Working, Living & Travelling In Ireland

Category: Gort Cycle Trails

  • Father Ted’s House and the Green Nature Trail in the Burren, Co. Clare

    Father Ted’s House and the Green Nature Trail in the Burren, Co. Clare

    Visit to Father’s Ted House aka “The Parochial House”

    Long time ago I wrote a blog post about  Ireland’s love for tea and in it a reference to a series called Father Ted. It’s set on a fictional Island( called Craggy Island) and it talks about the trials and tribulations of various father/priests  and their housekeeper Mrs. Doyle, who are exiled on the island for various past incidents. They all live in a house called ” The Parochial House”
     
    I always thought the house really was on an Island off the West Coast (Inisheer) but that was only for the opening credits, as the house is located in the Burren, which is located in Co. Clare. We decided to go and explore and were delighted to actually find the house.
     
     
    You can visit the house( by appointment only this is), and get a nice cup of tea/coffee, scones, a farm tour etc, as there is a lot of farming in this most beautiful area. You can find out more info here.

    Where can you find the elusive Father Ted House?

    The house is located very near/in the Burren Nature reserve, and there are a number of brilliant walking trails. Most of the walks are 2 to 3 hours long, but there are a few shorter trails that can be done in less than an hour, so we opted for the green arrow Nature Trail ( not to be confused with the Green Trail).

    The Green Nature trail is a beautiful trail, walking through the rocky Burren, and some beautiful scenery. I took some images.

     

     

     

     

     

    View over Mullaghmore in the Burren National Park

     

     

    Enclosing instructions to get to Father Ted’s Parochial home here:

    Definately worth a trip!
    Katleen

    PS.. Since I wrote this article I have documented a lot more walks and cycles. Check them out here.

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  • Garryland Wood Trail to Coole Park Co. Galway

    Garryland Wood Trail to Coole Park Co. Galway

    Hello Readers,

    Today was another beautiful day! We had some sunny days last week, which I thought was the end of our Indian summer, however today was certainly another of those beautiful days. It’s on these days that you drop everything and venture out and let your eyes catch the beautiful colours in nature around us.

    We regularly go to a nearby park called Coole Park, it’s a big park , with many trails, but from time to time I get a little bit bored, so today I thought we’d venture to Garryland. Garryland is to the side of Coole Park, but is not as well known, but definitely a trail to keep in mind.

    Check out the below map, as there are no signposts to Garryland Woods. It’s pity as it’s a lovely walk.

    Coming from Galway, get off the motorway at Ardrahan and continue driving to Labane and take a right. You’ll pass the national school on the left, the community hall and Bradley’s bar on the right.. It’s a long drive but eventually, you’ll see the car park on the left-hand side.

     
    The trail is 4.6 Kms long, and that will bring you to the carpark in Coole Park. We didn’t do the whole walk, as didn’t want to have to walk all the way back, so  we walked from the car park at Garryland to the fence where Garryland meets Coole Park and then turned back. All by all it took us 1 hour and 20 minutes.
     
    The house you see below in Garryland isn’t a cake shop ( if only), it’s  a bathouse, ie it houses bats. Check out this link to find out more details about the bats! 

    The trail is very well signposted, so you won’t get lost! I am enclosing some pictures I took whilst I did the walk! The surface of the trail is excellent for cycling, but the trail is a bit hilly at times, so if you are pushing a buggy, you’ll definately feel it in your legs!

     

    So if you are looking for a change of scenery, check out the Garryland Woods Trail in Co. Galway.

    Till the next time!
    Katleen

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  • Cascades Walk, Co. Clare, Lissycasey

    Cascades Walk, Co. Clare, Lissycasey

    The Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. Clare

    The Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. Clare

    The Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. Clare

    The Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. Clare

    Check out some great pictures I took whilst on a walk in Lissycasey, just outside of Ennis. Walk is just under 4 kms long, and has some fantastic scenery, gym epuipment, a small playground AND picknick tables! Would definately recommend this walk!
    Katleen

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  • Dromore Woods- Castle Walk – Hidden treasures in Co. Clare

    Dromore Woods- Castle Walk – Hidden treasures in Co. Clare

    Dear Readers,

    Sundays is usually downtime in our house, which means having Sunday dinner (Roast chicken or any other type of meat in the oven), potatoes, and vegetables, and then oodles of cups of tea, and a good read of the Sunday papers( we are avid Sunday Times Reader).

    Today was no different really, except that, before we chilled out, we went for a walk.

    Castle Walk at Dromore Woods

    We went to a place called Dromore Woods, which is is a wonderful nature reserve with 1,000 acres of woodland.The remains of the 15th century Ruan Church is right next to Dromore Lake.

    Tours and booklets are available and admission is free. Dromore Woods is about 13km north of Ennis and 10 km from Gort. The nearby village of Corofin, surrounded by lakes, is a good area for trout fishing

    The Burren has a lot to offer, Dromore Woods is probably one of the lesser known places you can go to explore.

    The Castle trail is about 45 minutes and has some fabulous views across the lake and the castle.
    There are 12 markers, and if you bought the trail guide, you can read you some interesting information about each location on the trail.
    It’s pretty uneven/hilly/narrow/stoney  territory and not really suitable for parents with buggies or wheelchair users.
    It’s 45 minutes, but  there are a lot of benches to take a break or to take in the views.
    We had brought some fruit and tea, next time I am bringing lunch, as it would be great to have lunch, overlooking the lake..:)
    I am enclosing the main nature visiting places in the Burren : http://www.burrenbeo.com/visitor-info/attractions/nature

    How to get to Dromore Woods?

    Here is just a little map on how to get to Dromore Woods.

    Unfortunately it’s not possible to get there by public transport, so you’ll need a car, but it’s fairly well signposted once you are outside of Crusheen ( passed the bridge on the way to Ennis, on the “old” road” – as Crusheen is now bypassed – since the new motorway to Shannon was built)

    Where to park at Dromore Woods Nature Reserve

    Just a word of advice, once you arrive at the entrance, you might be tempted to park your car.

    By all means, park your car, you can start walking, however it’s a very long walk from the parking at the top to the visitors centre.(The drive reminds me a bit of a jungle drive, as it’s a very narrow road, and you are in the middle of dense woods, I just kept thinking there might be some wild animal that would jump in front of us!!) It’s better to drive to the visitor centre, as all the walks start from the visitors Centre.
     
    The Visitor centre itself  is worth a visit, as it has a great display of fauna and flora in the wood, some information on types of bats you can find in the woods, and some brochures about the walks. We bought the Dromore Wood Trail Guide, as it gives you some information on  two of the walks.  We once did the Rabbit Walk, so today we did the Castle Trail. There are a few more trails you can do, but those are not documented in the guide.
     
     
    Have a great day!

    Katleen

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