We now manage the maintenance and upgrading 100km of tracks and trails. Eight years later during the Covid lockdowns the importance to communities of access to outdoor facilities was shown.
Development of Saint Declans Way
Kevin had been doing the Camino Pilgrim Trail in Spain and considered that the ancient Rian Bó Pádraig over the Knockmealdowns had the makings of an Irish Camino. In 2012 Knockmealdown Active group took up the 1994 work of Ardmore Enterprise Cooperative on a St Declans Way by walking the route from Cashel to Ardmore for the full distance and assessing it. They kept the momentum up over the following years by running annual pilgrim walks along it that engaged the communities through which they passed and meeting various landowners to agree the final route.
In 2019 Knockmealdown Active presented an agreed route to the Tipperary and Waterford Co Councils who formed the St Declans Way joint committee. The 115km Saint Declans Way was approved as a national trail in 2022 at a cost of just €250,000. It is an example of how community driven projects combined with the larger statutory bodies can deliver major social and physical infrastructure at very low cost.
This model of an autonomous local body, that generates its own funding, developing the capacity to bring a project to the point where a larger statutory can usefully add its greater capacity became the approach of Knockmealdown Active.
Saint Declans Way Walk
We organise an annual 115km pilgrim walk from Cashel to Ardmore over three weekends in the spring that involves over ten communities along the six stages. Including ourselves and volunteers from the communities along the way, there can be up to 300 walkers on some stages, although the norm is 150-200. This is a major fundraiser for us, but it is also about developing a network of volunteers, raising the awareness of the communities to the potential income from walkers, and improving the local walking facilities for themselves.
For some, such as Ballycurrane National School, a small three teacher school off the beaten track which we use as a lunch spot, it has become a major fundraising in itself: this year 2024 they raised €1,800 by providing lunch and cakes to the walkers.
Other support for the community
We have also supported other community ventures. Since we began in 2011 we have:
Organised training of mountain guides,
Cleaned up five local graveyards and recorded the headstones with Historic Graves.
Helped start Ardfinnan Kayaking Club and South Tipperary Cycling Club,
Helped Goatenbridge and Ballybacon Game Club develop a duck sanctuary at Kildonogue along with helping them on their Winter Wonderland Santa Claus grotto.
Helped with the formation of the Ballyporeen/Burncourt/Clogheen heritage association.
Contributed to the creation of a graphic novel based on the story of ‘Sarah McGuire’ at Lady’s Abbey.
Created maps and videos promoting the area.
Helped with the formation of Goatenbridge Tidy Towns.
Helped to run events for local mental health initiatives and for the Tipperary branch of Parkinson’s disease association.
Helped start PSST/UMatter mental health support group that organises monthly comunity coffee mornings and the Clogheen Dawn of Hope Walk. Helping with the organising and marshalling of walks such as the Charlie Bird walk at Mount Mellary in 2022 and the Ballysaggart community walk.
In 2023 we cooperated with Irish Uplands Foundation t0 produce the Heritage digital StoryMap of the Knockmealdown Mountains
Over the past two years we have paid local community groups over €18,000 for their help and the use of their facilities for our events.
Donation of €5,000 to Mount Mellary ‘Trails to the Cross’.
Local businesses benefit greatly. Businesses such as Bus Hire, Catering, Venue Hire etc for KMDA events
Knock-Me-Down Adventure Race
We began the Knock-Me-Down adventure race in 2016 and extended it with the Knock-Me-Down Mór in 2022. The regular course has 30km of cycling, 5km of trail running and .5km of kayaking. The longer course has 49km of cycling, 12.5 km of trail running and .5km kayaking. It takes in almost the full length of the valley, from Newcastle to Baylough, and involve over 70 volunteers from communities across the area.
In 2023 there were 640 entrants with a wide range of abilities, but all putting in their personal best effort, which we try to match in our organising. It is becoming a benchmark for similar events and for some of our volunteers it was the standard of organising that attracted them to join us.
Bay Lough Access & Development
In 2022 Tipperary County Council proposed to upgrade the car park above Bay Lough. This is a corrie lake near the top of the saddle in the Knockmealdowns which at 30 meters (101 feet) is deeper than Cork Harbours 26 meters (86 feet), The road there is the principle route from Lismore and the Blackwater valley which carries a lot of traffic through some wonderful scenery; so much so that within a distance of about 4km there are six parking areas for viewing and access.
The carpark above Bay Lough is constantly busy because it is the base for a variety of walks. During Covid it was regularly over capacity and spilling out onto the road where it became a traffic hazard and the track down to the lake was in a very bad condition. Our approach to improving the access trackand developing the communities use of the lake is an example of how we operate.
Our income is from our various activities in bringing people into the area. When we see a need for an amenity we estimate it’s cost, look for three tenders, and apply for a grant when they become available. Once it is approved we undertake the project, pay the invoices on completion, and apply for the drawdown of the grant.
That means that we could be out of pocket for up to €30,000 before the grant is paid depending on the project. Early on this was covered with a loan secured by two of our officers. We considered that no volunteer should be at such a risk so we began to build up a fund to cover it ourselves. That became our rolling capital; when one grant is drawn down it becomes available for the next project.
For the Baylough project to upgrade the track to the lake. costing €22,000, we applied for and were approved for a grant subject to contributing 10% of the cost from our funds and organising the work. The carpark is now much improved by Tipperary County Council and the track is upgraded by Knockmealdown Active to the point that a family could bring a child’s buggy or a wheelchair on it. We have now received approval to improve the access at the other end of the lake. This shows how the surplus from our visitor activities is multiplied ten times when it activates state grant funding. Our visitors give us the resources to make this a better place to live and to visit.
Bay Lough Kayaking
In 2023, with the improved access and our experience of organising the kayaking on the lake for the adventure races, we decided to test the market for an entry level kayaking experience. Some of us have kayaking skills but we also drew on a group of local young kayakers, (some of whom have international level skills) as lifeguards and instructors.
It for 13 weekends over the summer of 2023 and got an overwhelming response. What really pleased us is the diversity of people who are now aware of the nature of our place.
Some 200-300 young people have experienced the kayaking, with their families or as an outing with their sports club. There are also many older local people who have tried something that they never thought possible. There have been many non-national families, both visitors and working locally who have gone out on the lake. For all of these it is an opportunity to experience the joy of kayaking, the potential of their natural environment for enjoyment, and exposure to what could be initiated by voluntary action.
This year 2024 we have fewer weekends; partly because it is a weather dependent activity, but also because it was a very heavy commitment for volunteer’s time. We have a really good team and their own energy levels must be minded. That’s not to say that we have been idle; we have used that time to organise better access from the other end of the lake, and to improve the operation of the kayak venture itself.
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The Knockmealdown Active committee is one of the many fine voluntary organisations in the area with which many of our members are also involved. Older people will have memories of the ‘meitheal’ where community networks brought people together to help each other. Today our outdoor community activities provide the infrastructure for the networks which hold people together and to help each other.
The local communities are highly integrated in all activities. They are as much occasions for us to get together and enjoy each other’s company, as they are attractions for visitors to relax and discover the natural world around us, knowing that they will be supported and are also supporting us in our work. 
For some, such as Ballycurrane National School, a small three teacher school off the beaten track which we use as a lunch spot, it has become a major fundraising in itself: this year 2024 they raised €1,800 by providing lunch and cakes to the walkers.
Helping with the organising and marshalling of walks such as the Charlie Bird walk at Mount Mellary in 2022 and the Ballysaggart community walk. 
In 2023 there were 640 entrants with a wide range of abilities, but all putting in their personal best effort, which we try to match in our organising. It is becoming a benchmark for similar events and for some of our volunteers it was the standard of organising that attracted them to join us. 
