Ireland is home to some glorious tracks and trails that are scattered throughout our wonderful island. 20 minutes from the hustle and bustle of Dublin City Centre, you can find yourself wandering through the Wicklow Mountains. Ireland’s hiking trails offer a diverse range in ability. Whether you consider yourself an accomplished hiker, or prefer an afternoon rambling along a trail, prepare to be inspired to get out of the house and start hiking.
If it’s a scenic route that you’re looking for, the Slieve Gullion hike in county Armagh is hard to beat. Hiking Slieve Gullion, Armagh’s highest point, will see you encounter plenty of sheep along its zig-zag trail. The hike takes about 30 minutes to complete and when you reach the top you can see Ulster’s highest mountain, Slieve Donard in the distance. On a day with nice clear skies, this is a great hike to do.
Dubbed the Stairway to Heaven for its spectacular views, the Legnabrocky trail to the top of Cuilcagh Mountain, is one that hikers of all levels should add to their list. The hike draws in close to 20,000 visitors a year from all over the world to take in its majestic views and scenery. The recommended time for completing this hike is three to five hours, but can be completed quicker than this. This is a fantastic hike to do with friends on a summer’s day.
Next up is the Spinc in county Wicklow. This hike passes by Poulanass Waterfall and brings you to a boardwalk with wooden steps that when you climb up gives you spectacular views of Glendalough’s Upper Lake. This hike is 11 kilometres in length and will take you around four hours to complete. The trail will take you under Lugduff Mountain and then meanders down through a valley with an abundance of lavender. This hike is a beautiful one to do on any bright day.
If you want to do a hike before sunrise, Bray Head’s summit will give you wonderful views of the sun breaking over the horizon of Dublin Bay. This hike will have you scrambling over a few rocks or two but the views are well worth it in the end. From the top you will have a panoramic view of Bray, North East Wicklow and Dublin Bay. You also might be able to spot the Sugar Loaf and Carrickgollogan. When you decide to climb back down, there is a treasure trove of cafés along the promenade where you can pop in for some breakfast.
Ballycotton Cliff Walk in county Cork is an easy enough trail that ends on Ballyandreen beach. This walk gives you views of the vast Atlantic Ocean on one side and gentle flowing meadows on the other. Bring a picnic with you for when you finish this walk and sit on the sandy beach and try to see if you can spot any dolphins or whales.
For such a little island, Ireland certainly goes above and beyond when it comes to providing beautiful scenic trails. There are around 954 developed trails scattered all over the country for you to find and explore. If you’re interested in pursuing harder hikes that might need the guidance of a trained guide, check out Rozanna Purcell’s Hike Life. The Hike Life is a hiking group that takes on different peaks and trails all over Ireland. You can bring your dog along and sign up to do it with friends. Remember though, however nice the weather is, don’t forget that you are still in Ireland and pack your rain jacket!