Mweelin

Mweelin, above Ballingeary in County Cork, has some of the strongest thermals in Ireland — two regular house thermals fire almost daily (one off the farmer's shed in the middle of the bowl, one off the trees south of the house below the top gate), plus more in front of the gully in a south-easterly. The classic XC line runs south-west and south along the ridge, finishing near Gougane Barra lake and church. The stronger house thermal has taken pilots to 6,000 ft and above on good sunny days, and even under cloud the site can work — even a dark cloudy west-wind day can be surprisingly good.

Launch & conditions

Take off anywhere in the bowl that faces directly into the wind. The best spot is by the gate on top, since the better house thermal sits out in front of it.

Getting there & local rules

From Ballingeary, north 4 km (direction Macroom) to the pass between the hills. At the pass, left and follow signs west for Coom or Kenmare. About 2–3 km along, take the dirt road up the hill on the left (only one road up on the left). Leave all gates as you found them (usually closed). Follow the track 2 km to the top — you can't see the flying site until you're on the very top. Close all gates on the way down. Landings: top-landing is usual (large flat bog behind the site, especially when flying S/SE). At the bottom, the long field between the farm buildings and the hill (not flat). Further out, land near the grey shed at the road junction 2 km from the top. Watch for wires in the fields around the bottom.

Local rules & hazards

The site experiences rotor in the bowl when the wind is from the SE or E. Watch for a sudden increase in wind strength — especially flying southerly, because landing options behind the gully then become bad. Landings around the bottom have wires.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Mweelin, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Mweelin with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.