Eden Vale

The Sow, a tributary of the Slaney, flows down through Eden Vale into Castlebridge marsh.  The Garrylough river flows through Castlebridge into the Sow river.

At the entrance to the driveway of Eden Vale House sit the remains of a cottage.  A branch to the right crosses a small bridge, then follows the river north above its east bank until it crosses again above the waterfall.* 

The main driveway follows the river and provides many opportunities to see dragonfly.  A bridge with no walls is the last mark of the original driveway as the remainder on the east bank has been repossessed by marsh and woodland.  The remains of Eden Vale house lie hidden in these woods at the bottom of a steep bank.  The 2 storey house was built as the dower house of the nearby Ardtramont House. 

The last resident, Anna Lennon nee O'Connor left Eden Vale House in the early 1960's.  At one point she opened a tearoom with a view of the falls to the public.  Her garden extended to the riverbank and was dominated by pampas grass and red hot pokers and at times a flood area developed between the house and river.  Behind the house, the copse of trees, which dotted the steep bank and pathway to the back gate has now developed into a dense forest. 

Following the west bank up river, steps lead up past the waterfall.  Works associated with the extraction of Wexford’s supplementary water supply follow the steps.  Above the waterfall, stands Murphy's Mill, which ceased function c.1930 although the Murphy family still reside in Ballyboggan.  Up river from the next bridge, a mill race lies silent and the remains of Shortals' Mill, which was in perfect repair up until the 1940's, has disappeared.  *The bridge above the waterfall and mill, rises above the east bank and runs south with the first right branch leading back to the entrance.