Royal Canal — taking Ireland's greenways up a gear

— Cycling out and getting the train back home could be a great option too

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The landscape of Irish tourism is changing — literally — as our new and ever-burgeoning greenways weave around the nation. From Mayo’s pioneering Great Western trail which opened back in 2011, to the massively popular Waterford Greenway along the Déise coast, Ireland’s arteries of outdoor adventure are wooing us like never before. And now enter a new player — the Royal Canal Greenway. The 130km route which meanders through the Midlands along the banks of the historic waterway is now the longest greenway in the country — it's three times the length of any other in the land. Ireland’s greenways really have just gone up a gear.

What makes the Royal Canal Greenway so exciting as an attraction is that, unlike our existing greenways which are, for the most part, day-trip affairs, this Waterways Ireland route allows visitors to tour off on multiple day adventures, in a safe, traffic-free setting. In an age when tangible, bucket-list experiences are so popular you can now meander your way through Longford, Westmeath, Meath and Kildare in one staycation — with plans to tweak the route to Dublin in the pipeline too. Shorter stretches are also an option and visitors can explore designated routes, ranging from 6km to 15km, via 14 access points and towns along the route.