If you need a few days of peaceful relaxed Walking in East Clare, then Clare Walking Tours at Clareville House B & B is your ideal base. We specialise in Single Centre-Self Guided Walking Breaks.
East Clare is a beautiful and hidden corner of Co Clare with a landscape of rugged hills and picturesque valleys intertwined with rivers, lakes, woodlands and boglands.
Clare Walking Tours & Clareville House B & B are very centrally located in the beautiful heritage village of Tuamgraney and this gives you easy access to the East Clare Way and the many Loop Walks nearby, which are set in beautiful countryside. Filling Station, Supermarket and Pub/Restaurant are within walking distance nearby.
You decide on the walks that suit you, how long you want to stay, your travelling arrangements, how many people are coming with you and we will then put together your ideal walking package. All our walking holidays are very much customer friendly and are all about you.!
We can arrange everything for you – Maps & general advice – Packed Lunches – Transport to/from your daily walks (if required). If you don’t have a car, we can arrange to collect you at the nearest bus/train station or airport. If you have a special request, please let us know and we’ll do our best to facilitate you.
The East Clare Way is a 172km circular route that crosses the Slieve Bernagh Mountains before descending to the Clare Lakeland areas around Tulla and Feakle. Circling Lough Graney, the route then climbs again over the rugged boglands of the Slieve Aughty Mountain back towards Lough Derg. The Way returns through the hills towards Scarriff and on to complete its circuit back at Killaloe. For the more casual walker, there are many well-signposted local loop walks of varying length centred on some of the towns and villages along the route. It’s graded easy to moderate and can be fully walked in 8 days.
Ballycuggeran Loop Walk : This walk follows forest road & track and minor road through dense forest and open hillside on the shoulders of Feenlea Mountain and Crag. It starts/finishes at the Trailhead, Rinneman Point/Two Mile Gate, near Killaloe. It’s best to walk the trail in an anti-clockwise direction to fully enjoy the beautiful expanse of Lough Derg, which lies below you. It’s just over 7km long and takes approx 2 hours.
Cahermurphy Loop Walk : Lough Graney and its environs is an unspoilt area of natural beauty sometimes referred to as the “Killarney” of Co. Clare. This walk, which starts/finishes in Flagmount Village, travels on forest track, quiet roads, paths and boreens and gives fine walking along White Sands Beach (Trailhead), Bleach River, through Cahermurphy forest and descending the Mass Path back to Flagmount. It provides spectacular views over Lough Graney and the surrounding countryside and you may spot some deer in the forest. It’s 9km long and takes 2.5 – 3 hours.
“12 O’Clock Hills” : These hills form part of the Slieve Bearnagh Mountain Range in East Clare and the main peak, Knockanuarha, is 309m (1014 ft) high and is marked by an Ordnance Survey Triangulation Pillar and a Compass/Sundial. It’s twin peak is 400 metres to the west-south-west and about 10 metres lower. There are 2 start-points for the walks – the Snaty and Belvoir (More suitable for children) Trailheads with parking available at both.
There are two main trails – The 5k (1.5 Hours) Heritage Looped Walk is ideal for people with an interest in local history and requires a modest level of fitness. The longer 8.5k (2.5 Hours) Looped Walk goes all the way to the two summits and requires a somewhat greater level of fitness. This loop includes all of the Heritage Loop. There are heritage sites along the trails which can be identified using the compass/sundial and are suitably marked with Information boards.
On a clear day, the views here are magnificent and all around there is the natural tapestry of lakes, bog and woodland dotted here and there with the ruins of ancient castles. Click on or Copy & Paste this Link for further details : https://clarevillehouse.ie/12-oclock-hills-walking-trail-kilkishen-co-clare/
O’Briensbridge Loop Walks : The picturesque village of O’Briensbridge, Co Clare nestles on the banks of the River Shannon and borders three counties namely Clare, Limerick and Tipperary. The twin village is linked to its sister village, Montpelier in Co. Limerick on the other side of the River Shannon, by a 15th Century stone bridge. These loops are part of the network of National Looped Walks and are marked in both directions using the standard National Looped Walk directional arrows. The red and blue loops also include part of the Lough Derg Way marked with yellow arrows and the familiar trekking man logo.
Parteen Weir Loop (Green Loop), 5km/1.5hrs – Old Barge Loop (Red Loop), 12km/3.5hrs – Errina Canal Loop (Blue Loop), 7km/2hrs. There’s also a Combination Loop, 16km/4hrs.
All loops commence from the Trailhead at Riverside Park.
Clare Glens Loop Walk/ Visit to Glenstal Abbey : We leave Co Clare for this wonderful walk in a wooded area along the banks of the Clare River – it separates counties Limerick and Tipperary. The scenery is breathtaking, with wild dense forest combined with the calm rushing of the crystal clear waters. The Glens consist of a picturesque red sandstone gorge through which the Clare River flows and displays numerous waterfalls. This is a 4km walk and takes about 2 hours and the trailhead is signposted from Murroe Village, Co Limerick.
“Captivating trail on the Tipperary-Limerick border – You’ll find beguiling riverscape in a wooded ravine on this looped walk” writes Tony Doherty – Click on the Link to read Tony’s full article in The Irish Times.
This walk can be combined with a visit to Glenstal Abbey which is a very quiet and holy place despite its surprising, fortified appearance. A 19thC Norman revivalist Castle it was home to the Barrington family who lived there up until it was sold to the Benedictine Order of Monks who arrived from Belgium in 1927. It became a working abbey with a dairy farm, guest house and boading school for boys, which continues today. You can stay here on a personal retreat if you like, but even a day trip will be enough to restore your mind, body and soul. A drive through the Tipperary Hills could also be included in your day tour.
Contact Teresa for all details : Tel – 061 922925 & 087 6867548 Email – info@clarevillehouse.net