32 great walks around Ireland – one in every county

Antrim

Name Cave Hill
Distance 7km
Approximate duration 3 hours
Difficulty Moderate
Starting point Google Maps Belfast Castle (grid reference J 328 790)
Amenities Parking and tearooms
Resembling a sleeping giant, Cave Hill was reputedly the inspiration for Jonathan Swift's fantasy novel Gulliver's Travels. Follow green arrows through natural woodlands, and past brooding cliffs and ancient caves, to gain the high point of McCart's Fort, offering a bird's-eye view over Belfast.

Armagh

Name Peatlands Walk
Distance 10km
Approximate duration 2.5 hours
Difficulty Easy
Starting point Google Maps Peatland Park Visitor Centre carpark (grid reference H 897 603); you can follow this Walk NI guide
Amenities Parking, information centre
Sublime loop walk exploring a profusion of natural habitats, including woodlands, uncut bogs and Derryadd Lough, using a raised boardwalk to circle it.

Carlow

Name Barrow Way
Distance 15km linear trail
Approximate duration 3 hours
Difficulty Easy
Starting point Google Maps Barrow Bridge, Ballytiglea (grid reference S 709 504)
Finish St Mullin's
Amenities Graiguenamanagh and St Mullin's
Memorable outing following the serene towpath of the River Barrow by historic Graiguenamanagh to St Mullin's with good underfoot conditions throughout.

Cavan

Name Promontory Fort Trail
Distance 3km
Approximate duration 1 hour
Difficulty Moderate
Starting point Google Maps Burren Forest Carpark (grid reference H 073 351); you can follow this Discover Ireland guide
Amenities Parking and interpretive centre
Trail explores a prehistoric landscape rich with antiquities while offering memorable panoramas over the surrounding countryside. Highlights include, views over Tullygobban Lough, the Giant's Leap Wedge Tomb, the Lost Valley and an ancient hill fort.

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Clare

Name Wood Loop
Distance 8km
Approximate duration 2 hours
Difficulty Easy
Starting point Google Maps Ballyvaughan (grid reference M 229 079)
Amenities Parking, pubs and restaurants
If you want to get up close and personal with the Burren without crossing unforgiving limestone, this walk traverses minor roads, green lanes, woodland tracks and small fields and is just for you. It offers splendid views of the Burren's folded limestone layers and terraced hills.

Cork

Name Lighthouse Loop
Distance 5km
Approximate duration 2 hours for the full loop
Difficulty Easy to moderate
Starting point Google Maps Tooreen car park (grid reference V 733 341)
Amenities Parking and cafe
There-and-back walk from Bernie's Cafe to the Sheep's Head lighthouse that can be done in trainers. If completing the full loop wear boots, as the terrain is more challenging. Follow the red arrows to enjoy a magnificent vista over Bantry Bay.
Read: Sheep's Head Peninsula

Derry

Name Downhill Demesne
Distance 4km
Approximate duration 1.5 hours
Difficulty Easy
Starting point Google Maps Downhill Demesne entrance (grid reference C 756 356); you can follow this Walk NI guide
Amenities Paid parking
Follow signs for the iconic Mussenden Temple, perched on a cliff edge, to enjoy a breathtaking expanse along Ireland's north coast to the Western Isles of Scotland. Continue along the clifftop until a stile on the left leads you downhill back to your starting point.

Donegal

Name Tower Loop
Distance 10km
Approximate duration 3 hours
Difficulty Strenuous
Starting point Google Maps Glencolumbcille firestation (grid reference G 529 847)
Amenities Parking, cafes and pubs
Rough underfoot conditions in places demand sturdy footwear, and a full set of protective clothing is required. In mist, navigational skills may be required on Beefan and Garveross mountains.
Read: Donegal's ancient byway

Down

Name Slievenaslat and the Lake Loop
Distance 8km
Approximate duration 2.5 hours
Difficulty Strenuous
Starting point Google Maps Castlewellan Forest park (grid reference J 335
365); you can follow this NI Walk guide
Amenities Parking and restaurant
From the trailhead, follow the arrows up a steep but relatively short climb to the summit of Slievenaslat, where you are rewarded with fantastic views of the lordly Mourne Mountains. Afterwards, descend to Castlewellan Lake and return to your starting point by circumnavigating these tranquil waters.

Dublin

Name Ardgillan Demesne
Distance 3.5 km loop
Approximate duration 1 hour
Difficulty Easy
Starting point Google Maps Ardgillan Castle (grid reference O 219 609); you can follow this AllTrails guide
Amenities Parking and tearooms
Ideal for walks with small children, as the path is buggy-friendly and rewards with a magical prospect over the great turreted castle to the Irish Sea and the Cooley and Mourne Mountains beyond. Follow the perimeter wall of the demesne through alternating woodlands and meadows.

Fermanagh

Name Cliffs of Magho, Enniskillen
Distance 3km
Approximate duration 1.5 hours
Difficulty Strenuous
Starting point Google Maps Carpark on A46 road (grid reference H 061 582); you can follow this Walk NI guide
Amenities Parking
This there-and-back walk involves a steep ascent on gravel tracks and a series of steps that is rewarded with an unforgettable viewing point across the magnificent expanse of Lower Lough Erne from the stunning high Point of the Magho.

Galway

Name 7 Woods Walk
Distance 5km
Approximate duration 1.5 hours.
Difficulty Easy
Starting point Google Maps Coole Park Visitor Centre (grid reference M 439 049)
Amenities Parking and restaurant
Short but evocative circuit following walker-friendly terrain through the woods and by the lake made famous by the WB Yeats poem The Wild Swans at Coole.

Kerry

Name Derrynane Mass Path
Distance 7km loop
Approximate duration 2.5 hours
Difficulty Moderate
Starting point Google Maps Derrynane House (grid reference V 529 587)
Amenities Parking and tea rooms
Idyllic outing with a mix of forest trails, beach walks, Mass paths and quiet boreens. Can be rough underfoot, so come well shod.

Kildare

Name Aylmer Walk
Distance 5.5km loop
Approximate duration 1.5 hours
Difficulty Easy
Starting point Google Maps Donadea Forest Carpark (grid reference N 836 331); you can follow this Discover Ireland guide
Amenities Parking and cafe; admission to park €5 per car.
Lovely family ramble offering mixed woodlands, pretty little streams and plenty to see, including the ruins of Donadea Castle, a 9/11 memorial and an ornamental lake.

Kilkenny

Name Nore Valley Walk
Distance 11km linear trail
Approximate duration 2.5 hours
Difficulty Easy
Starting point Google Maps Bennettsbridge (grid reference S 552 492)
Amenities Bennettsbridge and Kilkenny
Rewarding outing following the serene Nore upriver to pass many relics from Kilkenny's industrial heritage. The finish is beside the great Norman castle at the heart of the Marble City.

Laois

Name Abbeyleix Bog Loop
Distance 8km
Approximate duration 2 hours
Difficulty Easy
Starting point Google Maps Abbeyleix Manor Hotel (grid reference S 437 841)
Amenities Parking and restaurant
Tag the purple arrows on an undemanding walk along a well-marked path. It traverses forestry and bogland that has been restored by volunteer effort. Can be wet in places, so waterproof footwear is required.

Leitrim

Name Doneens and Hudson's Walk
Distance 7km Linear trail
Approximate duration 2 hours
Difficulty Strenuous
Starting point Google Maps Carpark for Glencar Waterfall (grid reference G 760 433); you can follow this AllTrails guide
Amenities Parking and cafe
A there-and-back walk that follows a path from the shores of Glencar lake to the high point of Doneens. The reward is incredible views to prehistoric Knocknarea, the Leitrim Hills and Glencar Lake.

Limerick

Name Glenisca trail
Distance 3.6km loop
Approximate duration 1 hour
Difficulty Easy
Starting points Google Map Curraghchase Forest Park carpark (grid reference R 412 492); you can follow this Sport Ireland guide; admission fee €5
Amenities Parking and cafe
Follow in the footsteps of the poet Aubrey Thomas de Vere through broadleaf, conifer and yew forests at Curraghchase Park, the ancestral estate of the de Vere family. As a bonus, the trail circles picturesque Glenisca Lough.

Longford

Name Center Parcs Circuit
Distance 4km loop
Approximate duration 1 hour
Difficulty Easy
Starting point Google Maps Center Parcs entrance (grid reference N 188 561)
Amenities Limited parking
Route follows a walkway developed by Center Parcs as a gift for the local community. This state-of-the-art trail tags the forestry that surrounds the extensive site but offers only tantalising glances of the holiday complex.

Louth

Name Commons Loop
Distance 4km
Approximate duration 1.5 hours
Difficulty Moderate
Starting point Google Maps Tourist office, Carlingford (grid reference J 189 115); you can follow this Sport Ireland guide
Amenities Cafes, pubs and restaurants
Follow the green arrows as the walk ascends on to the foothills of the Cooley Mountains. The route then crosses the lower slopes of Slieve Foye while offering a memorable vista along the coast and across Carlingford Lough to the dreamy outline of the Mourne Mountains.

Mayo

Name Cong Woods
Distance 5km loop
Approximate duration 1.5 hours
Difficulty Easy
Starting point Google Maps Cong Abbey (grid reference M 147 551)
Amenities Restaurants, pubs, parking
Follows walking arrows along an easy woodland track with echoes from the Quiet Man movie all around. There is also the option of a cave descent that children will love.

Meath

Name Battle of the Boyne Walk
Distance 5km loop
Approximate duration 1.5 hours
Difficulty Easy
Starting point Google Maps Oldbridge House (grid reference O 041 760)
Amenities Parking, visitor centre and cafe
Unchallenging outing on mostly level terrain that drips with history at virtually every turn. Can be a bit mucky in places, so waterproof footwear is an advantage.

Monaghan

Name Tra Walk
Distance 10km
Approximate duration 3 hours
Difficulty Moderate
Starting point Google Maps Slieve Beagh Hotel (grid reference H 527 440)
Amenities Parking and restaurant
Waymarked as the Tra Walk, the route offers memorable mountain scenery while presenting few navigational difficulties or other hazards.

Offaly

Name Mesolithic Loop, Lough Boora
Distance 9km
Approximate duration 2.5 hours
Difficulty Easy
Starting point Google Maps Lough Boora Visitor Centre (grid reference N 182 188)
Amenities Parking and cafe
Easy trail marked by red arrows along well-constructed walkways leading through a fascinating nature reserve consisting of a rewilded bog with lots to see. Ideal for family outings.

Roscommon

Name Boyle/Lough Key Greenway
Distance 8km linear trail
Approximate duration 2 hours
Difficulty Easy
Starting point Google Maps Boyle (grid reference G 804 026); you can follow this loughkey.ie guide
Amenities Boyle and Lough Key
New and extremely scenic route that leads elegantly past a marina, along the banks of the Boyle Canal and then through splendid woodlands with a finish in Lough Key Forest Park.

Sligo

Name Ben Bulben Loop
Distance 5.5km
Approximate duration 1.5 hours
Difficulty Easy
Starting point Google Maps Trailhead carpark (grid reference G 674 460); you can follow this sligowalks.ie guide
Amenities Small car park
Attractive woodland walk offering stunning scenery and the awe-inspiring prospect of Benbulbin towering just above the trail.

Tipperary

Name Red Trail
Distance 6km loop
Approximate duration 2 hours
Difficulty Moderate, with one strenuous section
Starting point Google Maps Scaragh Wood car park (grid reference S 028 049); you can follow this Munster Vales guide
Amenities Parking
Lovely new trail that rises through mixed woodland above the town of Cahir to gain open mountainside. Here there are splendid views to the Knockmealdown and Comeragh Mountains.

Tyrone

Name Ladies View Walk
Distance 4km
Approximate duration 1.5 hours
Difficulty Strenuous
Starting point Google Maps Gortin Glen Forest Park (grid reference H 499 842); you can follow this NI Walks guide
Amenities Parking
A short but fairly demanding walk that initially follows the pretty Poulan Stream before rising to a superb viewing point at 350m. This circular trail then leads back to the car park through serene conifer forests.

Waterford

Name Ardmore Cliff Walk
Distance 4km loop
Approximate duration 1.5 hours
Difficulty Easy, but care needed near the steep cliffs
Starting point Google Maps Ardmore village (grid reference X 191 776)
Amenities Parking, cafes and pubs
Undemanding ramble offering spectacular clifftop views and a sense of reconnecting with history. Minor roads and green trails lead you easily to the famous Ardmore monastic site founded by St Declan.
Read: St Declan's Path, Ardmore

Westmeath

Name Old Rail Trail
Distance 13km, linear trail
Approximate duration 3 hours
Difficulty Easy
Starting point Google Maps Beechpark, Garrycastle, Athlone (grid reference N 046 419); you can follow this Westmeath Co Council guide
Amenities Athlone and Moate
One of Ireland's lesser-known greenways, the Old Rail Trail runs 44.5km, linking Athlone to Mullingar. A great outing is to walk the 13km from Athlone to Moate and enjoy a picnic lunch. Then either walk or get a taxi back.

Wexford

Name Foxboro Trail
Distance 4km loop
Approximate duration 1 hour
Difficulty Moderate
Starting point Google Maps Tintern Abbey (grid reference S 795 101); you can follow this Sport Ireland guide
Amenities Parking and tea rooms
White arrows lead from the Abbey and then tag the Tintern River through a tranquil deciduous forest. Some climbs involved on uneven ground, so sturdy footwear is recommended.

Wicklow

Name Upper Vartry Reservoir and Woodland Trail
Distance 9km loop
Approximate duration 2 hours
Difficulty Easy
Start Google Maps Roundwood (grid reference O 190 033); you can follow this visitwicklow guide
Amenities Restaurants, pubs and parking
Starting from Ireland's highest village, this beguiling walk combines two trails that for the most part tag the shoreline of the Upper Vartry Reservoir while offering sublime vistas to the surrounding Wicklow Mountains.

[ Rozanna Purcell’s 32 hikes in 32 counties ]