South West of Ireland Walking Tour

Itinerary:

Your adventure begins at 09:30am with a Pick up at the Molly Malone Statue on Suffolk St.

Day 1: Drive from Dublin to Kerry, Visit the South Pole Inn Pub, A Cliff Walk  and Stay in Dingle.

Dingle Coastal Walk – Linear – 8Km – Approx. 2 hrs – ascent 120m

Morning/Afternoon: After your pickup in Dublin we travel south to Dingle in County Kerry. On the way we will be take a stop to visit the picturesque town of Adare in Limerick. This town has to be seen to be believed with its small thatched cottages and brightly colored buildings.

It is home to Adare manor which was once home to Earl of Dunraven. We will stop here to explore this town and stretch the legs.

Continuing on our way to Dingle we will stop again to visit the town of Annascaul which is famed for being the home town of Tom Crean. The great Irish explorer who shared voyages with Scott and Shackleton to the great Antarctic. On his retirement from the British Navy, he returned home to Ireland and founded a Pub called “The South Pole Inn”. We will visit the pub for a drink or a coffee.

When we are close to Dingle the guide will bring you to Beenbane beach. From here you can enjoy a short cliff walk in towards the village of Dingle – which is a fantastic way to arrive!

Evening: Dingle or “An Daingean” which is its Gaelic and original name is a fantastic small village known for its small quaint pubs, live Irish music and relaxed atmosphere. There is plenty to see and do in his small town with great restaurants, pubs, coffee shops, craft stores, etc.

You may also be surprised when you enter some pubs in Dingle that you can also buy a pair of shoes or get yourself a new measuring tape.

Day 2: Walk the sacred Mount Brandon, Stay in Dingle

Walk on Mount Brandon – Linear Return – 8Km – Approx. 5hrs – ascent 750m

Morning / Afternoon: After a hearty breakfast we will get ourselves ready for one of my favorite walks in this area, Mt Brandon. Which is named after Saint Brendan the voyager; some think he even got as far as North America.

                           “Is it right or left for Gibraltar
                           What track do I take for Mizen Head?
                           I’d love to settle down near Ventry Harbour,
                            St. Brendan to his albatross he said.” (St Brendan’s Voyage)

Mount Brandon is a sacred mountain and there is a pilgrim to its summit each year, which many of the locals do. It is less than 1000m but even though it is a pilgrim walk it is quite a challenge. The walk will take about 4hrs and the views from its summit are breath-taking. From the summit you can see the Wild Atlantic all around you. You can also see the Blasket Islands, the Skellig Island’s (Star Wars fame) and Ireland’s highest Mountain range on the Iveragh Peninsula.

Evening: After our walk on Mt Brandon, we will make our back to Dingle you could visit some of the craft shops, enjoy some of the local seafood or just relax.

Day 3: Killarney – Gap of Dunloe Walk – Boat across the lakes of Killarney.

Gap of Dunloe Walk – Linear – 13Km – Approx 3hrs – ascent 250m

Morning / Afternoon: This morning we leave Dingle early and make our way to Killarney and its beautiful lakes at the National Park. We will take a boat from the 15th century Ross Castle across the lakes to Lord Brandon’s Cottage.

From here we will start our walk through the Gap of Dunloe. This is a wonderful walk and one of the finest in Kerry with Purple mountain sitting above us to the left as we make our way through this wonderful valley. Finally, at the top of the valley and on completion of our walk, there is Kate Kearney’s cottage. Here you can enjoy a well-earned break, before we make our way back to Killarney by bus.

Evening: We will  make our back to our accommodation for an early night to recharge the  batteries for tomorrow’s big adventure.

Day 4: Ireland’s Highest Point, Killarney National Park, Stay in Killarney

Carrauntoohil – Linear Return – 12Km – Approx. 6hrs – ascent 850m

Morning/Afternoon:  Today is the big walk of the tour so it’s an early start to get over to Killarney. The walk on Carrauntoohil is weather permitting as your safety is paramount to the guide and us. An alternative suitable walk will be chosen by your guide in the Killarney National Park depending on the weather and the groups abilities.

Now, all going well and the weather is good then we will do the walk as planned. Carrauntoohil is 1039m in height so all due care must be taken. Thousands of locals and visitors climb this every year and you feel a great sense of achievement on getting to the top.

Evening: After we get back down and catch our breath, we will make our back towards Killarney.

The town of Killarney is the most visited town in Ireland. There are many places to visit here such as Muckross House, the lakes of Killarney, Ross castle, Torc Waterfall and more. As well as all its scenic beauty there are numerous restaurants, cafes, shops and pubs with live Irish music.

Day 5: Lahinch, Cliffs of Moher Walk, Stay in Doolin.

Cliffs of Moher Walk – Linear – 8Km – Approx 2.5hrs – 100m

Morning: This morning we travel up along the west coast of Ireland known as the “Wild Atlantic Way”, crossing the River Shannon at Terbert. The River Shannon is named after an ancient Celtic Goddess and is Ireland’s longest and most impressive river. As we cross the mouth of the Shannon on the ferry keep an eye out for the schools of Dolphins to be seen everywhere. When we dock on the far side you will be in County Clare.

Afternoon: Once we are in County Clare, we will follow the coast road up towards the town Lahinch. This coastal town is a surfer’s paradise and has become more popular due to the great waves here. It’s also a great holiday destination for Irish families with many other activities on offer as well. Making our way northwards we will visit Brigid’s well before we start our cliff walk towards the Cliffs of Moher. The walk is fantastic and the cliffs themselves are a true treat for all the senses.

Evening: We will be staying in Doolin tonight, the capital of Irish traditional music in the west. This is a tiny little fishing port made popular due to its importance in Irish music and dance. Doolin is also in another “Gaeltacht area” (Irish speaking region) so you can try your new learnt language skills on the locals, I’m sure they’ll be impressed.
Here we can relax and enjoy a bite to eat, while listening to some of the best Irish musicians in the world.

Day 6: Visit the Aran Islands and stay in Doolin.

Morning / Afternoon:   Today we will take a break from walking and visit one of the most spectacular places in all of Ireland the Aran Islands. We will take a Ferry from Doolin to Inis Mor, the largest of the three Aran Islands. This is a Gaeltacht area where Irish is still the main language

The Island is full of wonder and absolutely beautiful, I’m sure you will not want to leave. We can hire some bicycles at the port as this is the best way to explore the island. We can visit the world heritage site of Dun Aonghasa Fort which stands over a dramatic 300ft cliff. There are also some wonderful beaches on the Island if you fancy a dip in the Atlantic.

Evening: After you visit to the Aran Islands, we will make our back to our accommodation and get freshened and enjoy a meal in one of the fine pubs or restaurants close by.

Day 7:  Walk in the Burren and return to Dublin.

Burren Walk – Loop – 7.5Km – Approx. 3hrs – 140m

Morning / Afternoon:  This morning we will make our way to one of the strangest landscapes in Ireland, The Burren. This is a limestone karst and was sitting at the bottom of the sea many years ago, but you can still see that clearly today. The term “Burren” is derived from the Gaelic for “stony place”. The Burren is also famous for its many different and varied types of flora which are unique to this area. We will take a walk here in this unique landscape with its stone walls and stone floors.

If we have some time in the afternoon, we could visit Galway city “city of the tribes”. This is a great little city known for its relaxed and bohemian feel. You can spend hours just walking about the small streets while listening and watching street performers of all types

Today unfortunately we will be saying goodbye to the west of Ireland for a while as we make our way back to Dublin…

Slan agus beannacht (Goodbye and blessings).