View source for Long-distance footpaths in the Republic of Ireland

[[File:National Waymarked Trail Waymarker (Ireland).jpg|right|thumb|200px|The "walking man" waymarker used for National Waymarked Trails]]
{{county|Wexford}}
'''Long-distance footpaths in Ireland''' abound.  Forty-three such walking routes are designated as 'National Waymarked Trails' by the National Trails Office of the Irish Sports Council.<ref>[http://www.irishtrails.ie/National_Waymarked_Trails/ National Waymarked Trails]:  Irish Trails (Irish Sports Council)</ref>  Many are simple day-walks, while others are substantial, multi-day walks over wild terrain.

The oldest officially designated trail is the [[Wicklow Way]], the first section of which opened in 1980. It was followed by the [[South Leinster Way|South Leinster]] and [[East Munster Way|East Munster]] Ways in 1984; the [[Kerry Way]] and the [[Táin Way]] in 1985; and the [[Dingle Way|Dingle]] and [[Slieve Bloom Way|Slieve Bloom]] Ways in 1987. National Waymarked Trails continue to be developed and there are now over 2,500 miles of routes in the Republic of Ireland. The highest concentration of routes is in the Province of [[Munster]]. The most frequented trails are the Wicklow, [[Sheep's Head]], Kerry, Dingle, [[Beara Way|Beara]], [[Burren Way|Burren]] and [[Western Way|Western]] Ways.

The 'National Waymarked Trails' trails are inspected annually by the National Trails Office and are maintained by local management committees, local authorities, local development companies and other state agencies. All routes follow woodland paths, grassy boreens, fields, riverbanks and quiet country roads in the lowlands and forestry tracks and mountain paths in the uplands. Each trail is waymarked with square black posts containing an image, in yellow, of a walking man and a directional arrow, a symbol reserved for use only by National Waymarked Trails.

In addition to the National Waymarked Trails, the Heritage Council has developed a series of walking routes based on mediæval pilgrimage paths. Two greenway rail trails have also been developed.

==History==
The impetus for the development of the National Waymarked Trails came about in response to the establishment of the [[Ulster Way]] in [[Northern Ireland]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Wicklow Way – this route was made for walking |first=Paul |last=Cullen |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=14 August 2006 |page=12 }}</ref> This prompted the appointment in 1978 of the Cospóir Long Distance Walking Routes Committee (now the National Trails Advisory Committee of the Irish Sport Council) to establish a national network of long-distance paths in Ireland.<ref name=st>{{cite news |title=Minister to open walking route |first=John |last=Stanley |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=30 November 1985 |page=8 }}</ref> The committee consisted of representatives of various sectional interests, including [[An Taisce]] whose nominee was appointed Field Officer of the committee.<ref name=st /> Malone had done much to popularise walking through a regular column in the ''Evening Herald'' newspaper, contributions to television programmes as well as two books on the subject.{{sfn|Dalby|2009|p=10}} The first trail to be developed – the Wicklow Way – was based on a series of articles he had written for the ''Evening Herald'' in 1966.

Each of the trails to have been developed makes use existing paths, tracks, forest roads, boreens and by-roads but, in the absence of any compulsory powers to include any of these, provision of and access to any such routes is achieved by agreement with local authorities and landowners. Agreement with private landowners has not always been forthcoming.<ref name=dw>{{cite news |title=Keeping ramblers in the loop |first=John G. |last=O'Dwyer |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2010/0925/1224279627843_pf.html |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=25 September 2010 |accessdate=24 April 2011 }}</ref> Most of the routes, therefore, are highly dependent on access provided by the state: Coillte, the state-owned forestry company, is the largest single manager of any of the trails with more than 30 National Waymarked Trails making use of its property. Coillte provides and maintains 52% of all off-road walking trails and 24% of the total amount of developed walking trails in Ireland.

Access issues mean that many trails have substantial sections on public roads.<ref name=dw /> Writing in ''The Irish Times'', John G. O'Dwyer summed up the situation as follows: "Trails often tiptoed timidly through the countryside, offering extended stretches of boringly unsafe road topped with boot burning bitumen. These were frequently interspersed with gloomy trails through invading armies of monoculture, including stands of Sitka spruce that were generally as memorable as a motorway median".<ref name=dw /> Trail erosion has also been an issue with some of the more popular routes.

==National Waymarked Trails==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- style="background: #f2f2f2"
! Name 
! County 
! Format 
! Start 
! End 
! Length 
|- style="background: #f9f9f9"
| [[Ballyhoura Way]]
| [[County Cork|Cork]]; [[County Limerick|Limerick]]; [[County Tipperary|Tipperary]]
| Linear
| St John's Bridge
| [[Limerick Junction]]
| 55 miles
|-
| [[Barrow Way]]
| [[County Carlow|Carlow]]; [[County Kildare|Kildare]]; [[County Laois|Laois]]
| Linear
| [[Robertstown, County Kildare|Robertstown]]
| [[St Mullin's]]
| 62 miles
|-
| [[Bealach na Gaeltachta, Dún na nGall|Bealach na Gaeltachta – Slí an Earagail]]
| [[County Donegal|Donegal]]
| Circular
| [[Dunlewey]]
| [[Dunlewey]]
| 48 miles
|-
| [[Bealach na Gaeltachta, Dún na nGall|Bealach na Gaeltachta – Slí Cholmcille]]
| [[County Donegal|Donegal]]
| Circular
| [[Ardara, County Donegal|Ardara]]
| [[Ardara, County Donegal|Ardara]]
| 40 miles
|-
| Bealach na Gaeltachta – Slí Chonamara
| [[County Galway|Galway]]
| colspan="4" style="text-align: center;"| Closed
|-
| [[Bealach na Gaeltachta, Dún na nGall|Bealach na Gaeltachta – Slí na Finne]]
| [[County Donegal|Donegal]]
| Circular
| [[Fintown]]
| [[Fintown]]
| 31½ miles
|-
| [[Bealach na Gaeltachta, Dún na nGall|Bealach na Gaeltachta – Slí na Rosann]]
| [[County Donegal|Donegal]]
| Circular
| [[Dungloe]]
| [[Dungloe]]
| 40½ miles
|-
| [[Beara Way]]
| [[County Cork|Cork]]; [[County Kerry|Kerry]]
| Circular
| [[Glengarriff]]
| [[Glengarriff]]
| 128 miles
|-
| [[Blackwater Way]] (Avondhu)
| [[County Cork|Cork]]; [[County Tipperary|Tipperary]]
| Linear
| [[Clogheen, County Tipperary|Clogheen]]
| [[Bweeng]]
| 58 miles
|-
| [[Blackwater Way]] (Duhallow)
| [[County Cork|Cork]]; [[County Kerry|Kerry]]
| Linear
| [[Bweeng]]
| [[Shrone]]
| 41 miles
|-
| [[Bluestack Way]]
| [[County Donegal|Donegal]]
| Linear
| [[Donegal]]
| [[Ardara, County Donegal|Ardara]]
| 40 miles
|-
| [[Burren Way]]
| [[County Clare|Clare]]
| Linear
| [[Lahinch]]
| [[Corofin, County Clare|Corofin]]
| 71 miles
|-
| [[Cavan Way]]
| [[County Cavan|Cavan]]
| Linear
| [[Dowra]]
| [[Blacklion]]
| 13½ miles
|-
| [[Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail]]
| [[County Mayo|Mayo]]
| Linear
| [[Balla, County Mayo|Balla]]
| [[Murrisk]]
| 38 miles
|-
| [[Dingle Way]]
| [[County Kerry|Kerry]]
| Circular
| [[Tralee]]
| [[Tralee]]
| 101 miles
|-
| [[Dublin Mountains Way]]
| [[County Dublin|Dublin]]
| Linear
| [[Shankill, Dublin|Shankill]]
| [[Tallaght]]
| 34 miles
|-
| [[East Clare Way]]
| [[County Clare|Clare]]
| Circular
| [[Killaloe, County Clare|Killaloe]]
| [[Killaloe, County Clare|Killaloe]]
| 112 miles
|-
| [[East Munster Way]]
| [[County Waterford|Waterford]]; [[County Tipperary|Tipperary]]
| Linear
| [[Carrick-on-Suir]]
| [[Clogheen, County Tipperary|Clogheen]]
| 47 miles
|-
| [[Grand Canal (Ireland)|Grand Canal Way]]
| [[County Dublin|Dublin]]; [[County Kildare|Kildare]]; [[County Offaly|Offaly]]
| Linear
| [[Lucan, Dublin|Lucan Bridge]]
| [[Shannon Harbour]]
| {{convert|117|km|mi|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|-
| [[Hymany Way]]
| [[County Galway|Galway]]
| Linear
| [[Portumna]]
| [[Aughrim, County Galway|Aughrim]]
| 34 miles
|-
| [[Kerry Way]]
| [[County Kerry|Kerry]]
| Circular
| [[Killarney]]
| [[Killarney]]
| 133 miles
|-
| [[Leitrim Way]]
| [[County Leitrim|Leitrim]]
| colspan="4" style="text-align: center;"| Closed
|-
| [[Lough Derg Way]]
| [[County Limerick|Limerick]]; [[County Clare|Clare]]; [[County Tipperary|Tipperary]]
| Linear
| [[Limerick]]
| [[Dromineer]]
| 40½ miles
|-
| [[Mid Clare Way]]
| [[County Clare|Clare]]
| Circular
| [[Newmarket-on-Fergus]]
| [[Newmarket-on-Fergus]]
| 92 miles
|-
| [[Miners Way and Historical Trail]]
| [[County Sligo|Sligo]]; [[County Roscommon|Roscommon]]; [[County Leitrim|Leitrim]]
| Circular
| [[Arigna]]
| [[Arigna]]
| 73 miles
|-
| [[Monaghan Way]]
| [[County Monaghan|Monaghan]]
| Linear
| [[Monaghan]]
| [[Inishkeen]]
| 40½ miles
|-
| [[Multeen Way]]
| [[County Tipperary|Tipperary]]
| Linear
| [[Milestone, County Tipperary|Milestone]]
| [[Tipperary (town)|Tipperary Town]]
| 14 miles
|-
| [[Nore Valley Way]]
| [[County Kilkenny|Kilkenny]]
| Linear
| [[Kilkenny]]
| [[Inistioge]]
| 21 miles
|-
| [[North Kerry Way]]
| [[County Kerry|Kerry]]
| Linear
| [[Tralee]]
| [[Ballyheigue]]
| 28 miles
|-
| [[Offaly Way]]
| [[County Offaly|Offaly]]
| Linear
| [[Cadamstown]]
| [[Lemanaghan]]
| {{convert|37|km|mi|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|-
| [[Royal Canal|Royal Canal Way]]
| [[County Dublin|Dublin]]; [[County Kildare|Kildare]]; [[County Meath|Meath]];<br> [[County Longford|Longford]]; [[County Westmeath|Westmeath]]
| Linear
| [[Ashtown, Dublin|Ashtown]]
| [[Abbeyshrule]]
| 49 miles
|-
| [[Sheep's Head|Sheep's Head Way]]
| [[County Cork|Cork]]
| Circular
| [[Bantry]]
| [[Bantry]]
| 56 miles
|-
| [[Slieve Bloom Way]]
| [[County Laois|Laois]]; [[County Offaly|Offaly]]
| Circular
| [[Glenbarrow]]
| [[Glenbarrow]]
| 52 miles
|-
| [[Slieve Felim Way]]
| [[County Limerick|Limerick]]; [[County Tipperary|Tipperary]]
| Linear
| [[Murroe]]
| [[Silvermines]]
| 26½ miles
|-
| [[Sligo Way]]
| [[County Sligo|Sligo]]
| Linear
| [[Larrigan]]
| [[Dromahair]]
| 48 miles
|-
| [[Slí Gaeltacht Mhuscraí]]
| [[County Cork|Cork]]
| Linear
| [[Kealkill, County Cork|Kealkill]]
| [[Millstreet]]
| 43 miles
|-
| [[South Leinster Way]]
| [[County Carlow|Carlow]]; [[County Kilkenny|Kilkenny]]; [[County Tipperary|Tipperary]]
| Linear
| [[Kildavin]]
| [[Carrick-on-Suir]]
| 65 miles
|-
| [[Suck Valley Way]]
| [[County Roscommon|Roscommon]]; [[County Galway|Galway]]
| Circular
| [[Castlerea]]
| [[Castlerea]]
| 65 miles
|-
| [[Táin Way]]
| [[County Louth|Louth]]
| Circular
| [[Carlingford, County Louth|Carlingford]]
| [[Carlingford, County Louth|Carlingford]]
| 25 miles
|-
| [[Tipperary Heritage Way]]
| [[County Tipperary|Tipperary]]
| Linear
| Vee Gap
| [[Cashel, County Tipperary|Cashel]]
| 35 miles
|-
| [[Western Way]] (Galway)
| [[County Galway|Galway]]
| Linear
| [[Oughterard]]
| [[Leenaun]]
| 34 miles
|-
| [[Western Way]] (Mayo)
| [[County Mayo|Mayo]]
| Linear
| [[Leenaun]]
| [[Ballycastle, County Mayo|Ballycastle]]
| 77 miles
|-
| [[Westmeath Way]]
| [[County Westmeath|Westmeath]]
| Linear
| [[Kilbeggan]]
| [[Mullingar]]
| 20½ miles
|-
| [[Wicklow Way]]
| [[County Wicklow|Wicklow]]; [[County Dublin|Dublin]]; [[County Carlow|Carlow]]
| Linear
| [[Marlay Park]]
| [[Clonegal]]
| 80 miles
|-
|}

==Pilgrim Paths==
{{Main|Pilgrim Paths of Ireland}}
[[File:Pilgrim Path Waymarker (Ireland).jpg|right|thumb|200px|The "walking pligrim" waymarker to designate Pilgrim Paths]]
Influenced by the work done by the Council of Europe on the 'Way of St James' in the 1980s and 1990s, the Pilgrim Paths project was set up by the Heritage Council as its Millennium Project. Its purpose was to develop and support a network of walking routes along Irish mediæval pilgrimage paths to raise awareness of natural and built heritage along these routes and to contribute to tourism and community development. Seven pilgrim paths were chosen for the project and, to date, three routes have been completed and are open for walking:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- style="background: #f2f2f2"
! Name 
! County 
! Format 
! Start 
! End 
! Length 
|- style="background: #f9f9f9"
| [[Mount Brandon#Pilgrimage|Cosán na Naomh]]
| [[County Kerry|Kerry]]
| Linear
| [[Ventry]]
| [[Mount Brandon]]
| 11 miles
|-
| [[St Patrick's Purgatory|Lough Derg]]
| [[County Donegal|Donegal]]
| Circular
| Station Island Visitor Centre
| Saint's Island
| 7½ miles
|-
| [[Saint Kevin's Way]]
| [[County Wicklow|Wicklow]]
| Linear
| [[Hollywood, County Wicklow|Hollywood]] or [[Valleymount]]
| [[Glendalough]]
| 18½ miles
|-
|}
These routes are waymarked with black marker posts with a yellow pilgrim symbol; an image based on a stone from a pilgrimage site in [[County Cork]] which depicts a pilgrim with a Celtic tonsure, wearing a tunic and carrying a staff. Beneath is a directional arrow inset with a cross of arcs, one of the main symbols of pilgrimage in Ireland.

A number of other routes have ben proposed at times for official recognition.  The Pilgrim's Road (or ''Slí Mhór'') between [[Ballycumber]], [[County Offaly]] and [[Clonmacnoise]] has been developed as a cycle way since so much of the route follows roads. Work has begun on the remaining route, Saint Declan's Way between [[Ardmore, County Waterford|Ardmore]] and [[Lismore, County Waterford|Lismore]] in [[County Waterford]]. Voluntary groups on both sides of the [[Knockmealdown Mountains]] began work on the route in 2013, waymarking is expected shortly. The first organised walk of the route takes place on 24 to 28 July 2013.<ref>'[http://www.kmdactive.com/active/walks/st-declans-way-walk-ardmore-to-cashel/ St Declan's Way Walk – Ardmore to Cashel]' on Knockmealdown Active</ref>

==Greenways==
There are also three 'greenway' rail trails in the Republic of Ireland:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- style="background: #f2f2f2"
! Name 
! County 
! Format 
! Start 
! End 
! Length 
|- style="background: #f9f9f9"
| [[Great Southern Trail]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.southerntrail.net/ |title=Great Southern Trail |work=SouthernTrail.net |accessdate=1 August 2011 }}</ref>
| [[County Limerick|Limerick]]; [[County Kerry|Kerry]]
| Linear
| [[Rathkeale]]
| [[Abbeyfeale]]
| 22 miles
|-
| [[Great Western Greenway]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.greenway.ie/Greenway-01.html |title=Great Western Greenway |accessdate=1 August 2011 }}</ref>
| [[County Mayo|Mayo]]
| Linear
| [[Westport, County Mayo|Westport]]
| [[Achill Island|Achill]]
| 26 miles
|-
| [[Waterford Greenway]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visitwaterfordgreenway.com/ |title=Waterford Greenway |accessdate=30 May 2017 }}</ref>
| [[County Waterford|Waterford]]
| Linear
| [[Waterford City]]
| [[Dungarvan]]
| 28½ miles
|}
A project has been initiated to create an 50-mile [[Connemara]] Greenway along the route of the former [[Galway]] to [[Clifden]] Midland Great Western Railway. The [[Dublin-Galway Greenway]] has also been initiated.<ref name=d14>{{cite web |url=http://www.dttas.ie/press-releases/2014/latest-section-dublin-galway-coast-coast-greenway-opens-varadkar|title=Latest section of Dublin-Galway coast-to-coast Greenway opens - Varadkar |publisher=Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport |date=27 June 2014 |accessdate=6 August 2014}}</ref> The 174-mile route is planned to be completed by 2020.<ref name=i14>{{cite news| work=Irish Independent| location=Dublin | title=Wheels in motion for 280km coast-to-coast cycle route | first1=Paul | last1=Melia | date=27 June 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://irishcycle.com/2014/06/27/galway-to-dublin-greenway-could-be-finished-in-five-years/ |title=Galway to Dublin greenway could be finished in five years| publisher=IrishCycle.com |date=27 June 2014 |accessdate=6 August 2014}}</ref> Sections of the route follow the [[Royal Canal]] from Dublin, as well as the disused Mullingar-Athlone rail line.<ref name=i14/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.hospitalityireland.com/General-Industry-News/10m-more-for-cycleways.html |title= €10m More For Cycleways |publisher=HospitailityIreland.com | date=15 May 2014 | accessdate=6 August 2014}}</ref>

There is also a campaign to create a greenway on the [[Claremorris]], [[County Mayo]] to [[Collooney]], [[County Sligo]] section of the Western Rail Corridor.

==See also==
*[[Bangor Trail]]
*[[Malin to Mizen]]

==Outside links==
{{commons|Hiking trails in Ireland|Hiking trails in Ireland}}
*[http://www.irishtrails.ie/National_Waymarked_Trails/ National Waymarked Trails] on ''IrishTrails.ie''
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110528021942/http://www.irishtrails.ie/National_Trails_Office/ National Trails Office]

===References===
{{reflist|2}}

* {{cite book |ref=harv |last1=Dalby |first1=Barry |title=The Wicklow Way Map Guide |year=2009 |origyear=1st pub. 1993 |publisher=EastWest Mapping |location=Clonegal, Ireland |isbn=978-1-899815-24-1 }}
* {{cite book |ref=harv |last1=Fewer |first1=Michael |title=The Way-marked Trails of Ireland |year=1996 |publisher=Gill & Macmillan |location=Dublin |isbn=0-7171-2386-3 }}
* {{cite journal |ref=harv |last=Wilson |first=Peter |date=January 1989 |title=The Expansion of Long-distance Walking Routes in Ireland |journal=Irish Geography |volume=22 |issue=1 |pages=48–51 |doi=10.1080/00750778909478786 }}

{{IrishTrails}}

{{Catself}}
[[Category:Footpaths in the Republic of Ireland]]