Killary Harbour Coastal Walk – Killary Fjord Famine Trail.
“Famine Walk along Killary Fjord in Connemara.”
Killary Harbour Coastal Walk | Killary Fjord is a Famine walk on the southern side of Killary Fjord in Connemara.
Killary Fjord Coastal Walk or “Famine Walk”. Connemara.
Distance: approx. 16Km from Rosroe to Leenaun with option to shorten.
Sitting on the south side of the Killary Fjord in Connemara is one of Ireland’s most scenic and historic flat coastal walks. Also known as Killary harbour coastal walk or the “famine walk” as much of the road on which the trail takes was built as relief work during the Irish famine 1845-52.
The trail is a linear coastal walk along the south side of Killary Fjord, Ireland’s only true Fjord.
About the KIllary harbour coastal walk:
Starting from Rosroe pier the trail travels in an easterly direction towards the small town of Lennaun. You may need to have 2 cars to do this walk as you will need a way to get back to the start. Whether you wish to walk all the way to Leenaun is your decision. You could shorten the walk by having a car parked near the Tullyconor bridge on the N59.
At Rosroe pier you will see a small cottage where Ludwig Wittgenstein, one of the most eminent philosophers of the twentieth century stayed for a while during one of his several visits to Ireland. The track passes by an old farm house and gate and eventually out onto a small road or track alongside Killary Fjord Estuary. Across the Fjord is the very impressive Mweelrea mountain, the highest point in Connaught.
Along the trail you may notice the small fields with some potato ridges. These are scars on the landscape where the desperate local population tried to grow potatoes during the famine of the mid- 1800s. They look like long lines of small ridges mainly covered in grass today.
The views are wonderful as you walk along overlooking Killary Fjord and the surrounding coast line. You will notice the shellfish farms in the Fjord with Oysters and mussels. These are the produce of the local shellfish farmers such as Killary Fjords Shellfish. As you make your way along the trail you might even spot a local Connemara pony or see a local farmer with his sheep dog manoeuvring his flock on the hills beside you.
In front of you sits Ben Gorm, the Maumturks and Sheffry hills with the 12 Bens to the south of you. The Killary Fjord walk joins a small tarmac road which twist and turns along the coast. The trail eventually moves away from Killary Fjord inland along the Bunowen river. Then you reach the larger road N59 at Tullyconor bridge. Turn left here and walk for approx. 1km before turning right on the far side of the road. Follow this small road for another 500m, this is where the Western way crosses it.
Turn left onto the Western Way and continue on this way-marked trail as it makes its way towards Leenaun.
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