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Hill Walking in West Cork The Sheep’s Head Way Gillian takes a few days walking on the Sheep’s Head Way in West Cork.

Gillian has a real love for the outdoors, flora and fauna and there is nothing she enjoys more than discovering a new place to walk. So, she decided to walk on the little peninsula in the south west of Ireland with it’s small towns, beaches and coastlines.

So Gillian has written up a blog of her adventures on the Sheep’s Head Way.

Day 1 – Bantry to Glanlough – Sheep’s Head Way

We started off from Bantry this morning at Trail Marker No 1 which took a bit of finding. This evening, I submitted a Google Pin for ‘The Start of the Sheep’s Head Way’ so it should be easier to find in future.

The trail no longer goes through Bantry House Gardens so I walked along the sea front, keeping the old stone walls of Bantry House on my left and enjoyed the sea views. The road sweeps inland at the cemetery and up toward the West Lodge Hotel and then crosses over the busy N71 and out into the countryside.

I found an old holy well, still lovingly attended by local lady, Mrs O’Sullivan, whose husband tells me she minds the grotto and he minds the trail as it crosses his land. It was lovely to meet him and take the time to have a chat about the route and thank him for his time and generosity to us hikers.

I was soon back on the main road for a short spell before leaving and starting the ascent up to Booltenagh along a narrow tarmac road with a green line of grass up the middle. This section zig zagged for 3 kms with an ascent of 166m. I had to double check this when I got back to base because if you told me, it was 30km and 2166m, I would have believed you. I know there were lovely views but next time, I am taking a taxi up to Booltenagh.

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The walk from Booltenagh to Glanlough was over open moorland with spectacular views over the bay to Hungry Hill to the north and over West Cork to the south. There were places where the path was very steep, slippy and mucky for short stretches but manageable with care. The path disappeared towards the end as you approached the road which may the going slow.

I discovered Bog Myrtle, a sprig of which in your hat will keep the Midges at bay but then so will the wind. I also found Sundew plants which I believe were oblong-leaved sundew and are quite uncommon. Sundews eat midges which is good news, however, apparently, only one a month which is not so good news.

Overall, there is an impressive amount of signage with each trail marker numbered and clearly visible as you proceed along the ridge. Underfoot was wet over rocks with boggy tracts so boots, gaiters and poles are recommended. I found that stretch of road up to Booltenagh hard going.

Tomorrow, we were planning on continuing from Glanlough to Cahergal but we are expecting very bad weather so we will decide when we see what hits the peninsula overnight and into the morning.

I was not expecting to have my rest day after day one!

Day 2 – An unexpected Rest Day

Walking the Sheep’s Head Way was supposed to be the Glanlough to Cahergal section but Storm Agnes had a different idea so we had our rest day today.

We are staying at the Bridge View House in Kilcrohane, a classic 100 year old West Cork farmhouse overlooking Dunmanus Bay with Mizen Head in the distance. It is a family run business and everyone has been so nice and accommodating.

We went to bed last night with the window open – Big Mistake!

We were woken at 5am with the window slamming shut, the house whistling and the rain lashing against the front of the house. Wind gusts of 100km shook the building during the day and we watched massive waves crashing against the rocks at the nearby shore.

At 4pm, the rain had stopped so we ventured out towards Durrus and found the road covered in seaweed and stones from burst seawalls so we turned around and headed back to Ahakista. We stopped at The Tin Pub for refreshments (it would have been rude not to), had the chats with the landlady and a couple now living in London and back home on holidays. Lovely views out over Dunmanus Bay from the back garden which is next door to the holiday home of a certain famous Irish BBC chat show host who shall remain nameless!

Storm Agnes determined everyone’s movements in Ireland today and proved the old adage – the best laid plans can go astray! We knew it was best to go with the flow and so tomorrow we are back on the hills.

Every day is a school day!

Another Simply Delicious meal in The Bridge View House – Baked salmon, fresh vegetables and buttery potatoes.

Day 3 of Walking the Sheep’s Head Way. – Glanlough to Cahergal @ 16km

We started off this morning where we finished on Tuesday and made our way to no 91 to start a lovely, gentle ascent to Gouladane at 300m. Being on the north side of the peninsula, we were sheltered from the tail end of the southerly Storm Agnes winds but once we reached the top of the ridge, it was blowing hard!

Out came the poles, up went the hoods as we headed west along the crest of the Peninsula. Sheep’s Head Peninsula feels very much like an Island. We seem to be surrounded by the sea. Bantry Bay and the Beara Peninsula to the north and Dunmanus Bay to the south with the Mizen shrouded in mists. Hungry Hill on Beara disappeared today.

We started our descent to The Goats Path Road along an old road created by the Board of Works to bring turf down off the mountain. It must have been a substantial piece of engineering in its day. Once we finished this section, we continued along the Wild Atlantic Way to the Old Horseshoe Road and on to this sections final stop at Cahergal. This is a remote place, silent but for the wind and the waves, not many birds around today.

We headed back to Kilcrohane for another delicious meal – Pan fried, stuffed chicken breast with fresh vegetables and a well deserved glass of wine.

We haven’t made it into Eileen’s Pub yet – maybe tomorrow!

Day 4 – Cahergal to Tooreen (Lighthouse)

Today, we started off in bright sunshine, driving over to Cahergal and catching Hungry Hill in all its glory across Bantry Bay on Beara. We were not long on the trail before we came to a cluster of ruined cottages and tiny buildings on a series of terraces. This is known in Ireland as a clochán, a small settlement without a church, school or shop. This group of cottages was nicknamed the Crimea because the people who lived here 170 years ago were always fighting and so the area was so called after the war which was raging at the time.
As we continued along the coast, we came upon the remains of an old copper mining village. Copper mining has been going on in this corner of Ireland for almost five thousand years.

We had a fun walk across a cliff ledge where Sheep’s Head Way have placed a rope for assistance and then a fantastic walk to the Light House at the tip of Sheep’s Head Peninsula.
The views are just sublimed on this section of the trail. Every turn took our breath away.

We stopped off for a Cupán Tae (cup of tea) at Bernies Cupán Tae at Tooreen, at the Lighthouse car park, and headed up to the old Signal Tower, which eventually blew down in 1990 and back to base. I could see the signal tower on Mizen and over looking Baltimore further south. We also looked over Three Castle Head which deserves a blog of its own.
Overall, a day of strenuous underfoot conditions after the recent storm, I will be glad not to see a bog again for a while but I think I will see plenty again in the morning.

Dinner this evening was the best Fillet steak I have had in an age with pepper sauce and fresh vegetables.
Too tired to go to Eileens’s pub this evening – maybe tomorrow!

Day 5 – Walking The Sheep’s Head Way. Kilcrohane to Durrus.

We woke up to a Met Eireann weather (Rain) warning and a very sore Achilles so when we saw the rain streaming in sheets across the bedroom window, we decided ‘You wouldn’t put a dog out in that!’ so we rested our bodies. When the rain let up, my friend sat on the bridge behind the church and bathed her feet in the rushing waters of the Kilcrohane River and would you believe – not a pain has been felt since!

The next day was sunny and off we went down the road to Farranamanagh (An Fearann Meánach – Land of the Monks) via fields and around private gardens. We met Daffodil, the donkey and a field of Alpacas. Herons, swans, egrets, cormorants, turn stones and sea gulls were on or near the water as we walked along the strand. We had a lake on one side and the sea on the other.

We crossed over stepping stones and climbed for a short while to another great view and came to the ruins of what was once a Bardic School i.e. a school for poets back in the 1600’s.

Soon, we were crossing the main road and took the old road to Ahakista along a gentle climb under the Sheep’s Head Peninsula Ridge towards Durrus. We walked over open moorland, farmland, some roads, around a ringfort, over bridges and around the ruins of a medieval fortified house. We had clear views over Mizen and the twin beacons on Mt Gabriel and back across Dunmanus Bay, the stretch of sea between Mizen and Sheep’s Head.

We met plenty of cows and sheep along the way who were not a bit interested in us and descended into the lovely village of Durrus in time for a well-earned dinner in the O’Súilleabháin Bar, the only place serving food so late, that is 6pm!

Day 6 – Walking the Sheep’s Head Way – Durrus to Bantry

We were on the final stage today and leaving the pretty village of Durrus behind, we started off down the Old Creamery Road. There is a big re-route here and we turned off the main road and up through a series of small hilly fields, past ancient hedgerows already laden with holly and hawthorn berries. We crossed over a stream, through a stream and over an electric fence.

Another great thing to say about The Sheep’s Head Way trail apart from the impressive amount of signage is that wherever you pass over barbed wire or an electric fence, it has been wrapped and the electric fences are clearly marked for your safety.

The weather was cloudy and overcast but still warm. We walked around some forestry and eventually came to Barnageehy or Bearna Gaoithe which means Windy Gap and boy, did it live up to its name. The landscape seemed quite barren without the sea which had accompanied us all week and kept us on our toes but then we saw the town of Bantry in the distance, surrounded by hills and Bantry Bay.

We started the descent into Bantry and as we arrived, we came to another re-route taking us through the back lanes of Bantry instead of through Bantry House and Gardens as per the OSI maps. We arrived back to marker no 1 and our walk was complete.

They say hunger is a good sauce so we stopped at the first place on our Bantry list that was open – The Brick Oven for a pizza.

If I were to do this over, I would book a taxi to pick me up at Barnageehy rather than walking the 7 kms on tarmac. This would allow me to return to Bantry earlier in the day and choose from a wider variety of restaurants.

Another great day on The Sheep’s Head Way and to our B&B for a shower and the sleep of the dead!


Walking and local information:

Map: For this section of the Shepp’s Head Way , we recommend OSI Sheets 85 and 88 maps.

The Sheep’s Head Route is approx. 95km with choices to just walk sections of it.

Type: The walks along the way vary in difficulty and length, so just do your homework before embarking on your walk.

Food and Drink:  There are many places along the way to get your snacks for walks and meals in the evenings..

Check out HilltopTreks Guided walks in Ireland

How to take care of your hiking boots

Washing & Cleaning your boots for walking

Oh, I wish I’d looked after me boots!

Written by Gillian Duggan

We all know that walking is one of the best ways to stay healthy so we should take care of our feet, after all, they bear the brunt of all this movement.

Both feet (combined) make up for 25% of the body’s bones, 18% of joints and 6% of the muscles.

If your feet aren’t comfortable, the motion and pressure will not only leave your feet sore but can also affect your knees, hips and entire spine over time.

Do you give your feet the attention and care they deserve?

Let’s start with your walking boots, they really are an important piece of your kit and should be respected.  A little boot TLC will go a long way!

Best types of boots for walking in Ireland:

For walking in Ireland, generally speaking, we suggest three types of boots ie Suede or Nubuck, full grain leather or fabric, usually Gore-Tex.

My preference has always been for Suede/Nubuck boots on the basis that I thought Gore-Tex boots couldn’t cope with Irish bogs.  Yet my best friend prefers a pair of lightweight Salomon Gore-Tex fabric boots which she swears are still waterproof but then she cares for them religiously.


Check out HilltopTreks – Guided walks in Ireland

How to take care of your hiking boots

Clean your boots after your Irish hike

When you purchase your boots, it is worth taking note of the manufacturer’s recommendations for cleaning and water proofing.

Whichever style you choose, cleaning your boots should be done regularly because maintaining the integrity of your boots is common sense after spending so much on them.

Irish bogs are beautiful but acidic and wet peat left on your boots will slowly but surely weaken the fabric/leather and eat the stitching.

After you clean them, you should water proof them every couple of wears. If you notice water is no longer beading on your boots, it is time to proof them again.

And after you proof them, you let them dry naturally.

How to Clean your Hiking Boots.

Rinse your boots under a tap, using an old washing up brush (or similar) to get the dirt and dust out from all the creases and crevices including the sole. Once you have the ‘heavy dirt’ off as my mother used to say, you can use good old fashioned Saddle Soap or Nikwax/Grainger’s leather cleaner spray as detergent. For the Gore-Tex fabric boots, use manufacturers recommended product.

When the boots are washed and rinsed, pat dry with some kitchen towel.

Check our Self-Guided Walks and Trails in Ireland


How to take care of your Hiking Boots.

How to Water Proof your Walking Boots.

Waterproofing is always applied to clean, damp boots except for full grain leather which have to be dry.

For leather, some hikers use traditional Dubbin which is a solid waxy polish like substance. It is rubbed into the leather with a brush and any surplus wiped off with an old cloth.

It has a proven track record, conditioning and proofing your leather boots at the same time. You won’t see cracks in a pair of Dubbin treated boots!

Dubbin can be used on Suede/Nubuck but will darken the colour and smooth out the surface.

For Suede/Nubuck, Nikwax/Grainger’s  & Meindl have a Nubuck proofer which is dabbed/sprayed onto the surface and left to dry

For Gore-Tex, try Nikwax Fabric & Leather Proofer easily sponged onto the clean, damp boots and left to dry naturally.

When we say ‘Leave the boots to dry naturally’ – that doesn’t mean on top of a radiator or by the kitchen range, stove or boiler. It means leave them to dry in a warm, airy place away from direct sunlight.  If you have to speed up the process, you can always stuff them with some newspaper/kitchen paper or socks filled with clean cat litter which is super absorbent.

How To Care for Your Walking Boots after Washing and Proofing.

There are a few other things you can do to prevent the premature aging of your walking boots.

Make sure to get your boots professionally fitted. Too small/tight and you will get blisters and black toenails. Too wide and you will have creases where you shouldn’t have creases and therefore more areas to crack. And don’t forget your feet swell during exercise so a half size bigger is necessary.

Walking boots don’t like tarmac and the soles will wear down very quickly. When the soles wear down, you slip and slide on wet surfaces causing injuries. I have two pairs of boots, one older (& cheaper) pair for road walking and a newer pair for the mountains only.

Top Tip: Buy your new boots a few months before you are finished with your old ones and, in the meantime, break them in gently. The transition from old to new will be blissfully blister free!

If walking boots don’t like tarmac, they certainly don’t like salt water. The salty sea will rust and rot your boots quicker than the bog.  Take off your boots, your feet and boots will thank you.

If you get water in over the top of your boots, take out the insoles and rinse out the inside along with the insoles, when you get home to prevent unpleasant odours building up. Oh, and let them dry naturally!

Happy feet mean happy hikers!

Food for Walking and Hiking

Healthy Snacks for the Hills

What to eat or not to eat, that is the question!


Written by Gillian Duggan

Have your legs ever felt wobbly whilst climbing a mountain?
Ever had a day when you couldn’t keep up with the group?
Wondered why you are so cold despite wearing everything in your rucksack?

These are normally simple food for walking/refueling/energy issues so your food preparation for a hike in Ireland should be taken as seriously as your health and safety and route planning.

This much I know About Food for Walking:

Check out HilltopTreks – Guided walks in Ireland

Food for Walking – Before your Irish hike

Eating specific foods in the days before your Irish hike can make all the difference to an enjoyable day. Try to increase your complex carbohydrate intake to improve your glycogen levels which in turn will aid your endurance. Once they deplete, fatigue sets in.

Fast food, processed food and alcohol are not recommended.

Complex carbs are things like wholewheat pasta, brown rice, baked potatoes (provided you eat the skin) along with lean protein and veg of your choice is the ideal.  Low sugar baked beans are handy too.

And the other key ingredient is water. Try to drink your 2 litres a day in the run up to a hike.

Food for Walking – Your pre-Hike breakfast.

A good breakfast before your hike is just common sense and oatmeal porridge is perfect because it takes longer to breakdown than refined carbs, slowly releasing its energy as you hike.

If like me, you can’t abide porridge (it’s a childhood thing!) try Oat bran Muffins*– I make a batch, freeze them and have two for breakfast.

Steer clear of the Irish breakfast if you want to climb a mountain – it is hard to digest making your body work harder.

Other suggestions: Poached eggs and wholemeal bread or yogurt with granola and fruit.


Food for Walking in Ireland – Snacks for a hike.

We are not hiking Everest nor are we experiencing 30C heat (usually!) That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be prepared. Always have enough water and food in case of emergency delays such as an injury, accident or getting lost.

We all love our mountain side picnics and pack a roll or sandwich. Think food safety on hot summer days when your chicken or egg sandwich is going to be out of the fridge for 2 or 3 hours before you eat it. Maybe choose a different filling or have a small cooler bag for your food.

Snacks that are easy to pack and give you constant, slow burning, energy all day are winners. Be careful though because if they are too high in sugar, you’ll find yourself halfway up a mountain with no energy after a sugar crash.

You can’t go wrong with a good quality trail mix i.e. nuts, seeds, dark chocolate with cranberries or raisins. Granola bars, flapjacks along with fruits like oranges and apples (bring home your peels and cores) are good and squashed bananas can make a mess of your expensive rucksack and gear so I avoid them.

A mars bar is like jet fuel – a short, sharp burst of energy which quickly fades but I always have one in with my emergency rations.

A flask with a hot drink is great on cold winter days. Coffee and tea are diuretics so not ideal to drink in quantity when you are on the side of Lugnaquilla without a tree for miles! Soup is easy to digest and a slow-release food.

Bear in mind, a full flask and a litre of water are very heavy to carry. For me, a half full flask and 500ml of water works but we all find our happy medium eventually.

As a hiking guide, my water is the most common request I receive from guest hikers.

 Oatbran Muffins –  Makes 12

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 200 C/Gas 7. Line or grease 12 muffin cups.
  2. Blend the dry ingredients together -add the oil, milk and eggs. Beat to a smooth batter.
  3. Spoon batter into muffin cups/tray.
  4. Bake at 200c/180 Fan/ Gas 6 for 15 minutes or until golden brown

Flapjacks – Handy to carry and share

With mixed nuts & dried fruit

Ingredients

  • 250 g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
  • 250 g soft light brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons runny honey
  • 1 pinch of sea salt
  • 100 g mixed nuts, such as hazelnuts and pistachios
  • 150 g mixed dried fruit, such as cranberries, apricots and figs
  • 350 g rolled porridge oats

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 150ºC/300ºF/gas 2. Grease and line a rectangular cake tin (roughly 20cm x 30cm).
  2. Place the butter, sugar, honey and salt in a medium pan over a low heat, then allow the butter to melt, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, roughly chop the nuts and any larger dried fruit, then stir them into the pan along with the oats.
  3. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin, smoothing it out into an even layer. Place in the hot oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden around the edges. Leave to cool completely, then cut into squares and serve.

Check Out Hilltoptreks Self-Guided Walking Holidays in Ireland.

Hill Walking in Connemara

5 Great Walks in the West of Ireland

Walking and Hiking in Connemara


Written by Gillian Duggan

Hill Walking in Connemara: Recently, we put together our 5 best walks for beginners in Wicklow, cranking up the difficulty one to five. While talking about grades of difficulty and where to go from there, we decided to pick the 5 best hikes in Connemara and sort them in order of difficulty.

Unanimously, Diamond Hill came in as no 1 starter Connemara Hike and putting the Western Way aside (it is a long-distance trail) we were struck by the remoteness of all the chosen routes and each one could be as difficult as the other given the quirky Wild Atlantic Way weather conditions. With this in mind, we decided to include Omey Island.

Top Tips for Hill Walking in Connemara:


Check out HilltopTreks – Guided walks in Ireland

There are some notable differences between hill walking in Wicklow and hill walking in Connemara. For a start, the mountains are steeper and routes usually start at sea level so an 800m mountain is an 800m climb. Secondly, the remoteness means fewer people, fewer paths and limited phone signal. Thirdly, the weather is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and they don’t call it the Wild Atlantic Way for nothing. All of these points suggest navigational skills are required in most cases.

Do let us know how you get on and don’t forget Hilltoptreks offers guided walks throughout Ireland along with Mountain Skills and Navigation Courses too!

Warning: This part of Ireland can be wonderful to explore but challenging at times for novices so if you are unsure and the weather is not in your favour, choose an easier walk or route.

Respect the mountains – Check the weather, plan your route, bring a map and know how to use a compass, let someone know your plan and wear the proper gear.

Connemara – Its Name, Geography and Folklore.

The name Connemara stems from the early Gaelic tribe/family called Conmhaícne who lived in what is now the province of Connaught in the west of Ireland. This area west of Galway City became known as Conmhaícne Mara, which basically means where the descendants of Conmhaícne who live by the sea. It is also home to the largest Gaeltacht (Irish speaking area) in Ireland.

Connemara has the wild Atlantic Ocean is on one side with the mountains in the middle and the great Lakes Corrib and Mask separating it from the rest of Ireland, all topped off with a constant stream of Atlantic clouds.

Connemara has the power to ignite emotions, conjuring up images of cloud-capped mountains and misty wilderness. It has ever-changing light, vast bogs of every colour – purple, orange, brown, dotted with sheep as likely to be on the road as on the mountains. Immense lakes, cascading streams and brown rivers, rugged coastline, deserted white, sandy beaches and, of course, mountains.

Whenever I look at this unforgiving landscape, at the remains of lazy beds and stone cottages, at the trees all wind bent and pointing in the same direction, I wonder how anyone could have lived and survived in this wilderness. And they did and in their thousands until the mid-19th C famine meant emigration offered an easier life elsewhere.

This is the Connaught of the infamous Oliver Cromwell quote “To hell or to Connaught”– between a rock and a hard place.

To really appreciate this savage landscape, you have got to put on the hiking boots, climb a mountain and take in the spectacular views.

The main walks in Connemara are in the Connemara National Park, the Maumturk Mountains and the peaks of the Twelve Bens dominating the centre of Connemara.

They are not the tallest mountains in Ireland but the combination of their steepness, the prevailing on-shore Atlantic winds and stunning vistas make them challenging, invigorating and tremendous fun.

Having said that the Maumturks and Twelve Bens are strenuous and formidable mountains – prone to sudden mists and rain. There are few paths so navigational skills are a must.

Hill Walking in Connemara

  1. Diamond Hill – Loop Walk
  2. Omey Island – Loop Walk
  3. Derryclare – Linear Wlak
  4. Benbaun – Linear Walk
  5. The Western Way – Long Distance Linear Walk

Warning: No 3 & 4 are high mountain routes and should only be undertaken by those who are fully equipped with waterproof rainwear, warm clothing, food and proper footwear with navigational skills.

These routes have longer and more difficult versions so, for starters, we chose the simplest and most enjoyable trails to ease you from hiking in Wicklow to hiking in Connemara. It is a whole different barrel of fish!


Hill Walking in Connemara – Diamond Hill Loop Walk.

Start: Visitors Centre, Connemara National Park – Car park free
Walk Length: Approx. 7km
Height Gain of 510m, Time Approx. 2.5/3hrs
Markings: Follow the Red Trail
Type: Moderate (Not to be attempted in high winds)
Map: Connemara National Park – Diamond Hill Walks
Mapping: OS Discovery Sheet 37

• Family Friendly,
• Large Public Car Park,
• Coffee, Snack shop and toilets at the trailhead
• Shorter loop walks from the same location.


It is safe to say there are no diamonds here, the name stems from the glitter of the quartz crystals on the mountain peak especially after rain.

This is a moderate walk over a well-maintained track followed by a short but steep climb to a rocky summit. Starting at the Connemara Park Visitors centre, follow the Blue signs for the ‘Lower Diamond Walk’ and after a while you come to a Red sign pointing left to the ‘Upper Diamond Walk’ at the Halfway Stone.

Follow this rough, zigzagging path hewn out of the Quartzite, take care because it is quite steep and you will reach the summit in no time.

At the top, you will see triangular Mweelrea between you and the wild Atlantic Ocean, the Twelve Bens and Kylemore Abbey, Barnaderg Bay, Ballynakill Harbour, the Atlantic Islands of Inishbofin and Inishark and the ancient Maumturks.

Follow the trail passed the cairn and around in a loop back to the Halfway Stone. Parts of this path are quite steep so take your time. Turn left here, following the Bog Trail back to the visitors’ centre.

Hill Walking in Connemara – Omey Island Loop walk

Start: Claddaghduff Church
Walk Length: 8km
Time: 2.5hrs
Markings: None
Type: Easy but mind the tides.
Mapping: OS Discovery 37

• Family Friendly,
• Public Car Park,
• Coffee, Snack shop and Pub toilets in the nearby village

To say that this route is an easy 8km loop around a small tidal island doesn’t do it justice. For a start, you have to watch the tides. It is accessed over a sand bar, submerged for 3 hours either side of the full tide so visiting takes a bit of planning. Check in with Sweeneys Pub in Claddaghduff just to be sure like!

Omey Island has a wealth of antiquities and is a great destination for history enthusiasts. The ruins of 7th C Teampaill Feichin – Feichin’s Church, which lies close to the northern shore was covered in sand until 1981 and is surrounded by the remains of a village lost to An Gorta Mór – the Great Hunger of the mid 19th c. Omey Island is also home to the local graveyard and I admit the sight of a funeral crossing the beach is quite spiritual.

My first visit to Omey Island was with my father in the early 70’s and I got a real sense of stepping back in time. We walked across the beach to the Island and met a ‘Batchelor farmer’ as aged single men were called in those days. Dad got talking to him and he invited us into his cottage which was ancient, thatched and spartan.

He told us his great grandfather had built it with his bare hands. While the men talked, I played with the dog outside (honestly, I thought inside stank!) and around the back, I found a huge stack of empty stout bottles. So far so what, I hear you say! Well, it just so happened that my father worked for a Guinness bottling firm at the time and getting his bottles back was a constant issue. Of course, I ran back to tell Dad that I had found all his missing bottles.

The two men laughed at my statement but Dad did investigate because the farmer said lots of strange bottles and things washed up on his beach. I found a 1930’s commemorative embossed Guinness bottle and I got to keep it. I also found hand blown glass fishing net floats of so many colours that Dad offered our new friend £5 for my booty and a bag.

Only recently the embossed Guinness bottle and all but one of the floats were sold at auction following the sale of my now deceased parents’ home. That remaining float is in my memory box.

The Route:
Heading across the sand and onto the island, we are going to do an anti-clockwise loop. Soon on your left you will pass the aforementioned graveyard, Ula Bhreandáin – St Brendan’s Altar. The path hugs the north coast from beach to beach, any of which are great for a weather permitting swim. The hill on your left is actually an ancient midden or rubbish dump and the local rabbits are forever revealing the eating habits of our ancestors.

About halfway, you will come to a fence on your left, turning away from the beach. Following this up onto the grass and into a hollow, you will find the remains of the 7th C Teampaill Feichin -Feichin’s Church. Incidentally, St Feichin also founded abbeys on nearby High Island and in Cong.

Returning to the beach, we continue left up to the farthest point on the island and an ancient graveyard from which, I am reliably told, human remains often protrude after storms.

You can continue onto another tidal island provided you checked the tides……!

Otherwise, we continue hugging the coast, past a stoney beach called – Trá na n-éan – Beach of the Birds. You will see High Island to the north which has a fantastic monastic site founded by the busy St Feichin.

Soon the path turns east and we come to another stony beach with a lovely holy well called – Tobar Feichin,. You may see bits and pieces laid about the place. These are wishes and prayers left by believers to bring good health, recovery to loved ones or just in memory of those passed.

From this point you can head back northward and inland to visit the famous Omey Island machair habitat. These sand dunes form a fertile grassy plain which explains why such an exposed island was populated from the earliest of times.

Heading roughly back the way you came but to the far end of the beach, you will come to an underwater bog aka evidence of rising sea levels, depending on the tides!

Here you turn east (left) up the grassy hill, past another midden, and onto the road. Keeping to this road we return to the sandy connection to the mainland.

Check out Hilltoptreks Self-Guided Walks and Trails in Ireland

Hill Walking in Connemara – Derryclare Linear walk

Start: L845 499 (Coillte Forestry Road) or Google Connemara Mountain Hostel.
Walk Length: Approx. 9km
Height Gain: 700m, Time Approx. 5 hrs
Markings: None – Navigation skills required.
Type: Difficult – not to be attempted in poor visibility
Mapping: OS Discovery 37 and 44 or Harveys Connemara

There is space for 4 or 5 cars at the Forestry Gate which leads to the Derryclare forestry plantation, nature reserve, lakeside fishing and the south-eastern part of the Twelve Bens.

There are no trail markers here so start to measure your distances from the gate to keep track of the turns and twists. Take photos of the track junctions for your return journey. This road soon crosses a stretch of river and you continue straight at what is the first of three forestry road junctions. At 1.1km, turn left, at 1.7km, turn right, at 2.1km you are out of the woods at L832 508. Up above you, to the west is Derryclare.

You will be taking the ridge on the right-hand side called the East Ridge. Leave the path and climb a grassy spur to the top of the ridge at about 300m. You will be able to see the Maumturks on the other side of the Inagh Valley.

This ridge is weather worn and can be slippery underfoot in wet weather. Continuing on in a westerly direction along this ridge towards Derryclare, the ascent is gentle at first, getting steep for the final climb to the summit. On a clear day, you will see your entire route below you as well as the glacial Inagh Valley and the Maumturks.

Your descent is simply to retrace your steps.

Hill Walking in Connemara – Benbaun Linear Walk

Start: L796574 off the R344 Leenaun-Recess Road.
Walk Length: Approx. 10km
Height Gain of 700m, Time Approx. 5 hrs
Markings: None – Navigation skills required.
Type: Difficult – not to be attempted in poor visability
Mapping: OS Discovery 37 or Harveys Connemara
Benbaun is the highest of the Twelve Bens, situated right in the middle of the mountain range in the Connemara National Park. At 729m, it is the 72nd highest peak in Ireland and the county top for Galway with all the main ridges and peaks of the range radiating around it.

Benbaun (Binn Bhán means White Peak in Irish) could be said to be the Mont Blanc of Ireland but references the mass of white, quartzite rock which forms most of the Connemara mountains.

Underestimate Benbaun at your peril – In bad weather, it is a navigational challenge.

Due to its position, hiking Benbaun is usually done as part of The Glencorbet Horseshoe loop to include Benbrack, Benfree and finally Benbaun before descending via the Kylemore River. It is a formidable Connemara hike with two substantial ascents, several shorter but still steep climbs and a difficult descent. And that’s before we mention there are few noticeable paths and lots of proper Connemara bog to get through. Navigational skills and good fitness are a must.

The total ascent is over 1000m, it is 13km long, will take 6 to 7 hours and involves a river crossing which is not always possible after heavy rain.

It may literally be a walk in the Connemara National Park but it is definitely not a walk in the park as they say.

However, the 360d views from the highest point of the Twelve Bens are stunning and you can see the Maumturks to the east.

To bag Benbaun on its own, park at L796573 by some houses and a holy well. Benbaun is south of you. There is a pole marker and a path along an old road beside the Kylemore River. You will pass the ruins of some old cottages on your right. Keeping the stream on your right, following it as it swings south by a small house with grey corrugated roof. Turn left here starting another climb in a general south easterly direction towards a mountain stream.

You will reach a rough area (L792 548) which becomes a boggy saddle near 456m at Lugrevagh then keeping slightly right of the spur, ascend towards a small cairn over loose rocky terrain in a SSW direction. At this cairn, turn left up a gentle ascent to reach the summit of Benbaun.

To descend, retrace your steps carefully back to your car.

Hill Walking in Connemara – Western Way Long Distance Trail walk

Start: Oughterard town
Walk Length: 200km
Time: HilltopTreks offers 5, 7 & 8 day Self-Guided tour options
Markings: This is a way-marked trail
Type: Moderate – long distance trail
Map: The Western Way
Mapping: OS Discovery 45 and 38
The Western Way is a long-distance walking trail through the spectacular scenery of counties Galway and Mayo in the west of Ireland.

The trail begins in Oughterard in Co. Galway and continues north to Maum, through the glacial Inagh Valley to Killary Harbour. From here, it enters Co Mayo at Aasleagh, continuing north across the slopes of Croagh Patrick, to Westport and Newport. Then through the Nephin Mountains to Derry, Bellacorick and Sheskin to Ballycastle. The final stretch is along the North Mayo coast through Killala, Ballina to the Co Sligo border near Bunnyconnellan, an impressive 200km from the start in Oughterard.

NOTICE: Some of the property traversed by the Western Way is private property. Access is available by kind permission of all the landowners/holders on the route. It is understood that persons entering do so by permission with the consent of the landowner and no matter how often they enter, or in what numbers, they do not do so as of right.

For more information on the Hilltoptreks self-guided tours and itinerary options, please see: The Hilltoptreks Western Way itinerary options

Walking and local information:

Map: For this section of Connemara and Ireland, we recommend OSI Sheets 37, 38, 44, and 45 and Harvey’s Map Connemara.

Hill Walking in Connemara can be quite remote so be sure to let someone know where you plan on walking.

Food and Drink:  There are many places to eat and stay while exploring Connemara such as Leenaun, Clifden, Oughterard and Westport to name a few.

Check out HilltopTreks Guided walks in Ireland

Hill Walking Lugnaquilla – Wicklow

Highest Peak in Wicklow and Leinster

hill walking lugnaquilla


3 Ways to Walk or Hike Lugnaquilla


Lugnaquilla is the highest peak in the Wicklow Mountains at 1003m and the highest in Ireland outside of Co Kerry. On a clear day, the views from the summit are truly awesome. You will see most of the east of the country and Wales on the other side of the Irish Sea.
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Hill Walking in Kerry

Iveragh and Beara Peninsula.

 

Hill walking and hiking in Kerry is very popular and when you visit this region you will see why.

10 Days Walking and Hiking in Kerry.


Hill walking in Kerry is the best way to really see and enjoy the natural beauty that this county in Ireland has to offer.
A group of us decided to go Hill Walking and hiking in Kerry to check out some walk for weekends we were planning to have here later in the year. I also wanted to walk the Kerry way while I was in the area. Myself, Angela and Gillian travelled down from Dublin with a break along the way. Dairine, Martha, Lydia, Martha, Francis and Liz where all making their own way. We met up at the Kenmare Bay Hotel just outside Kenmare town.
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