Barrow Way Walking Holiday — 8 Days (Moderate)

Make your way to Kildare town, where your walking holiday begins. Kildare is a beautiful introduction to Ireland''s Ancient East — home to the famous Curragh racecourse, the Japanese Gardens, and the Irish National Stud, all within easy reach.

Settle in to your accommodation, get your gear ready, and enjoy a relaxed dinner. Tomorrow, the Barrow begins.

An easy first walking day. After breakfast we transfer you the short distance to Lowtown — where the Grand Canal branches south for the Barrow Line — and you set off through quiet canal country to Monasterevin.

This is a flat, contemplative day along the towpath: lifting bridges, lock-keeper''s cottages, swans on the still water. Monasterevin itself is sometimes called ''the Venice of Ireland'' for the way the canal, the Barrow and the railway weave through it on aqueducts and bridges.

From Monasterevin we collect you and bring you back to Kildare for a second night.

Back to Monasterevin after breakfast — where the Grand Canal meets the River Barrow — and on along the towpath south to the heritage town of Athy.

The walking is flat and rhythmic. Early on, you''ll see the dramatic ruins of the Rock of Dunamase rising from the plains to your east, and on a clear day the Wicklow Mountains in the distance. The countryside here feels unspoilt and calm. You''ll pass lifting bridges, old lock-keeper''s cottages, and the occasional narrowboat moored for the season.

Athy itself is worth exploring — an Anglo-Norman town established in the 13th century to control the river crossing, with its castle, Dominican church and excellent heritage centre.

Leaving Athy you join the river properly — the canal towpath gives way to the riverbank, and the character of the walk shifts. The Barrow widens and slows here, flanked by reeds and willows.

You''ll pass old mills and traditional lifting bridges along the way. Carlow is the largest town on the Barrow, and arriving on foot along the riverside feels like the right way to come in. Carlow Castle is remarkably intact considering its age — well worth a visit, along with the cathedral, before dinner.

A short, gentle day on the river. Leave Carlow on the towpath and you are soon back in open country. The Barrow is broad and slow here, with herons in the shallows and the Blackstairs Mountains rising to the south.

About 7 km in you reach Milford. Three elegant bridges cross the river beside the shell of an old mill. It is one of the prettiest spots on the whole route, and a perfect place for lunch.

Tonight you stay in Leighlinbridge, one of the loveliest villages on the Barrow. The Valerian Bridge has carried traffic over the river since the 14th century. Beside it stand the ruins of the Black Castle. With a short day behind you, there is time to sit by the water and enjoy it.

A longer day, but the towpath is flat and easy the whole way. Soon after leaving Leighlinbridge you pass through Bagenalstown, a quiet Georgian town on the river. It makes a good spot for a morning coffee.

South of town the valley grows greener and closer. You pass the old stone bridge at Goresbridge, then Ballytiglea Bridge, where the towpath briefly joins the Leinster Way. Here you turn off the river for the final 2 km into Borris.

Borris is a village to savour. It has a wide stone main street, the grand gates of Borris House and the Carlow hills rising behind. It is a fine evening to sit outside with a pint and feel the miles in your legs.

Your final walking day, and one of the loveliest of the whole route. South of Borris the valley narrows and the wooded hillsides close in on both sides of the river — this is the section guests remember most clearly.

You finish at St. Mullins, one of Ireland''s oldest and most atmospheric ecclesiastical settlements. Founded by St Moling in the 7th century, it sits where the Barrow meets the Duiske, surrounded by monastic ruins, a round tower stump and a graveyard that has been in continuous use for over 1,400 years. The peace here is real. You''ll feel it.

Tonight you stay just upstream in Graiguenamanagh — a handsome stone-built town where Duiske Abbey still stands complete on the main street, one of the finest Cistercian abbey churches in Ireland. A good final evening: river, abbey, a proper meal, and the satisfaction of the miles behind you.

A leisurely morning. A last full Irish breakfast. A last look at the river.

Make your way onward — Dublin Airport is around 1 hour 45 minutes by road, and Kilkenny is just 40 minutes away if you fancy adding a night in one of Ireland''s prettiest medieval cities before heading home.