River & Canal Walks

lennyantonelli

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to compile a list of river and canal walks for a writing project I'm working on, so I've come here looking for a bit of help.

I'm particularly looking for ones to the east of the Shannon, or within, say, a two hour drive from Dublin.

I've already compiled a list of 24 such walks based on ones I've done myself, and well-known official trails on irishtrails.ie etc. This includes the Royal and Grand Canal Way, Barrow Way and Newry & Lagan Ways.

But I'm particularly looking to find out about lesser-known walks that might only really be known to locals, or where public access might be allowed but there might be no official marked trail.

I'd love to hear of any walks folks out there think fit the bill. It doesn't need to be particularly long — if there's a 4km loop that includes 2km along a riverbank for example, that would fit the bill just fine.

Thanks,

Lenny

Trail Kilkenny

Hi
I manage a walk called the "Nore Valley Walk" whicch as the name suggests is along the banks of the River Nore. Two sections are open, Kilkenny to Bennettsbridge and Thomastown to Inistioge and full details can be found here. e-mail me on trails@trailkilkenny.ie if you want more information or copies of our brochure pack.

lennyantonelli

Thanks. Have dropped you an email.....

duckysauce

Trail Kilkenny wrote: »

Hi
I manage a walk called the "Nore Valley Walk" whicch as the name suggests is along the banks of the River Nore. Two sections are open, Kilkenny to Bennettsbridge and Thomastown to Inistioge and full details can be found here. e-mail me on trails@trailkilkenny.ie if you want more information or copies of our brochure pack.

http://www.trailkilkenny.ie/walking-trails/nore-valley-walk-kilkenny-to-bennetsbridge/

map of route and link to Irishtimes don't work

Judge

It's certainly possible to walk almost the entire length of the River Dodder from the summit of Kippure to where it meets the Liffey at Ringsend. There are only three significant breaks away from the banks along the way - at Firhouse, Templeogue and Donnybrook.

I've mapped about half the route here (this is the unofficial extension to the Wicklow Way described in EastWest Mapping's Wicklow Way Map Guide, which follows the Dodder from Dublin as far as Rathfarnham).

If you're going the whole length from sea to source, the last slog from Glenasmole up to Kippure is on private land; I'm not sure if access is allowed, although I have climbed Kippure along that route without any hassle.

Edited to add:- Christopher Moriarty's book, Down the Dodder, is an excellent resource for walks along the Dodder.

Carawaystick

You can walk up the right bank of the Avoca river from Arklow to the Fert, about 6km

You can then take a forestry trail up close to the river through Glenart to the waterworks in Ballyduff, another 5km


And further up you can walk up the right bank of the Ow from the road up to the south Prison of Lug, but some of the gruond is rough.


In Dublin, you can walk up the Royal canal from at least Ballybough/Summerhill, past Croker, Drumcondra, Phibsboro, Broomebridge, Castleknock CLonsilla to At Least Ballinacarrigy in Westmeath

I'd say the Grand canal is similar.

There is a Boyne navigation canal and a Newry ship canal which might have a walkable bank route also.
The Dual cariageway from Narrow Water to Newry is walkable too but hardly a pleasant one

dogmatix

There are some nice (and quiet) canal walks from Robertstown along the Grand and Barrow canals. A particular favourite of mine is the walk from CrossPatrick Cemetary at kilmeague to Pollardstown fen and back along the Milltown feeder canal.

I'm also very fond of the walk from Graigenamanagh to St Mullins along the banks of the Barrow. St Mullins alone is worth the walk down to it but the barrow at this stretch is exceptionally beautiful.

And not forgetting the walk along the Boyne from Oldbridge house to Newgrange visitor centre and back.

Of course all of the above are out and back walks not loops but that is not a problem as waterside walks have that effect of not appearing 'repetitive' as you are seeing the same route from a different viewpoint. Only seems to work for waterbased hikes (in my opinion).

some of the above water based routes are covered in http://www.walkingroutes.ie/.

Trail Kilkenny

Hi Duckysauce
We're working on a redesign of the Trail KK webiste and I've just signed off the design so it'll all be upadated and fixed within the next month.
Trail KK

flazio

The Hymany Way between Portumna and Ballinasloe goes along an embankment built by the ESB to protect the Western side from flooding. This runs along the Shannon from Portumna to a small Parish called Meelick, the trail heads west through bog land before approaching Ballinasloe alongside what's left of the Grand Canal west of the Shannon (which isn't very much)

niallers1

Not in the east but the Canal walk from limerick city to killaloe is really good.

BarryD

The Westmeath Way has a pleasant section along the River Brosna from Kilbeggan towards Ballynagore, about 6kms. Return journey not so easy if you need to make a loop though.
There's some trails being developed/ extended south of Blessington towards Russborough, not river or canal but near shore of reservoir.
What about the Dargle Valley below Enniskerry, people walk in there from Kilcroney end.
The Devil's Glen near Ashford has pleasant riverbank paths
The Varty Reservoir, lower part can be encircled, likewise possibilities in Glenasmole
Newtownmountkennedy - river walk
Inchavore and Luggala...
Lots of possibilities if you think around it, Wicklow and elsewhere.. Glenbarrow, Cadamstown - Silver River

A few times, maybe 30 years ago, a group of us followed the Dodder all way up the hills crossed over and followed Glencree River banks to Enniskerry. Wouldn't recommend the latter part now though - you'd probably end up in the High Court

dogmatix

Some more river walks - or walks that have some sections by a river:
1. Avondale house and the Jubilee loop (Rathdrum).
2. Tinahely railway walk and Tomnafmnoge Woods.
3. Vale of Clara.
4. Sean Linehan walk in Aughrim.
5. the walk from Adamstown to Sallins along the canal is a great hike also.

It is possibly to walk along the Glencullen river through knocksink woods to Enniskerry at a point a few miles south of Glencullen. But the last time I did this a few years ago the upper position of the route (outside the reserve proper) was very dangerous, mainly due to the last few years of wet summers. The last two months of dry weather might make it passable again.