Five little walks in Ireland that pack a big punch

Want to get some steps in, see cool stuff and have fun without climbing a mountain or hiking your calves off? Here are five walks with extra wow factor – and they’re only 500m to 5km long

Oulart Hill, Co Wexford

Rossmore Forest Park, Co Monaghan

The Hellfire Club, Co Dublin

The Gobbins, Co Antrim

Limerick street art

Oulart Hill, Co Wexford

Pól Ó Conghaile Twitter Email

February 26 2022 02:30 AM

It appears the world and its dog is out walking these days, gulping down fresh air, enjoying Covid-safe, outdoor activities and carrying on connections with nature forged during lockdowns.

It also seems they’re spending as much time posting on social media and bragging about their step counts as they are on the trails.

Let’s be honest – getting out for a good walk isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Despite hybrid working, few of us seem less busy. What if you have a buggy, if you’re sick of the same old local loops or don’t want to climb a mountain? How can you find a well-marked trail with minimum stress and some cool things to see along the way?

Good news – there’s a growing number of walks in Ireland with features and distractions of interest. I’ve listed five from as little as 500 metres to just over 5km, but a fresh look in your area (try coillte.ie, sportireland.ie/outdoors/find-your-trails or our walking hub at independent.ie/travel/walks) will soon unearth more ideas.

Oulart Hill, Co Wexford

500m: Hike into a hill, Co Wexford

I’m calling this a hike to make the headline catchy. You could barely describe it as a walk. Starting from the small car park at the top of Oulart Hill, Cosán na Glóire is a short trail across the 1798 battlefield to the brilliant Tulach a’ tSolais, or Mound of Light.

The mound is a memorial to the 1798 Rebellion and is cleaved in half by two concrete walls. Walk through the passageway between them and you’ll find an echoey chamber containing two giant slabs of 220-year-old oak. You can also climb it to enjoy views stretching over the county. It’s surprisingly interactive and made me think of a mini-Newgrange.

The paths are mown grass, and you can explore further by nosing around the forest paths behind or make a 5km loop of it by parking in Oulart Village and following the waymarked Jean Kennedy Smith Walk. It’s named for the then-US ambassador, who turned the sod on Tulach a’ tSolais in 1998.

More info: oularthill.ie; wexfordwalkingtrail.ie

Rossmore Forest Park, Co Monaghan

1km: Rossmore Forest Park, Co Monaghan

Forget fairy trails – Rossmore Forest Park has bet on big, scattering super-sized sculptures around its woodland and lakeside paths.

The Drumlin Giants, designed by Marc Kelly, an artist who worked on Game of Thrones, include Big Roos with his head and feet showing at the playground, the 10m Roddy Den Drum and The Morrigan, a red wolf’s head you can play around inside. An ‘Access for All’ loop measures just 0.8km, while other walks range from 1.7km to 8km, if you’re up for it. There’s a coffee dock on site too.

That’s not all. There’s a superb playground next to the car park and a yew tree avenue, and the place blooms with rhododendron in early summer. Sure, you won’t even notice you’re walking.

More info: coillte.ie; monaghantourism.com

Limerick street art

3km: Street art in Limerick

Not all walks have to be in the wilderness, you know. Steps count the same wherever you take them, and if it’s points of interest along the way you’re after, urban art could well be the perfect fit.

Limerick’s Street Art Trail encompasses 17 vibrant pieces throughout the city, from Aches’ Dolores O’Riordan mural near King John’s Castle to Dodo Reddan’s tribute near Mulgrave Street. Start by downloading the map created by Draw Out on limerick.ie, and go from there – the 3km distance is arbitrary; you can make it as long or short as you choose, and stop for several coffees along the way.

If you like this, try the Ardú trail in Cork, check out the Waterford Walls project (this year’s festival runs from August 11 to 22) or find a map of street art in Belfast on visitbelfast.com.

More info: limerick.ie; arducork.ie; thewallsproject.ie

The Hellfire Club, Co Dublin

4km: A haunted house in Co Dublin

Nothing will drag kids of a certain age outdoors like the promise of ghosts, poltergeists and a haunted house. The Hell Fire Club, with its magnificent views over Dublin, is the pay-off on a short Dublin Mountains loop that can take as little as 1.5 hours.

The ruin itself sits atop Montpelier Hill and was originally built as a hunting lodge around 1725. It’s a weird structure – robust and chunky, appearing almost to squat into the landscape – and the stories are legion. Think spirits angry at the disruption of a Stone Age site, the ghostly whiff of brimstone, tales of dogs refusing to enter or debauchery dating back to its days as an 18th century party den and – boo!

I’d recommend reading up a little in advance (rather than Googling once there) to add to the atmosphere. There’s nothing like a bit of storytelling on a walk, especially an adventure like this.

More info: dublinmountains.ie

The Gobbins, Co Antrim

5km: Get away on The Gobbins, Co Antrim

“On a busy day, they say the Gobbins was busier than Royal Avenue in Belfast,” the guide on this unusual walk told me.

The 4.5km guided coastal tour is an out-and-back attraction like no other on this island. It first opened as a tourist attraction to lure Edwardian rail travellers in 1902, eventually fell into disrepair and, in 2015, was rebooted as a modern draw, complete with newly engineered bridges, shuttle buses and modern-day safety protocols.

It’s not for the faint-hearted. You’ll pass through a 22-metre rock tunnel that actually dips below sea level, cross short bridges over the Irish Sea, and a steep enough descent to the start of the trail (and ascent afterwards) is equivalent to 50 flights of stairs. It won’t trouble fit walkers, but will rank as “moderate/strenuous” for some.

The 2.5-hour walks are guided, with a £20/€14.50pp fee including a shuttle bus transfer from the visitor centre near Whitehead. You need to book ahead and wear proper walking shoes (not trainers).

More info: the gobbinscliffpath.com

Read our list of the 25 best walks in Ireland here.