Super Trooperstown

Actually while we're on about it, there is another place nearby thats not bad, but you need permission (or to stay over I guess - EUR 15 per night). The An Oige hostel at Tiglin, or more specifically the courtyard of the adventure center next door.

I've been on a good few courses up there and setting up the binoculars on a clear night always gets the interest of the people on the course. Even enough to get them to leave the bar! (Which by the way consists of a fridge of beer, however the fridge is stocked by the maintainer of the Hostel and his wife with only the finest and strangest of beers. Seaweed Porter anyone? )

Come to think of it one of the best observing (naked eye) nights that I had was on the mountain skills week long course. One night you go camping to do night navigation. Where we' camped was at Lough Iolar, (Heart Shaped lake on Tonlagee O 090 022). There isnt a light for about many miles (though you can see Kippure and Dublin lights so just look south!)

The road between Ashford and Annamoe isn't the safest imho.

Good point. It did occur to me as I was heading back that way last night that I wouldn't fancy coming down that road in icy conditions. I took it as the quickest way back to the motorway, but I may well take the Roundwood next time.

Steady seeing is probably a problem there, you are in the valley afterall.

Indeed, the seeing at low altitudes wasn't great (high altitudes were fine), but I had put that down to the relatively high humidity we had yesterday evening. It'll be interesting to see how it the seeing is on a cooler, crisper night.

Many years back I used to be away with the scouts I used to observe at Ballylug, on the other side of trooperstown. O168 936. There was a nice gravel clearing there for setting up my tripod and binoculars. The problem though, as with many places is that coillte have a habit of locking the barrier at the bottom

As John suggests above, it'd be well worthwhile carrying out a more thorough "recky" of this and other candidate sites during daylight hours. Finding safe, dark sites with good, unimpeded horizons suitable for observing is not at all easy, but hopefully if we put in a bit of legwork we'll be able to improve on what we have.

Any suggestions from people with local knowledge of good candidate sites will be most welcome.

Many years back I used to be away with the scouts I used to observe at Ballylug, on the other side of trooperstown. O168 936. There was a nice gravel clearing there for setting up my tripod and binoculars. The problem though, as with many places is that coillte have a habit of locking the barrier at the bottom

As John suggests above, it'd be well worthwhile carrying out a more thorough "recky" of this and other candidate sites during daylight hours. Finding safe, dark sites with good, unimpeded horizons suitable for observing is not at all easy, but hopefully if we put in a bit of legwork we'll be able to improve on what we have.

Any suggestions from people with local knowledge of good candidate sites will be most welcome.

If we had access to the coillte roads that would be a great help in some areas. I think it was Dave Grennan who mentioned to me before that obtaining access from Coillte isn't that hard, provided that you have the appropriate insurance cover.

I know one of the financial guys in Coillte and he was saying that some gun clubs have keys (to hunt astronomers out and about in the dead of night???) and it's not that difficult to pitch a key request. Reminds me of the night some guys were lamping deer and didn't spot me down the track in Cloon

I'll ask the Coillte guy again when I see him.

John

Reminds me of the night some guys were lamping deer and didn't spot me down the track in Cloon

hmmm... I remember out aurora watching with you one night near Djouce and the same thing happened (strange lights getting closer and closer across the moor...). This seems to hapen a lot

I found that site (Trooperstown)about ten years ago. I haven't been there in a while, was a good site for Hale-Bopp (way back in '97 - that long ago now!). Was reasonably dark then, always found driving through the forest at the entrance a bit spooky.Same some litter - evidence of certain activities, not a place to go on your own.