Thinking about hiking the Ireland Way?
This post is a quick overview of the Ireland Way and what I think you might wish to know about the hike. It’s by no means comprehensive but I will be adding to this post over time and including as much information as possible.
Let’s start with the obvious.
What is the Ireland Way?
The Ireland Way is a hiking route that connects a series of long distance trails between the top and bottom of Ireland – namely the Beara Breifne Way and the Ulster Way. The Ireland Way begins and ends in either Cork or Antrim – depending on which direction you decide to hike. It stretches for more than 840km and takes most hikers between five and seven weeks to complete. However, you should also know that the Beara Way and Ulster Way consist of many more “shorter” trails (list down below) and some of these sections are still under development.
Start/Finish – Castletownbere, Beara Peninsula (Cork) & Ballycastle (Antrim)
Distance – 1,000km
Here’s a basic outline for the map of the Ireland Way…
Here’s a closer look at this map of the Ireland Way
About Terrain and Conditions on the Ireland Way
Half of the Ireland Way is off-road and travels across fields, mountains and bogland. This means hiking poles and waterproof gear is a necessity and you should expect to get wet and muddy. The other half of the Ireland Way goes along country roads and tracks. As the Ireland Way is still under development, there are a couple of sections that follow busy roads and some recommend taking a ride/lift for these “link sections” rather than walking the busy road.
Where to Stay on the Ireland Way
There are Bed & Breakfast options at various points throughout the Ireland Way but most hikers find wild camping more reliable. That said, you should at least practice wild camping before considering this option for a longer hike.
List of Trails on the Ireland Way
The Beara Way
The Slight Gaeltacht Mhuscrai
The North Cork Way
The Ballyhoura Way
The Multeen Way
The Ormond Way
The Hymany Way
The Suck Valley Way
The Lung Lough Gara Way
The Miners Way
The Leitrim Way
The Cavan Way
The Ulster Way
The Causeway Coast Way
Do you have any questions about the Ireland Way? Please ask in the comments rather than sending an email.
