| Hit the trails Malcolm
Rogers heads for a walking holiday in the Midlands and East Coast regions
of Ireland
 Ireland is not blessed
with the same number of rights-of-way or bridleways as England; neither
does it have the common law found in the likes of Sweden and Germany called
‘allmannsrecht’ or every person’s right to wander anywhere,
as long as no damage is done.
But what Ireland does have by way of compensation is huge expanses of
countryside — mountains, moorland, bogland, and woodland —
where you can wander all day, and be lucky if meet anyone. Even an open
road in, say, the middle of Offaly or the depths of Tyrone would probably
be considerably less busy (and more relaxing) than the Pennine Way in
England, the hiking route which usually has to be closed on bank holidays
due to the huge numbers visiting.
Yet just a couple of hours away, in the Midlands of Ireland, tranquility
is assured and moments of untethered beauty guaranteed.
Ireland, you see, despite having an influx of returned immigrant and migrant
workers, is still sparsely populated by European standards. Just over
five million people live on the entire island — that’s only
about half the population London. It’s been calculated that if Ireland
hadn’t had the Famine and consequent emigration, it would today
have a population similar to the European norm — about 13 to 14
million souls.
In short, Ireland is not too crowded, an ideal place for a walking holiday.
The west coast and the Midlands are that quiet Ireland writ large. But
you don’t have to stir too far out of Dublin to come to a land of
peatlands and parkland, beach and mountain, ideal for both hiking and
cycling.
The choice is pretty spectacular. The Wicklow Hills, high and remote,
will offer you a variety of terrain from gentle granite slopes to vertigo-inducing
cliff paths. Remote loughs and heathery uplands are your reward for climbing
into the heart of these gems. At the other end of the scale, canal-side
and riverside walks along the Barrow, Slaney and Royal Canal can be as
gentle and relaxing as you want to make them
Weather, of course, is a major consideration. You can get the odd soft
day bucketing down in the Midlands, as else where in Ireland. As someone
once said: God appears to have left the tap on in Ireland, and forgotten
about it.
Now I’m the sort of person who, when I see a report on television
about unseasonable snow blizzards on the Mediterranean coast of Spain,
I think — no it can’t possibly be. I’m not there on
holiday. You see, I seem to attract bad weather.
But of course as I’ve grown older I realise that there’s no
such thing as bad weather — only bad clothes. You will need to be
prepared for the odd shower. Waterproofs are a must, and proper hiking
boots a prerequisite. The ideal maps for walkers are the Discovery series
(about an inch to a mile) published by the Ordnance Survey of Ireland.
These are very detailed, showing individual buildings (houses, castles,
churches) as well as the remotest footpath. They also highlight the whereabouts
of ancient monuments and traditional landmarks such as standing stones
and old mass rocks. Consulting your map before a walk can be as instructive
as reading a guide book.
A compass (and knowing how to use it) is also essential. Recently I’ve
bought a hand held GPS gadget — about the size of a mobile phone.
It costs about £100, but tells you exactly where on earth you are.
I mean literally where on the earth you are — to the nearest foot
or so. GPS stands for Global Positioning Satellite, and the clever little
thing tunes in to four satellites circling the earth to work out which
part of Ireland you’re currently standing on. It also tells you
— through a clever little graphics screen - where you’ve come
from (so you can never get lost) how far you’ve travelled, what
elevation you’ve reached, and how much time has elapsed since you
began your journey. It’s probably got more power in it than the
computers which took the first men to the moon.
Having equipped yourself suitably with clothes, equipment and gadgets
(and not forgetting the soda bread sarnies), you’ll want to try
out some of the ‘Way-marked ways’ criss-crossing the region.
The Wicklow Way is probably for the more seasoned hill walkers, although
the lower reaches are entirely suitable for the averagely fit. The first
such trail in Ireland, it was formally established in 1980 and represents
the most westerly section of the E8 footpath which extends across much
of Europe.
The Wicklow Way begins in Dublin’s southern suburb of Rathfarnham
and travels in a south-south-westerly direction across the Dublin and
Wicklow uplands, then through the rolling hill country of southwest Co.
Wicklow to finish in the small Co. Carlow village of Clonegal 132 kilometres
later. Clonegal is itself a wonderful destination — a sleepy Irish
village on the banks of the Slaney with the haunted Huntington Castle
lurking in the centre. History’s broad sweep includes everything
from Norman forts to pre-Christian bullawns, and from the Civil War right
back to the United Irishmen. And quite frankly, if you don’t find
the prospect of all that in-your-face history a bit overwhelming, then
you probably haven’t been listening for the last five or eight centuries.
This combination of castles and countryside, forest trails and scenic
mountain landscape offers a wonderfully varied, 10-day experience for
a hill-walker of average fitness.
The Slieve Bloom way encompasses lofty peaks, ancient bogland and lush
forest. Riverside walks and lonely tracks lead to ancient historical sites.
The Slieve Bloom Mountains are without a doubt one of Ireland’s
hidden gems, boasting an almost unlimited amount of different activities
including walking, cycling, heritage tours, equestrian trails and Irish
music and dancing festivals.
The villages hereabouts look positively edible, the colour of a ploughman’s
lunch, crusty brown bread and white cheese simply frothing with cow parsley.
The mountains are one of the oldest ranges in Ireland and rise gently
in a heathery wave from the limestone plains that characterize the centre
of Ireland. Heather and blanket bog dominate the summit plateau which
is dotted with breathtakingly beautiful glens and valleys. From the highest
point, Arderin or ‘The Height of Ireland ‘at 527 metres, it
is possible to see the highest points of each of Ireland’s four
provinces. (Homework for next week — see if you can name them all).
The Slieve Bloom Way is a 69-kilometre circular trek which can be joined
anywhere but most popularly beginning and ending in the small village
of Rosenallis. It can be done in just three days, but five days to a week
would allow for a more relaxing experience.
Aside from the spectacular geological and botanical features of the Slieve
Bloom Way, some 65 species of birds will share the day with you, as well
as the odd wild deer or feral goat.
Regularly walking in the Slieve Blooms are the members of the Slieve Bloom
Walking Club and details of their scheduled treks can be found in the
Slieve Bloom Rural Development Programme, available at Portlaoise Tourist
Office. The club host a walking festival each year on the May Bank Holiday
Weekend. Other walks in the mountains are detailed in the Whitehorse area
walking map and information on these routes can be found at the Tourist
Information Office or from Laois Leader. Siúlteori Cluain na Slí
also organise walks and heritage bus tours.
Further information can be obtained by phoning + 353 (0) 502 48132. The
Slieve Blooms are also ideal for cycling tours. Information and route
suggestions can be obtained from the Tourist Information Office in Portlaoise
on + 353 (0) 502 21178. |
