Outdoor Trails

Sign in

#Outdoor Trails

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Playwright John Millington Synge was captivated by Inishmaan, an island that remains the most serene of the Aran Islands. Pictures: John G O'Dwyer</p>

outdoors

Hikes and trails: Sit in Synge's Chair on defiantly traditional and tranquil Inishmaan

Untroubled by the daily pressures of tidal tourism, Inishmaan continues as an authentic outpost of Gaelic culture where Irish defiantly persists as an everyday language

<p>Much of the forest has been restored to oak, ash and hazel woodland as part of an admirable native-trees regeneration scheme. <span class="contextmenu emphasis CaptionCredit">Pictures: John G O’Dwyer</span>
</p>

outdoors

Hikes and trails: Enjoy an easy ramble back through the centuries at Portumna Forest

<p>Lady Augusta Gregory’s Coole Park and its seven woodlands in Co Galway became the centre of the Literary Revival. Pictures: John G O'Dwyer</p>

outdoors

Hikes and trails: WB Yeats wrote about this woodland loop — and it still has the wow factor

Hikes and Trails: Following in the footsteps of The Liberator

outdoors

Hikes and Trails: Following in the footsteps of The Liberator

Hikes and trails: Tory may be small but it packs a mighty punch

outdoors

Hikes and trails: Tory may be small but it packs a mighty punch

Hikes and trails: Stroll through a piece of cinema history in Kerry

outdoors

Hikes and trails: Stroll through a piece of cinema history in Kerry

Take a stroll to discover the religious history intertwined with Ardmore trail

Take a stroll to discover the religious history intertwined with Ardmore trail

Embarking on the trail, you might reflect that monastic life as practiced centuries ago in Ardmore, with its emphasis on simplicity, mindfulness and humility, still has lessons to offer

Fri, 10 Apr, 2026

Step back in time to explore the island stronghold of Mayo’s warrior queen

Step back in time to explore the island stronghold of Mayo’s warrior queen

Check out Clare Island’s many defensive structures and its harbourside castle while taking in expansive views over a pristine wilderness dotted with picturesque lakes

Sat, 14 Mar, 2026

Follow in the footsteps of our ancestors on this cliffwalk along an old railway track with views over Dublin Bay

Follow in the footsteps of our ancestors on this cliffwalk along an old railway track with views over Dublin Bay

Today, Howth is mainly a tourist area, offering a fine selection of accessible walks, beginning conveniently from Howth Railway Station. One of the best of these is the Tramline Loop

Sun, 01 Mar, 2026

Inishbofin makes a marvellous place to explore

Inishbofin makes a marvellous place to explore

With a developed infrastructure for welcoming tourists, Inishbofin island is well worth a visit, boasting unmatched coastal vistas and pristine white sand beaches

Sat, 21 Feb, 2026

The Pigeon Hole Loop is a great location for a walk on a 'fine soft day'

The Pigeon Hole Loop is a great location for a walk on a 'fine soft day'

Cong was viewed by director John Ford as the quintessential Irish village when he was filming The Quiet Man

Sun, 08 Feb, 2026

A week-long hike, a three-day hike, or a day out — the Kerry Way has it all

S A week-long hike, a three-day hike, or a day out — the Kerry Way has it all

The 210 kilometre Kerry Way has numerous routes featuring dramatic peaks and windswept loughs, while encountering hidden glens, wild moorlands, and magnificent coastal vistas

Sun, 18 Jan, 2026

Blow away the cobwebs with these wonderful winter walks

Blow away the cobwebs with these wonderful winter walks

Here's a handy link to lots of long and short walks suitable for varying skills

Mon, 29 Dec, 2025

Hiking Ireland’s longest waymarked walking trail takes around three weeks

S Hiking Ireland’s longest waymarked walking trail takes around three weeks

Tbe creation of the Beara Breifne trail involved 'stitching together' 12 existing walking routes so you can of course tackle it in sections

Sun, 28 Dec, 2025

Explore Glenary in the Comeragh Mountains — a place of poor land but rich history

S Explore Glenary in the Comeragh Mountains — a place of poor land but rich history

On this hike you'll pass a stone-built farmstead. Known as Park Grub, it was once the upland home of the Ireland family. Ironically, William Ireland, the head of the household, was in the early part of the 20th century the only non-Irish resident in Glenary

Sun, 09 Nov, 2025

Hike the mountain which straddles Limerick and Tipp border — with views from Kerry to Wicklow

S Hike the mountain which straddles Limerick and Tipp border — with views from Kerry to Wicklow

It's 918 metres up to the summit of Ireland's highest inland peak

Sun, 26 Oct, 2025

Ancient fights and double-dealing politics — a visit to Boyne battle site

Ancient fights and double-dealing politics — a visit to Boyne battle site

Explore the River Boyne Battle site by following the arrows along a series of walkways before joining the Boyne Canal Towpath and returning by the entrance gates to Oldbridge, having enjoyed a 5-km outing

Sun, 21 Sep, 2025

Monument believed to be the grave of a wealthy landowner who wanted to be buried upright

Monument believed to be the grave of a wealthy landowner who wanted to be buried upright

The nearby lake is reputed to be the domain of the witch of Bay Lough who was known as 'Petticoat Loose'

Sun, 31 Aug, 2025

Make the Kerry Way your office for a day... or three

S Make the Kerry Way your office for a day... or three

Childhood holiday memories, climbing stiles and hitching lifts — all part of a glorious three-day hike on the Kerry way for radio journalist, Simon Tierney

Mon, 23 Jun, 2025

Anja Murray: Now is your chance to visit great grassland sites across the island of Ireland

Anja Murray: Now is your chance to visit great grassland sites across the island of Ireland

Sensitive approaches, such as light grazing or a late harvest of hay, means that these wildflowers and their dependant creatures have space and time to complete their life-cycle, whether flowering and setting seed or nesting, egg laying and fledging young

Wed, 18 Jun, 2025

Seven days of unforgettable hiking in the Donegal highlands

Seven days of unforgettable hiking in the Donegal highlands

The Donegal Camino will take hundreds of walkers from Inishowen to Sliabh Liag later this summer — here's how you can take part

Sun, 08 Jun, 2025

Person walking in the woods. Speed-hiking shoes closeup.

Pilgrim trails have come full circle — why have they become so popular?

However, unlike penitents past, many will have their backpack moved ahead each day, while none will take on the arduous task of footing it back to the starting point, as medieval pilgrims were obliged to do, notes John G O'Dwyer

Mon, 05 May, 2025

Series of one-day walks on Tipp to Waterford pilgrim trail this spring

S Series of one-day walks on Tipp to Waterford pilgrim trail this spring

St Declan's Way has grown from a disused ancient trail to a route trekked by thousands each year

Mon, 07 Apr, 2025

Hike the Tipperary hill country where an Irish 'Robin Hood' once roamed

S Hike the Tipperary hill country where an Irish 'Robin Hood' once roamed

Éamonn an Chnoic, commemorated in song by the Wolfe Tones and The Pogues, met a grisly end when it is believed a relative decapitated him with an axe to try claim a bounty

Sun, 16 Feb, 2025

Sweet success for Tipp wetlands campaign

S Sweet success for Tipp wetlands campaign

36 years on from the closure of Thurles Sugar Factory this month: lagoons created to prevent fish kills attracted water birds and became the basis of wetlands which are the biggest single area of freshwater semi-natural floodplain habitats on the River Suir

Sun, 12 Jan, 2025

Pleased dreaming woman warms hands on thermos cup outside on cold late autumn, strolling in forest. Nature therapy.

9 winter walks in Cork where you can warm up with a coffee

There's nothing quite like the feeling of warming up with a hot cuppa after a walk in the cold air during winter

Fri, 27 Dec, 2024

Donal Hickey: You never know what you might find on a walk along the shorefront

Donal Hickey: You never know what you might find on a walk along the shorefront

Cargo 'leaked' from sunken shipwrecks, lost loggerhead turtles, interesting jellyfish, or maybe a message in a bottle... have all been found on Irish shores

Thu, 26 Dec, 2024

The road built to trap the rebel who was a thorn in the side of British rule in Ireland

The road built to trap the rebel who was a thorn in the side of British rule in Ireland

Michael Dwyer died in Sydney after a life featuring redcoats, banishment, a tavern, a debtor's prison — and one of Ireland's first purpose-built roads

Mon, 23 Dec, 2024

Walk the 22-mile Tóchar Phádraig in the footsteps of royal subjects, saints, and medieval pilgrims

S Walk the 22-mile Tóchar Phádraig in the footsteps of royal subjects, saints, and medieval pilgrims

This path was abandoned for 400 years but was revitalised and reopened thanks to a clever priest and 64 obliging landowners

Mon, 11 Nov, 2024

Hikes & Trails: A two-mile cliff face walk at the Gobbins Coastal Path

S Hikes & Trails: A two-mile cliff face walk at the Gobbins Coastal Path

A spectacular cylindrical bridge, a tunnel and an elevated viewing point all give access to an edgy, unforgettable seascape and this walk should be high on a list of must-do attractions in Northern Ireland

Mon, 14 Oct, 2024

Popular blueway's links to river-trading, the GAA, and an 'American invasion'

Popular blueway's links to river-trading, the GAA, and an 'American invasion'

From towpaths and barges to tourists and fun, the Tipperary Blueway has a colourful history writes John G O'Dwyer

Mon, 23 Sep, 2024

Islands of Ireland: Kerry's Arbutus Island came in for high praise from romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelly

Islands of Ireland: Kerry's Arbutus Island came in for high praise from romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelly

The island is named for the 'strawberry tree' which grows in Cork, Kerry and Sligo as well as the Mediterranean

Fri, 19 Jul, 2024

Air tragedy at Galtee Mountains led to year-round search and rescue service

S Air tragedy at Galtee Mountains led to year-round search and rescue service

When this accident happened, pilots sometimes flew below the clouds and followed landmarks such as a main road or large river — if this plane had flown 50 metres higher it would have successfully cleared the mountaintop

Sun, 14 Jul, 2024

Hiking one of the busiest and most popular walking routes in South Tipperary

Hiking one of the busiest and most popular walking routes in South Tipperary

'Directly below me were the ramparts of 13th century Kiltinan Castle which was once a seat of the Butlers'

Sun, 07 Jul, 2024

Pilgrim trails have come a long way from dangerous and difficult medieval journeys

Pilgrim trails have come a long way from dangerous and difficult medieval journeys

Ancient spiritual trails and a vibrant pilgrim tradition in Ireland where all major routes long predate the Spanish Camino

Sun, 09 Jun, 2024

Wrecked ship and treasure lost off Irish coast for nearly 400 years

S Wrecked ship and treasure lost off Irish coast for nearly 400 years

Fierce Atlantic gales battered the Spanish Armada and the ship Girona was lost here until divers found it — and a hoard of treasures on the ocean floor — in the 1960s

Sun, 19 May, 2024

Anja Murray: Cuckoos and climate change

Anja Murray: Cuckoos and climate change

Judging by the data yielded by the satellite tracking project, summer droughts in southern Europe, the result of accelerating climate change, have been having a major impact on cuckoo survival

Wed, 08 May, 2024

Stairway to Heaven trail went down like a lead zeppelin initially but it's a hit now

S Stairway to Heaven trail went down like a lead zeppelin initially but it's a hit now

A well-intentioned attempt to reduce erosion on the mountainside had actually increased it — until measures such as extra carparks were put in place

Mon, 01 Apr, 2024

The Spanish pilgrimage trail with a 25-kilometre section right here in Ireland

S The Spanish pilgrimage trail with a 25-kilometre section right here in Ireland

The Celtic Camino — or Seafarers' Route — starts with a pilgrim walk here and concludes in a 75-kilometre walk in Spain

Sun, 10 Mar, 2024

An outing to the abbey built for banished monks

S An outing to the abbey built for banished monks

These days there is a pilgrim hostel here at the centre of 30 kilometres of walking trails. Visitors to Mount Melleray can visit the Abbey Church with its magnificent stained-glass east window, browse through the Cistercian Heritage Centre, and have a coffee in the volunteer-run café

Sun, 11 Feb, 2024

From France to Slievenamon and then Dublin Castle — the story of Ireland's tricolour flag

S From France to Slievenamon and then Dublin Castle — the story of Ireland's tricolour flag

Hike the mountains where Fionn MacCumhaill sat — and there's still a cairn that marks the entrance to the Celtic Underworld... apparently

Sun, 31 Dec, 2023

Irish monument marking both the rising and setting solstice sun — and it's not Newgrange

S Irish monument marking both the rising and setting solstice sun — and it's not Newgrange

Knockroe in Lingaun Valley between Tipperary and Kilkenny has a dual Winter Solstice alignment, with the eastern passageway aligned with the rising sun, and the western passageway aligned to the setting sun

Sun, 17 Dec, 2023

Donal Hickey: Funding for greenways, walking trails, and beach access — at Ballybunion, Valentia, Macroom and more locations

Donal Hickey: Funding for greenways, walking trails, and beach access — at Ballybunion, Valentia, Macroom and more locations

€2.3million is to go towards 50 new outdoor recreation projects, including Ireland’s first underwater artificial reef at Killala Bay, in Mayo

Thu, 07 Dec, 2023

Islands of Ireland: Inishturk Beg has changed hands over the years for vast sums

Islands of Ireland: Inishturk Beg has changed hands over the years for vast sums

The 'small island of the boar' has been home to millionaires and famine survivors and has been called "one of the most beautiful places on earth"

Fri, 21 Jul, 2023

Eleven Munster walking trails to be upgraded and enhanced

Eleven Munster walking trails to be upgraded and enhanced

The funding will improve trail surfaces and deliver additional seating and signage for the benefit of walkers, tourists, and families

Wed, 21 Jun, 2023

Great tit in the nest in a tree trunk

Timing is everything — for leaves, caterpillars and baby birds

So many plant–animal interactions have been harmonised over thousands of years but some of these relationships are now beginning to fall askew as a result of rapidly shifting seasonal patterns

Wed, 26 Apr, 2023

Loving Mature Couple Hiking At Oregon Coast

May bank holiday: Five beach and coastal walks to enjoy in Munster this weekend

If the promise of fine weather has you craving an ocean breeze on your walking route, here are five stunning trails to enjoy

Wed, 26 Apr, 2023

Four bronze wolfhounds guard monument commemorating events of a century ago

Four bronze wolfhounds guard monument commemorating events of a century ago

How Liam Lynch came to die in the Knockmealdown Mountains: the century-old story behind this 20-metre high round tower

Mon, 10 Apr, 2023

Popular scenic walkway to close following alleged assault on landowner

Popular scenic walkway to close following alleged assault on landowner

The route provided access from the base of Carrawaystick Waterfall towards Lugnaquilla which is Wicklow’s highest mountain

Wed, 22 Mar, 2023

Pilgrim path between Ireland and Wales expected to see thousands of walkers

Pilgrim path between Ireland and Wales expected to see thousands of walkers

The nine-day trail has an Irish Sea crossing and is based on St Aidan's journey from Wexford to study with St David in Wales

Mon, 02 Jan, 2023