Hiking In Ireland

[MikePS]

Taking a trip to the Emerald Isle in July. This is my first visit. I am hoping to climb Mt Brandon on the Dingle Peninsula, any advice on guidebooks, hiking there specifically or generally in Ireland would be well appreciated, thanks.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Mike -

I just got back from 2 weeks hill walking. The first week was based in Killarney, Co. Kerry (not too far from the Dingle) and the second week in Westport, Co. Mayo. Westport is near Galway.

We didn't do Brandon, but did a few others in that area, including the tallest point in Ireland, Carrauntoohil. The most beautiful hike was on the Dingle - Eagle Mtn. That one probably requires a car spot, however.

I uploaded the tracks to Wikiloc - look for hikes with "Co. Kerry" in the title for those in the south of Ireland.

If you're interested in pics, this this out -

Enjoy. It's a beautiful place, steeped in history and legend.

 

[MikePS]

thanks

Thanks Kevin, nice link and great pics. I may switch to Eagle, talk with some natives when I get there

 

[JustBob]

Hi Kevin,

Great photos and wikiloc info.

We'll be in Ireland for a couple of weeks this Spring, and I'm trying to gauge the difficulty of some of the hill walks - in particular Eagle and Carrauntoohil. Could you compare those two walks to something in the Whites?

Thanks

Bob

 

[Kyle D]

I'd recommend the drive through Killarney National Park. Also, a trip to the Black Valley for a hike through the gap of dunloe. Highly recommend "Carrauntoohil and MacGillycuddy's Reeks" by Jim Ryan as a guide book. Great descriptions, directions, maps, and color photos.

 

[Hikes with Hannah]

My husband and I went to Ireland in October for our honeymoon and had a fabulous time!

I second a drive around the Ring of Kerry and Killarney National Park. We didn't have time to hike to the Gap of Dunloe but from a distance it totally reminded both of us of Franconia Notch

The Cliffs of Moher in County Clare have a nice path that stretches several kilometers, I think it's called the Coastal Walk - pretty flat but a gorgeous place for a long walk.

Diamond Hill in Connemara National Park in County Galway was our favorite hike - it's got some decent elevation gain and fabulous open views the whole way, and the footing is much nicer than most trails in the Whites. It's also close to Kylemore Abbey (which you can see from the summit), definitely check that out if you're in the area. I didn't bring my regular hiking boots but had my sturdy Keens and they were fine for the whole trip.

We spent a few days in Dublin and it's a very walkable city, reminded us of Boston in a number of ways.

Lastly if you're brave enough to rent a car and drive around, don't base estimated driving times on your GPS - some of the speed limits out there are WAY higher than we'd ever feeling comfortable driving, so give yourself plenty of time.

Have a great trip!

 

[RollingRock]

Hiked all over the western coast of Ireland back in 2009. We rented cards, started in Dingle, made our way north to Connemara National Park and continued to Donegal in Northern Ireland. We hiked up Mt. Brandan, Carrauntoohil, Crough Patrick, among many others. View Slide Show with Music to get a full flavor.

 

[JustBob]

Excellent stuff RollingRock. Thanks.

 

[weatherman]

My wife and I honeymooned and hiked in the West of Ireland, now 20 years ago (!!)- HAVE to make it back there soon! We had hiked the Whites a fair amount prior to that including all the above-treeline places. The trails in Ireland are not as rough, generally. Couple things to keep in mind- though the days are long, the hikes mostly start from sea level or within 200 meters of it, so your hikes may be longer than you are used to, if you are peakbagging. Also, routefinding may be harder in places as the trails are often less traveled, lightly cairned if at all, riddled with sheep trails that can confuse you, and comparatively featureless above treeline. And the fog can be striking, if romantic. Bone up on your GPS and map/compass skills. Enjoy!