For centuries the coach road was the only route for wheeled traffic to Tralee from the east. A stretch of original road survives as a footpath where it crossed the River Lee on Ballycarty Bridge, an ancient stone structure in remarkably good condition. It is close to the ruin of Ballycarty House, burned during the Irish civil war. Another stretch of original road survives inside Ballyseedy Wood, slightly sunken through long use, now a part of the surrounding woodland but with banks/ditches clearly visible on both sides.

 

A page from "Taylor and Skinner's Maps of the Roads of Ireland, Surveyed 1777", pub. 1778 [T&S p.107] shows the route of this road from Abbyfeale to Tralee, via Castleisland. The demesnes of several landed country houses having associations with the Blennerhassett family are also shown:

 

	Family in 1777	Country House
	Bateman	Oak Park (a.k.a. Oakpark, Tralee)
	Morres	Littleton
	Cross	Ballingown (a.k.a. Ballengowan)
	Chute	Chute Hall (a.k.a. Chutehall, demolished - when? )
	Blennerhassett	Ballyseedy ("old" Ballyseedy, now a ruin)      - on the Ballyseedy estate
	Blennerhassett	Elm Grove (a.k.a. Elmgrove, later Ballyseedy Castle)       - on the Ballyseedy estate
	Nash	Ballycarthy (a.k.a. Ballycarty House, burnt c1921, now a ruin)      - formerly a Blennerhassett home      - on the Ballyseedy estate
	Blennerhassett	Arbela (a.k.a. Arabella House, Arabela)      - on the Ballyseedy estate
	Rowan	Ratanny (a.k.a. Rathanny)