I know it's an old post but why not update it :-)

There is a lot of work on long distance paths in Ireland over recent years. Still no where near the quality of what is found in the UK. Mainly due to the lack of "Rights Of Way" and politicians are not keen to change it since many of them are from a rural background.

Ireland now has a 600 mile path opened South/North. It's really the joining up of current paths. I did one 45 mile section at the southern end between Millstreet and Glengariff. That section is a mixed bag of open mountain / lovely trail / farm land and about 50% quiet roads ( i.e. lack of access issues). I would suspect the whole route might be similar. But the Northern Ireland section is using the Ulster Way which seems mainly off road as it crosses the Sperrin mountains.

More details here:

https://www.theirelandway.ie/


This year I did four days of the Kerry Way and found it really nice. Again it's a mixed bag of open mountain / lovely trail / farm land and about 30% quiet roads. I started in Cahersiveen and walked back to Killarney. That section probably covers the prettiest parts of the route. (Windy Gap, Brida and Black Valleys etc). I did the Cumbria Way last year and found the nicer bits of Kerry Way much better but the Cumbria has way less road.

I left the car in Killarney and got the public bus to Cahersiveen (final stop Waterville). If I was back again I would have went to Waterville and skipped by Cahersiveen on the first day's walk.

PS buy socks with as much wool content in the as possible,some people suffer with socks with too much man made fibres in them

To brian grealy. You must buy good socks. agood fit. Try using Sundacrem(excuise spelling) it is used for baby's to stop them gettin nappy rash.It is waterproof and usefull for cuts ,stings,grazes,to smear on your soles of the feet to prevent sores.And make shore you tighten up your boots,the laces tend to slacken over a walk, to stop anyrubbing.

I have walked a few long distance paths but have struggled with sore soles of my feet. I assume it is the abrasion of my socks (lined) against the sole of my foot. Does anyone have any suggestions for any alternative socks or barrier cream?

Thanks Paul and Tom for your helpful tips. I will be following these up.

Paddy Dillon's book Irish Coast to Coast: Dublin to Bray Head (Cicerone Press - 2005) may help, describing an Irish CTC combining several waymarked trails. The website walkireland also shows the very similar track of the E8, an E-Route, again with details of these individual routes. In England the E8 uses the Trans Pennine Trail to go coast to coast across England. The European Ramblers Association (ERA's) website carries E-route details including in Ireland, and is linked from the E-Routes pages on this site (http://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/public/e_routes.php), that give some background on the E8. But Paddy's book may do the trick. There are maps available from Ordnance Survey Ireland and EastWest Mapping (http://eastwestmapping.ie}.

Dennis Gilbert of Bristol and West Group has walked from Dublin to Kerry via the Wicklow and other Mountains, See his posts on the LDP section of the forum.
Tom Sinclair, 7383, Kent Group

Having recently completed C2Cs across England, Scotland and Wales I am keen to do the same across Eire - ideally Galway Bay to Dublin. I have been unable to find any route descriptions for this proposed C2C and was wondering whether anyone had tackled it or something similar? The only possible source I have found so far is a now out of print book called Walking across Ireland from Dublin Bay to Galway Bay by Michael Fewer. I have so far been unable to track down this book. Does anyone know whether it would be useful?