5 Favourite Walks of 2021
Another Fabulous Year of Nordic Walking
During 2021 we have been out on nearly 50 fabulous Nordic Walks around Co. Clare. From woodlands, to coast, up hills and across the limestone pavements of the Burren, choosing just 5 of our favourite walks has been difficult. However we have come up with 5 that are suitable for different levels of fitness. For all of our walks we have enjoyed great the scenery of County Clare but what makes the walks all so special is the fantastic people we walk with.
Dromore Woods
Dromore is always a firm favourite which we enjoy on a weekly basis on our Woodland Wander Walks.
Covering an area of approximately one thousand acres Dromore Wood has all the attributes necessary for the perfect Nature Reserve. These include rivers, lakes, turloughs and callows (meadows that flood during winter), limestone pavement, fen peat, reed and rush beds and vast areas of species-rich woodland. The area comprises perfect habitat for a huge variety of flora and fauna species.
The Reserve also has an historical and archaeological aspect. The 17th century O’Brien castle stands by the lake edge. There are also the sites of Cahermacrea Castle and Kilakee Church, two ring forts, a limekiln, a children’s burial ground and a chapel.
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There are 7 marked trails to choose from ranging from 1.5k to 6k in length. It is easy to combine trails to make for a longer walk.
All trails are well sign posted and follow forest tracks and tarmac paths.
Stunning views and beautiful autumnal colours.
Kelp Beach
We have visited Kelp Beach twice this year, once enjoying a very interesting foraging walk with Oonagh O’Dwyer from Wild Kitchen. On our second walk we walked along the headland enjoying spectacular views of the Wild Atlantic Way. We were joined by a few new Nordic Walkers who had just learned this amazing activity.
Caher Murphy Loop Walk
Distance: 9.7 km
Elevation gain: 258m
Difficulty: Moderate
Cahermurphy Loop Trail is a 9.7 kilometer loop trail located in Flagmount, County Clare, Ireland.
Walk by lakeshore, riverbank, and through forest and enjoy splendid views of Lough Graney and the surrounding countryside.
Cahermurphy, (Cathair mhurchu In Irish), Lough Graney and its environs is sometimes referred to as the “Killarney” of Co. Clare. It is an unspoilt area of natural beauty. The area was made famous by the poet Brian Merriman in Cuirt an Mhean Oiche written in 1780. Cahermurphy House was once the stately home of Arthur Knox, the famed traveller/writer. A stone caher or stone fort can still be seen from the road on the lands of the present owner.
This Coillte Forest Park is known locally as the White Sands because of the stretch of sandy lakeside shore. Most of the present woodlands date from the early 1950s and include lodgepole pine, Scots pine, Norway spruce, Sitka spruce, alder, birch and beech. Fauna include pine marten, badgers, squirrels and fallow deer and there are otters in the nearby Bleach river. Many species of birds inhabit the area and there is coarse fishing in the lake.
The nearby village of Flagmount is a popular area for recreation on Lough Graney. Both Flagmount and Cahermurphy are on the East Clare Way and the area has a rich heritage of historic sites, folklore, traditional music, song and dance. Facilities on site include car park, picnic site, fishing, lakeshore and river walks.
The Cahermurphy Loop takes you by the White Sands Beach, along the bank of the Bleach River, and through Cahermurphy Forest. A moderate ascent provides spectacular views of Lough Graney and the surrounding countryside. The loop walk is part of the network of walks under the Shannon Region Trails Program and is marked using the standard red Shannon Region Trails directional arrows.
Eagles Rock
Walking in the Burren is always special, with its spectacular lunar landscape there really is no other place like it.
‘Eagle’s Rock’ above the slieve Carron Nature Reserve, is so called because of the Eagles that once lived there. Although the Eagles are no longer here, you may see Ravens, Peregrine Falcons or Kestrels. Feral Goats often feed on the sheer grassy ledges. In good weather, Slow Worms and Common Lizards sunbathe on the rocks. The perfume of the numerous meadow flowers attract Butterflies, while scurrying among the grasses and soil are a huge variety of invertebrates, prey for the songbirds whose music fills the air.
St. Colman MacDuagh built a small wooden chapel below the cliff at Eagle’s Rock around the end of the 6th century AD. He chose this remote place, surrounded by the beauty of nature, to live as a hermit, devoting his life to prayer and spiritual contemplation for seven years. The ruins of a later stone church are visible today, along with a holy well and cave where the saint is believed to have slept.
Flaggy Shore
Flaggy Shore in North Clare is an ideal location for a social walk as there is an option for longer or shorter routes, starting and finishing together.
The routes are easy along quiet roads and country lanes with minimal ascent.
The view across Galway Bay towards the Twelve Bens of Connemara is spectacular.