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Ireland - Coast to Coast Trail
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Distance: | 370 miles |
Difficulty:
| Moderate. Pavement on the middle section is hard on the joints. |
Way-marking:
| Excellent on the Wicklow Way and Kerry Way. Considering the middle section does not receive as much traffic, it was very well marked. |
Trails:
| Mainly logging roads, footpaths, and pavement
| Lodging Styles:
| Irish B&Bs- many are new and quite nice. Are an excelent value considering the cost of food in Ireland. |
| Best Season: | Spring and early Summer |
Highlights:
| The Wicklow Way offers some incredible views back toward Dublin Harbor. Dramatic scenery on the Kerry, and a real rural Ireland experience in the middle.
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A Journey Across Ireland
Afoot 370 miles on the Irish Coast to Coast
The Irish coast to coast footpath extends 370 miles from the city of Dublin,  across the southern countryside to Bray Head on Valencia Island. It is actually five different footpaths linked together with the beginning Wicklow Way and the final Kerry Way being the most scenic and organized, and therefore the most popular. Yet even on these well known trails, you will seldom see many walkers. In fact, you may seldom see anyone; not surprising since Ireland is one of the most sparsely populated countries in Europe and overwhelmingly rural.
The trail begins on the outskirts of Dublin at Marley Park and quickly transports the walker from the bustling city into the quietness of the Wicklow mountains. For several days, Dublin harbor can be seen to the north while miles of rolling green farmland stretch southeast to the Irish Sea. Since much of the trail is on forest roads, river tow paths, or country lanes, a pattern that continues throughout the hike, walking is easy underfoot and despite several days of long mileage, is not taxing. The trail contains more road walking than I prefer, but even that has its advantages as route finding is easy, peat bogs are short-lived, and you can make good time.
If you’re looking for dry weather, go to Ireland in the spring. We set off during the last part of April and hiked for 12 days without ever  putting on our rain jackets. Not bad for a country that sees around 240 days of rain per year. As one pub owner noted, “We know it’s summer when the rain is warmer.” On rainy days, showers usually last 30 seconds and just about the time you zip up your rain parka, the sun is brilliant. Likewise, by the time you stop to think about whether to abandon your coat, a dark cloud warns of more rain to come. Ireland is also one of the windiest places on earth, yet it’s climate is much milder than that of Britain. You might be surprised to find a palm tree in almost every yard, something that seems so strange for a country as far north as Newfoundland.
It is important to note that this was not a backpacking experience. While carrying all our belongings on our backs and traveling by foot, at day’s end we indulged in the luxuries of intimate bed and breakfasts. Many Irish B&Bs are purpose-built and provide very high quality accommodations, with a separate sitting and dining room for guests. Orthopedic beds are widely advertised. We voted them the best beds in the world. Breakfast is always huge, an important benefit for the long-distance walker, beginning with an assortment of cereal and fruit followed by a plate of eggs, bacon,, sausage, and black and white puddings if you so desire. Although white toast is almost always served, the best part of breakfast is Irish soda bread; a dense brown bread that tastes wonderful with lots of pure cream butter. And don’t worry about the calories or the carbs; guilt-free eating is a walker’s perk. Ireland is not cheap. However, a good B&B, which will run $60 to $85 a night for two people, is an extremely good value and the best way to meet the locals.
Booking the trip was easy. We contacted the Irish tourist board for  the strip maps of each individual walk. Inside each packet was a list of accommodation located along or near the route. Small icons denoted whether they provided evening meals, packed lunches, or would pick you up and drop you off at the trailhead if located off the route. Unlike most of the long-distance trails we’ve hiked in England which make a point of connecting you to small villages, the Irish coast to coast at times tends to leave you out in the sticks or bring you to a village where many of the B&Bs are outside of town. In the world afoot, added distance can be a nightmare, therefore I can’t stress enough the importance of accommodations that cater to the needs of the walker. It was here the Irish excelled. During our three week trek, I counted 26 times someone picked us up, took us to a pub, a restaurant or grocery store, or returned us to the trailhead.
Even during the day people went out of their way to aid us in our travels. Such was the case at Dan’s Bar located in Bweeng, which is on the way to Nad’s Bog. Dan had just opened and like most pubs in Ireland, did not serve food. But he had drinks, peanuts, protection from the elements, and a warm peat fire. So we sat inside for a break. Next thing we knew, Dan was bringing baskets of hot french fries, a full plate of sausages, and a pot of tea. Since he couldn’t sell food we pleaded for him to take a generous tip. He flatly refused. “There is one thing you can do for me”, he said. “When you return home … send me a postcard from America.”
Walking may be the best way to truly see a country, yet on this particular trip it took me a while to feel  I had grasped what really made Ireland … Ireland. It’s not part of the British Isles, nor is it Europe. There’s a sense that it sits on the outskirts of a much larger and more cohesive part of the world, doing it’s own thing. People live in the towns where they were born. Community events, weddings, funerals, family, these are important to the Irish. On leaving a pub during bingo night, which raised support for the local rugby team, an older woman questioned David on why he wasn’t staying to play. Thinking that she would be impressed and surely sympathetic, he explained that we had walked almost 25 miles and had a long day tomorrow. She immediately straightened her shoulders and retorted as if he were a mere schoolboy, “Well! That’s a poor excuse.”
As for walking 370 miles, it really wasn’t that hard. It’s amazing how fast the miles add up when you walk everyday. My pack weighed just over 20 pounds and was never a concern. I was disappointed that, although becoming very fit, I didn’t lose much weight. They say that as a woman approaches 50, weight loss, even from hearty exercise, becomes more difficult, something I find totally unfair. While it could be due to the fact that muscle weighs more than fat, most likely it was due to a hearty fondness for Irish soda bread.
Bill Bryson, well-known travel writer, noted as he walked the Appalachian trail, that every twenty minutes the long-distance hiker walks further than the average American walks in a week. This may be a sad fact, but I’m convinced it’s because Americans have not discovered the secret. Walking is an intoxicating experience and once discovered, it can change your life. It can also change the way you travel. Over and over I hear foreigners lament about the American obsession with visiting as much territory in as short a period of time as possible; rushing from one destination to another, thus seeing and experiencing nothing of the real place. Walking, on the other hand, is slow and absorbing. There’s also a freedom in just walking out the door and heading down the road.
If Ireland is in your future plans and if you’d like to try a bit of walking there , here are a few suggestions. First, you don’t have to walk 370 miles. Try some day-hiking or walk from place to place for just a few days. With prior arrangement and a small fee, many B&Bs will transport your luggage ahead to the next night’s destination. It’s also a good idea to spend more than one night at the same place and arrange to have your host give you a lift where needed.
The Wicklow Way is excellent, extremely well marked and has a new website www.wicklowway.com with plenty of information. You can walk out of Dublin or start from anywhere along the route and walk back. The sections in the middle, the South Leinster Way, the Munster Way, and the Blackwater Way, will give you a true sense of rural Ireland and you’ll encounter very few people. The Kerry Way, located on the Kerry peninsula has by far the most dramatic scenery. In fact, it’s downright gorgeous. Even if you’re traveling by car and just doing a bit of day-hiking, I suggest you spend one day in Killarney, then opt for the more intimate and authentic coastal towns sprinkled around the peninsula.
Whatever way you choose to travel, Ireland is beautiful and welcoming and the prospect of middle-aged Americans walking, not only evoked interest, but seemed to elicit a hope that more would follow. As one pub owner said when giving us his business card, “Do me a favor, take this home and pass it along.”
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