Westmeath Way
| Westmeath Way | |
|---|---|
| Length | 100 kilometres (62 miles)[1] |
| Location | County Westmeath, Ireland |
| Designation | National Waymarked Trail[2] |
| Trailheads | Kilbeggan, Garrycastle (Athlone)[1][2] |
| Use | Hiking |
| Hiking details | |
| Trail difficulty | Easy[2] |
| Season | Any |
The Westmeath Way (Irish: Slí na hIarmhí)[2] is a long-distance trail in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is 33 kilometres (21 miles) long and begins in Kilbeggan and ends in Mullingar. It is typically completed in two days.[2] It is designated as a National Waymarked Trail by the National Trails Office of the Irish Sports Council and is managed by Westmeath County Council and the Westmeath Way Committee.[3] The trail forms part of the Dublin-Galway Greenway, part of the route 2 of the EuroVelo European cycle network.
Starting at Kilbeggan, the trail follows the River Brosna for approximately 7 kilometres (4.3 miles) and the crosses countryside to the village of Ballinagore.[4] From Ballinagore the route travels on to reach the shores of Lough Ennell at the townland of Lilliput, from which Jonathan Swift used the name in Gulliver's Travels.[5] The trails follows tracks and roads around the lough, via Dysart village, before reaching Bellmount Bridge where it follows the Royal Canal to end in Mullingar with a rail-trail over the disused Mullingar-Athlone rail line to Garrycastle outside Athlone.[1][5]
A review of the National Waymarked Trails in 2010 found usage of the trail to be low and recommended that the amount of walking on tarred roads (41%) be reduced, that a series of looped walks off the main trail be developed and the trail should be promoted to day walkers.[3]
References
Notes
- 1 2 3 McDermott, Eoghan (18 October 2015). "Kenny wants national strategy for walks and trails". Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Westmeath Way". IrishTrails. Irish Sports Council. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
- 1 2 National Trails Office 2010, p. 47.
- ↑ "Westmeath Way". Midland Regional Authority. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
- 1 2 "The Westmeath Way". Discover Ireland. Fáilte Ireland. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
Bibliography
- National Trails Office (2010). "Setting New Directions. A review of National Waymarked Ways in Ireland" (pdf). Dublin: Irish Sports Council. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
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