These are every MTB trail near Clonmel that I've actually ridden. I'm 13, I live here, and I ride most weeks. This isn't a list scraped from Komoot — it's the trails I know personally, with honest descriptions of what they're like under different conditions.

Faobam — the home trail

Faobam is the local network on the south side of Clonmel. It's Coillte forestry — fire roads, forest tracks, and bits of singletrack that local riders have developed over the years. No car park, no map, no trail markers. You navigate by feel or by riding with someone who knows it. I've ridden Faobam more times than I can count; it's where most of my technical skills developed.

The lower tracks are forgiving and drain reasonably well. The upper lines get wet in winter but the forest does shelter you from the worst of it. I'd call it intermediate terrain — complete beginners will find some sections tricky, but it's accessible for anyone with a bit of off-road experience. Distance from Clonmel town: about 10 minutes.

Kilcommon Loop — Comeragh Mountains

The Kilcommon Loop is probably the most famous documented route in the area. It runs through the Comeragh Mountains — a mix of forest track and open mountainside with long views over the Suir Valley. The full loop is around 20km with a solid climb before the descent payoff. There are shorter variations if you want less distance.

This is where riding in the Comeraghs gets serious. The terrain is rocky and exposed on the upper sections. Pick a dry day — wet rock in the Comeraghs is slippery in a way that forest mud isn't. The nine valleys (Nine Valley area) nearby extends the options considerably if you want a longer day.

Nine Valley — Comeragh Mountains

The Nine Valley (Nire Valley) area is west of the main Comeragh massif. It's got a different feel — less dramatic than the upper Comeragh ridges, but excellent rolling terrain through forestry and valley-floor tracks. Good for longer distance rides where you want variety without committing to a big climb. The Nire Valley drive road itself is rideable and gives access to several trail entry points.

Slievenamon fire roads

Slievenamon (719m) sits alone on the Tipperary plain. You can see it from most of Clonmel. The fire roads on the Kilcash side give you a straight line up to the ridge. It's not technical riding — steady climbing on loose gravel, then a descent on the same track. But the views from the top are worth the effort: on a clear day you see deep into four counties.

Good for fitness riding or for introducing someone to mountain terrain without committing to serious technical terrain. The mountain is unforgiving in bad weather — wind hits you immediately when you leave the treeline.

Knockmealdown Mountains — south side approach

The Knockmealdowns are about 40 minutes from Clonmel via Clogheen. The south side entry points (into Co. Waterford) give you Coillte forest tracks that link up with more open mountain ground. The Vee Pass is the famous road feature, but the rideable terrain runs either side of it. On a good day the Knockmealdowns provide some of the best ridge riding in the south of Ireland.

Suir Valley Greenway

Not mountain biking in the technical sense, but worth including. The Suir Valley Greenway runs 46km from Clonmel to Carrick-on-Suir along the River Suir. Flat, surfaced, family-friendly. I use it for recovery rides or when I want distance without climbing.

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