Blackwater Way

Bridge over the Kerry Blackwater

The Blackwater Way is a long-distance walking that follows the valley of the River Blackwater in the Counties of Tipperary, Cork and Kerry. It is 104 miles long overall, beginning in Clogheen in County Tipperary and ending in Shrone in County Kerry. The route is typically completed in ten days.

The route is designated as a 'National Waymarked Trail' by the National Trails Office of the Irish Sports Council and is managed by Avondhu Tourism and IRD Duhallow.

The Blackwater Way consists of two trails – the Avondhu Way between Clogheen and Bweeng in County Cork and the Duhallow Way between Bweeng and Shrone, which have been combined to form the Blackwater Way:

• The Avondhu Way section crosses the Knockmealdown Mountains to reach the town of Fermoy and then crosses the northern flanks of the Nagles Mountains to reach Bweeng by way of Ballyhooly and Ballynamona.
• The Duhallow Way section crosses the Boggeragh and Derrynasaggart Mountains to reach Shrone by way of Millstreet.

Connecting paths

• The Blackwater Way forms part of European walking route E8, a conceptual route which would run from Dursey Island in County Cork to Turkey. The Irish section incorporates the Wicklow Way, the South Leinster Way, the East Munster Way, the Blackwater Way and parts of the Kerry Way and the Beara Way.
• The East Munster Way connects to the Blackwater Way at Clogheen.
• The Kerry Way connects to the Blackwater Way by an unmarked route between Shrone and the start of the Kerry Way in Killarney.

Outside links

• Avondhu Way at IrishTrails.ie
• Duhallow Way at IrishTrails.ie
• Blackwater Way at ActiveME.ie