Coast to Coast Challenge 2008

Dublin Simon Community Coast To Coast Challenge

Coast to Coast 2008 Itinerary

Day 1. Saturday 6th September. We will leave North Strand in Dublin and follow the Royal Canal north from the Liffey, passing Croke Park and Mountjoy Jail as the waterway steps up lock by lock through Phibsboro and Cabra before curving west through Clonsilla and Leixlip.
Stop at Clonsilla for lunch on the canal bank. We cross the Rye river aqueduct and on to Maynooth and Kilcock, our target for the first day. The bus will collect us in Kilcock and bring us to the Glenroyal hotel in Maynooth for dinner and overnight stay. Total walking distance, 20 miles; no difficult section, easy walking.

Day 2. Sunday 7th September. Another 20 mile day but easy walking. Bus will collect us from the hotel and drop us in Kilcock to resume our walk westwards. We will follow the canal through Enfield and on through the flat pastures of Kildare and Meath, stopping for lunch at Moyvalley.
The Route continues along the Royal Canal Way to Thomastown harbour, near Killucan, where we will regroup in the canal-side pub and wait for the bus to collect us and bring us to the Park Hotel in Mullingar; this will be our home for two nights.

Day 3. Monday 8th September. This will be the longest day so far at 23 miles, of which about three miles will be on uneven ground. The bus will collect us from the hotel and drop us back to Thomastown harbour, where we will recommence our walk westwards. The canal rises here through the Killucan Flight,
a series of locks that raise it up to the highest level; after Mullingar it starts to drop down again to meet the Shannon. This is a most attractive part of the route through beautiful pasturelands with mature trees.
We carry on through Mullingar and stop for lunch about a mile west of the town. The Royal Canal Way takes us on to Ballynacargy, where the bus will collect us and bring us to the Park Hotel for a second night.

Day 4. Tuesday 9th September. An easy day. Bus trip to Ballynacargy, and we will start to walk again along the canal bank towards Abbeyshrule.
This is a beautiful section of the walk, where the canal builders took a twisting route through the countryside to follow the contours and avoid the use of locks.
We will stop at Ballybrannigan Harbour near Ballymahon for lunch, and finish for the day at Mosstown Harbour, about twenty miles from Ballynacargy. The bus will collect us and brings us to Strokestown to the Shannon Key West Hotel, our home for two nights.

Day 5. Wednesday 10th September. The bus will deliver us back to Mosstown harbour and we will walk the last ten miles of the Royal Canal Way to Clondara.
A further mile by road brings us across the Shannon into Connaught at Termonbarry, where we will break for lunch.
We are now just nine miles from Strokestown, and we will follow a small country road to the town. We are now walking on tarmac, making for faster progress but harder on tired feet.

Day 6. Thursday 11th September. This will be another long day; we are 23 miles from our target for the day. From Strokestown we go north on the minor road towards Elphin, then we break west a few miles from the town and cut across country on a maze of lanes and small bog roads.
We stop at Ballinameen for lunch and then on to Killaraght and Clooncunny at Lough Gara, the original home of the four Flannerys.
From there it is a short two mile walk to Monasteraden where we regroup in the community centre and await collection by the bus for our journey to the Knock House Hotel.

Day 7. Friday 12th September. This will be our easiest day, just a 17 mile stroll through peaceful countryside.
Leaving Monasteraden we head west on the lane beside the pub and climb the hills to the west of Lough Gara; the views back over the lake are beautiful.
We take the high ground along the crest of Largan Hill and follow the small road that runs through the bog in the countryside made famous by John Healy in his book ‘Nineteen Acres.’
We stop in a farmyard for a picnic lunch and then complete the walk into Charlestown where we will be collected and brought back to the Knock House Hotel.

Day 8. Saturday 13th September. Another 20 mile day, but no climbing; this route is almost all flat and on small side roads and lanes.
We depart Charlestown and walk through some very attractive countryside, stopping for lunch beside the famine graveyard at Teampeall Maoil near Foxford.
We walk through Foxford, birthplace of Admiral William Browne, the founder of the Argentinean navy, and we take the road to Pontoon.
Our target is Healy’s pub, a couple of miles past Pontoon and overlooking the beautiful Lough Cullin. We will be collected here and brought to the Downhill Hotel in Ballina.

Day 9. Sunday 14th September. Our last day, and at just under 20 miles it will be no problem to us.
We leave the car park at Healy’s and head north for a few miles, then west towards Lake Levally and on across one of the most beautiful roads in Ireland – the graveled bog road that skirts the stunning Nephin mountains.
We stop in Glenhest for lunch and then move west again; we regroup two miles from the end and finish the walk together into Newport where we celebrate in the Granuaile bar before returning to the Downhill Hotel for a gala dinner and celebration.

Day 10. Monday 15th September. Bus departs from the Downhill hotel to Dublin.

To walk the walk call Kelly on 01 671 5551 now or e-mail fundraising@dubsimon.ie

Dublin Simon Community