Welcome – Fáilte
Wexford Walking Trail Festival 2019
Friday September 20th – Sunday September 22nd
FOUR PEAKS
Wexford Walking Trail welcomes you to our sixth annual festival!
This year introduces our walkers to the high points in each area of our county network of walks.
In organising this year’s festival, Wexford Walking Trails is highlighting some of our higher walks – giving you wonderful views over the entire county on some of our more strenuous, but still very manageable trails.
Cullentra will kick off our weekend of organised walks with a Friday evening visit to this diverse trail in Kiltealy, on the edge of the Blackstairs mountain range.
Join us afterwards in the local Thatch Pub for our official festival launch, refreshments and music.
Saturday morning sees us still in the north of the county, visiting Coolmelagh on the Bunclody-Carnew road for its Gibbet Hill walk. Lunch and the afternoon’s walk will take us to nearby Askamore for its trail up the slopes of Sliabh Bhuí.
Sunday morning will bring walkers on the Carrickbyrne trail, near Newbawn.
There is no charge for any of these walks. There will be a donation box at each location. This is to help defray our ongoing costs. Wexford Walking Trail thanks you for your support.
FRIDAY 20th SEPTEMBER
FESTIVAL LAUNCH KILTEALY
CULLENTRA TRAIL, KILTEALY: Launching the Wexford Walking Festival Weekend, the Cullentra trail begins and ends in Kiltealy village. It is a diverse trail that takes in country lanes, follows a mass path across fields, ascends to the higher country, to the forests and a viewing point, before looping back to the village again.
Registration at 7:00pm: Meet at the Thatch Pub, Kiltealy. (Y21 AX53)
Exhibition by local artists, craft and food producers in Thatch Stable Yard: 6.30pm to 7.30pm
(see details below)
Trail Walk 7.30pm – 9.00pm
Level of difficulty: moderate
Length of walk: 7.5km
Note: this is a ‘Daylight into Dusk’ walk, small flashlight advisable.
RECEPTION AND FESTIVAL LAUNCH by Billy Byrne, Tourism Officer, Wexford County Council, at 9:30pm in the Thatch Pub, Kiltealy. Join us for refreshments and a social, musical, friendly evening on the slopes of the Blackstairs Mountains.
FESTIVAL EXHIBITION From 6.30pm – 7.30pm enjoy exhibits in the Stable Yard where we will be celebrating Culture Night. Meet with our local artists and crafts people, sample local produce, read about the history of our area and more. Our exhibitors include:
Nadia Corridan Artist Visit Nadia’s website
Aiseling Noone Artist Visit Aiseling’s website
Sylvia Hemingway Artist
Desmond McCarthy Artist Visit Desmond’s website
Pink Nelly
Niall Deacon Sculpture Visit Niall’s website
Carmel Sanchez
Sharanne Long Visual Artist Visit Sharanne on Facebook
Enchanted Garden Statues Visit Enchanted Garden Statues website
Meadow Breeze Floral Art
The Turning Wizard Visit the Turning Wizard on Facebook
Martin & Lil O’ Leary Pure Wexford Local Honey
Paul Byrne Honey
Kearns Fruit Farm Visit Kearns Fruit Farm website
Regan Organic Farm Visit Regan Organic Website
Paul O’ Brien Craft Butcher
SATURDAY 21st SEPTEMBER
COOLMELAGH & ASKAMORE
COOLMELAGH GIBBET HILL TRAIL: This walk is one of our local trails in a beautiful mature forest. There are various species of trees with a recent planting of Eucaliptus which gives a diverse effect. You will also encounter flora and fauna. As we proceed along the track we encounter open space which gives beautiful panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. We will reach the summit known as Gibbet Hill an old English name for Hanging Hill with a height of 317m. There is a Marion year cross, Windmills and beautiful panoramic views of the Blackstairs Mountains with Mountain Leinster being the highest point. A talk on the history of the hill will be delivered by Dr Kevin Whelan at the summit.
Registration at 10.30am: Meet at the carpark on the Bunclody/Carnew road. 6km from Bunclody.
Sat Nav: 52.686, -6.580
Lunch provided for walkers afterwards at 1.30pm in Askamore Community Centre. (Y25F6D8)
Level of difficulty: moderate
Length of walk: 8 km
ASKAMORE SLIEVEBOY LOOP: This looped walk leads right up to the upper slopes of Sliabh Bhuí, with the possibility of going to its 420m high summit. Bring your binoculars for views to the south of the ferries travelling the Irish Sea, north east to the windmills above Arklow and north to the Wicklow mountains.
Registration at 2.30pm: Meet at Askamore Community Centre. (Y25 F6D8) Short walk to trailhead.
Level of difficulty: moderate
Length of walk: 12km
FESTIVAL DINNER 7:30pm in The Courtyard, Ferns. All welcome. Please confirm your attendance by Monday September 16th.
SATURDAY 21st SEPTEMBER
CARRICKBYRNE HILL
CARRICKBYRNE TRAIL: A looped trail taking you through forest tracks around Carrickbyrne Hill, taking in spectacular views of the Wexford countryside, including the Blackstairs mountain range. One section of this trail can be challenging. Bring a picnic! (weather permitting)
Registration at 11.00am: Meet at Car Park /Picnic Area just off the N25. 13km from New Ross. SAT NAV: 52.368, -6.781
Level of difficulty: Moderate
Length of walk: 5.5km