This spot is one of the world’s top 25 places to visit — is it Ireland’s most scenic valley?

When I was invited to go on an amble with a veteran guide, it felt like serendipity

Veteran walker and local historian Mike Moroney takes in sweeping views of the Galtee Mountains from the Glen of Aherlow in Co Tipperary. Picture Chani Anderson

I had the joy of growing up in the Glen of Aherlow, a childhood shaped by a soft kind of freedom, long days spent roaming fields and boreens in a place that felt sheltered from the wider world, rich in local lore and small discoveries, where wandering without purpose was a pursuit in itself.

It came as no surprise to me to hear that the Lonely Planet had included my heartland in their list of the world’s top 25 places to visit in 2026, describing the Glen as a “ridiculously scenic valley flanked by the Galtee Mountains and Slievenamuck.” Hiking the trails which ribbon the vale was cited as the best way to experience it.