Ireland is a walker’s paradise. There are so many empty roads and so many stunning views that it is difficult to make a choice, but here are some easily accessible to most tourists (ie those without cars):
Howth head: Easy day trip from Dublin. Just hop onto the DART (Dublin’s railway) and head north towards Howth. The walk begins just outside the Howth train station and takes you past the modest town centre, past the harbour and an uphill climb onto Howth head. The best part about the walk is that, though only a few kilometres away from the Dublin City Centre, it is blissfully empty of tourists. Most people you’d bump on the way are locals walking their dogs. The coastal views enroute the Howth head are stunning, and the shore front road that leads to it lined only by small cottages or holiday homes on the one side and soft, green grass, ridden over by petite white or yellow flowers, most of which grows as weed, on the other. As a side trip, consider going to Malahide and its castle.
Wicklow mountains: A lot of tour companies offer day walks in the Wicklow mountains, combined with a trip to Glendalough, a glacial valley which has ruins of early medieval monastic settlements. Be prepared to see a lot of Celtic crosses here.
Our Wicklow walk began with our guide picking us up from the Dublin tourist office on a crisp morning. We left the city behind and got to the picturesque County Wicklow, the first stop was Enniskerry. Till now we were enjoying the landscape, the leaving warmth of the morning coffee cup still in our hands, from the insulated mini-van. But as soon as we got down for the ‘photo stop’ a blast of wind howled at us, knocking most of us back with its sheer force. The obligatory pictures taken we rushed back into the van, only to be told by our guide as an afterthought, “Oh! This was the place where Gerard Butler meets Hillary Swank for the first time in PS I Love you.’ Most of the walkers on the trip were women and we immediately whined about not letting us dwell on the spot a little longer. Gerard Butler has possibly contributed to tourism Ireland more than Guinness has!
We refreshed ourselves at the ‘base camp’ and were asked to carry rainproof clothing, provided by the tour company, just in case. Incidentally none of us were too keen on carrying the extra baggage, the day was fine if not bright and we just hoped that the rain gods would spare us this once.
The walk began through the leafy road past the lake but got increasingly rocky and difficult and steep. Since it was only May, the loosestrife, those wild purple flowers that perk up most Irish postcards, hadn’t sprung to life yet -- they usually do from June to September-- making the first part of our walk uphill from the valley rather barren. On the other face of the mountain, which was distinctly steep, the daredevils were working their way up on ropes while we huffed and puffed for about an hour to get to the top of the hill.
Following a quick lunch break, we started the descent, which ran through a thicket of trees, was distinctly much more comfortable especially since it was made up of wooden planks. A hum of a waterfall at some distance, which we eventually got to, made for a soothing backdrop.
Killarney national park & around: You can literally take any street from Killarney and end up in an unbelievably scenic place. Couty Kerry is a heady mix of stunning and quaint. Some of the most popular walking routes in Ireland – Dingle Peninsula and the Kerry way—can be taken from here but there are also some superb day walks.
To begin with, the Killarney National park lies in the heart of town. But there’s nothing wild about it. The only untamed animals you find here is deer.
The trails are mostly made of tarmac and clearly marked, most of them leading to the Ross Castle, that rises like a fortress amidst the genteel surroundings. A canal runs through one of the leading trails and trees arch on either side, engulfing you in the beauty of nature. My friend, and guide, whom I walked the National Park with almost every evening I spent in Killarney, told me about an English guy who regularly visits the Park at night, drunk, and wants to set up residence here. Sober or not, I think, not many people would mind that!
Deeper into the park, the path breaks into prickly bushes and pebbly path. It’s a site where three of lakes meet. You can sit on the banks endlessly and drown into the tranquillity if offers. Killarney is one of those places where you can spend days on end without really going anywhere.
Just a few minutes out of town is the Muckross house, which again has some fantastic walking trails around and the Torc waterfall. Though the waterfall itself is not too high, the walk continues uphill and you can hit the plateau that blooms with wild flowers.
Gap of Dunloe: A popular day trip from Killarney. A whiff of the fresh air and fresh green hills and you’ll understand why. The Gap of Dunloe is a seven-mile mountain pass between the Macgillycuddy’s reek and the Purple mountain. Most part of the walk can only be accessed on foot, or the horse-drawn carriage.
The tour operators usually drop you at the mouth of the valley, at Kate Kearney’s Cottage. It is a self-guided walk from there on. Little pools of water on one side, craggy rocks, small stone bridges and gently sloping mountains, every detail that makes the Emerald Isle is what this walk is about. The Gap of Dunloe follows the Kerry way for a while, make sure you follow the direction boards for Lord Brandon’s Cottage, to avoid losing your way. The only problem of going with day tours is that you have to time yourself so that you get to Lord Brandon’s cottage on time for a quick lunch and catch the boat back to Killarney.
Connemara: The bogs of give this landscape a distinctive colour and texture. The rolling green hills give way to taller peaks covered with ochre dried grass.
After enjoying dry weather for most part of my Ireland trip, and possibly boasting too much about it, I had to hit a wet spell. Unfortunately, it came on the day when I undertook the Connemara walking tour, which comprised of three walks in the area.
It was on the first trail of the day that the rain really came down. Ill equipped for the situation, I was soaked to the bone in about 15 minutes after commencing. It was a steep walk up the Mamaen pass in the Maam Turk mountains. The rain jacket provided little protection against the showers or the howling winds and the chill it brought with it. I made my way up while trying to step over the little streams that had formed due to the rain water and trickling down the slope. As uncomfortable as it was, the views the walk threw were completely worth it.
We followed the ancient pilgrimage route, and there at the highest point of our walk in this wild land stood a statue of St Patrick and an ancient church and altar. St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, spent time in Connemara in the fifth century as he brought Catholicism to Ireland. Whether you believe in religion or God or not, there is a meditative calm, possibly enhanced by the exercise and the intense grey skies, about the place that’s impossible to shake off.
Connemara, combined with the Kylemore Abbey, is one of the most popular outing for the day trippers from Galway, but try to see the place on foot as much as you can.
Howth head: Easy day trip from Dublin. Just hop onto the DART (Dublin’s railway) and head north towards Howth. The walk begins just outside the Howth train station and takes you past the modest town centre, past the harbour and an uphill climb onto Howth head. The best part about the walk is that, though only a few kilometres away from the Dublin City Centre, it is blissfully empty of tourists. Most people you’d bump on the way are locals walking their dogs. The coastal views enroute the Howth head are stunning, and the shore front road that leads to it lined only by small cottages or holiday homes on the one side and soft, green grass, ridden over by petite white or yellow flowers, most of which grows as weed, on the other. As a side trip, consider going to Malahide and its castle.
Wicklow mountains: A lot of tour companies offer day walks in the Wicklow mountains, combined with a trip to Glendalough, a glacial valley which has ruins of early medieval monastic settlements. Be prepared to see a lot of Celtic crosses here.
Our Wicklow walk began with our guide picking us up from the Dublin tourist office on a crisp morning. We left the city behind and got to the picturesque County Wicklow, the first stop was Enniskerry. Till now we were enjoying the landscape, the leaving warmth of the morning coffee cup still in our hands, from the insulated mini-van. But as soon as we got down for the ‘photo stop’ a blast of wind howled at us, knocking most of us back with its sheer force. The obligatory pictures taken we rushed back into the van, only to be told by our guide as an afterthought, “Oh! This was the place where Gerard Butler meets Hillary Swank for the first time in PS I Love you.’ Most of the walkers on the trip were women and we immediately whined about not letting us dwell on the spot a little longer. Gerard Butler has possibly contributed to tourism Ireland more than Guinness has!
We refreshed ourselves at the ‘base camp’ and were asked to carry rainproof clothing, provided by the tour company, just in case. Incidentally none of us were too keen on carrying the extra baggage, the day was fine if not bright and we just hoped that the rain gods would spare us this once.
The walk began through the leafy road past the lake but got increasingly rocky and difficult and steep. Since it was only May, the loosestrife, those wild purple flowers that perk up most Irish postcards, hadn’t sprung to life yet -- they usually do from June to September-- making the first part of our walk uphill from the valley rather barren. On the other face of the mountain, which was distinctly steep, the daredevils were working their way up on ropes while we huffed and puffed for about an hour to get to the top of the hill.
Following a quick lunch break, we started the descent, which ran through a thicket of trees, was distinctly much more comfortable especially since it was made up of wooden planks. A hum of a waterfall at some distance, which we eventually got to, made for a soothing backdrop.
Killarney national park & around: You can literally take any street from Killarney and end up in an unbelievably scenic place. Couty Kerry is a heady mix of stunning and quaint. Some of the most popular walking routes in Ireland – Dingle Peninsula and the Kerry way—can be taken from here but there are also some superb day walks.
To begin with, the Killarney National park lies in the heart of town. But there’s nothing wild about it. The only untamed animals you find here is deer.
The trails are mostly made of tarmac and clearly marked, most of them leading to the Ross Castle, that rises like a fortress amidst the genteel surroundings. A canal runs through one of the leading trails and trees arch on either side, engulfing you in the beauty of nature. My friend, and guide, whom I walked the National Park with almost every evening I spent in Killarney, told me about an English guy who regularly visits the Park at night, drunk, and wants to set up residence here. Sober or not, I think, not many people would mind that!
Deeper into the park, the path breaks into prickly bushes and pebbly path. It’s a site where three of lakes meet. You can sit on the banks endlessly and drown into the tranquillity if offers. Killarney is one of those places where you can spend days on end without really going anywhere.
Just a few minutes out of town is the Muckross house, which again has some fantastic walking trails around and the Torc waterfall. Though the waterfall itself is not too high, the walk continues uphill and you can hit the plateau that blooms with wild flowers.
Gap of Dunloe: A popular day trip from Killarney. A whiff of the fresh air and fresh green hills and you’ll understand why. The Gap of Dunloe is a seven-mile mountain pass between the Macgillycuddy’s reek and the Purple mountain. Most part of the walk can only be accessed on foot, or the horse-drawn carriage.
The tour operators usually drop you at the mouth of the valley, at Kate Kearney’s Cottage. It is a self-guided walk from there on. Little pools of water on one side, craggy rocks, small stone bridges and gently sloping mountains, every detail that makes the Emerald Isle is what this walk is about. The Gap of Dunloe follows the Kerry way for a while, make sure you follow the direction boards for Lord Brandon’s Cottage, to avoid losing your way. The only problem of going with day tours is that you have to time yourself so that you get to Lord Brandon’s cottage on time for a quick lunch and catch the boat back to Killarney.
Connemara: The bogs of give this landscape a distinctive colour and texture. The rolling green hills give way to taller peaks covered with ochre dried grass.
After enjoying dry weather for most part of my Ireland trip, and possibly boasting too much about it, I had to hit a wet spell. Unfortunately, it came on the day when I undertook the Connemara walking tour, which comprised of three walks in the area.
It was on the first trail of the day that the rain really came down. Ill equipped for the situation, I was soaked to the bone in about 15 minutes after commencing. It was a steep walk up the Mamaen pass in the Maam Turk mountains. The rain jacket provided little protection against the showers or the howling winds and the chill it brought with it. I made my way up while trying to step over the little streams that had formed due to the rain water and trickling down the slope. As uncomfortable as it was, the views the walk threw were completely worth it.
We followed the ancient pilgrimage route, and there at the highest point of our walk in this wild land stood a statue of St Patrick and an ancient church and altar. St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, spent time in Connemara in the fifth century as he brought Catholicism to Ireland. Whether you believe in religion or God or not, there is a meditative calm, possibly enhanced by the exercise and the intense grey skies, about the place that’s impossible to shake off.
Connemara, combined with the Kylemore Abbey, is one of the most popular outing for the day trippers from Galway, but try to see the place on foot as much as you can.
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