Moderate 6 Days / 5 Nights Walking

National Famine Way Part A — Strokestown to Mullingar, 6 Days

The western half of the trail, four walking days from the Famine Museum to Mullingar

Starting From €795 per person

download PDF brochure

At a glance

calendar_month

Length

6 Days / 5 Nights

route

Distance

81 km · 4 walking days · 19–24 km/day

euro

Price

From €795 per person

speed

Grade

Moderate

event_available

Start dates

Any day, 15 April – 15 October

hiking

Style

Self-guided, inn to inn

Included: B&B rooms with breakfast · daily luggage transfer · route notes & GPS app · 24/7 emergency support

Book Now Ask us a question

This is the western half of the National Famine Way, and it is the half where the story begins. You start at the National Famine Museum in Strokestown. You finish four days later at Mullingar Harbour.

Day one takes you out of Strokestown on quiet country roads. At Clondra you reach Richmond Harbour, where the Royal Canal begins. From there the towpath carries you all the way, flat and well marked.

The days run between 18 and 24 km. There is no climbing worth the name. You pass Keenagh, Ballymahon and Abbeyshrule, and the canal gets prettier as you go.

Mullingar is a proper town, and it makes a good finish. Trains run from there straight into Dublin. If the trail gets under your skin, Part B picks up where you stopped.

Highlights

landscape

The National Famine Museum at Strokestown

Your holiday opens at Strokestown Park, where the estate archive that created this trail is kept. Entry is included, and so is the official Passport Pack. Stand in these rooms first and the walking means far more.

landscape

Richmond Harbour, where the canal begins

At Clondra the country roads end and the Royal Canal starts. This is where the towpath takes over, and it carries you the rest of the way to Dublin.

landscape

Four flat days, 18 to 24 km

No climbing, no rough ground, no navigation worries. The towpath is level and waymarked the whole way, so you can look at the canal instead of your feet.

landscape

A finish on the Dublin train line

Mullingar Harbour is the midpoint of the trail and the biggest town on it. Trains run straight into Dublin Connolly, so getting home is simple.

Who Is This For?

This suits walkers who want a short break with real substance. The ground is flat, so you do not need to be especially fit. You do need to be happy walking about 20 km in a day, four days running.

It is a good first taste of the trail. It is also the right choice if you would rather do the Famine Way in two trips than one long one.

Tour Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive Strokestown, National Famine Museum

expand_more

Your holiday begins at Strokestown Park, where the National Famine Museum holds the estate archive that makes this trail possible, including the record of the 1,490 tenants cleared from the land in 1847. Take your time here; the walking makes far more sense once you have stood in these rooms. Collect your Passport before you set out.

Day 2

Strokestown to Tarmonbarry

expand_more

pin_drop Strokestown → Tarmonbarryhiking 17.7 kmlandscape ↑92mlandscape ↓100mschedule 5h 15m

18 km · about 5 hours · quiet country roads

Quiet Roscommon roads carry you south-east out of Strokestown, following the road the 1,490 tenants walked in 1847, to Tarmonbarry on the Shannon. The first of the bronze children's shoes appears along the way; there are over thirty of them set into the route. Tarmonbarry sits at the bridge over the river, with Richmond Harbour and the western end of the Royal Canal just across the water at Clondra.

Day 3

Tarmonbarry to Ballymahon

expand_more

pin_drop Tarmonbarry → Foighahiking 20.4 kmlandscape ↑16mschedule 6h

20 km · about 6 hours · level canal towpath

Cross the Shannon to Richmond Harbour at Clondra, where the Royal Canal begins, and from here the towpath runs level and waymarked for the rest of the week. A steady day through Keenagh, with a short detour to the Corlea Trackway, an Iron Age oak road laid across the bog in 148 BC and preserved under glass. The stage ends at Foigha Bridge; Ballymahon, your bed for the night, sits a little off the towpath, so we bring you into town and back to the bridge in the morning.

Day 4

Foigha Bridge to Ballynacargy

expand_more

pin_drop Foigha Bridge → Ballynacargyhiking 24.2 kmlandscape ↑9mschedule 7h

24 km · about 7 hours · level canal towpath

The longest day of the week, flat the whole way. Back on the towpath at Foigha Bridge, the canal leads to Abbeyshrule, where it is at its prettiest and runs right past the village, a natural lunch stop. Over the Whitworth Aqueduct, where the canal crosses the River Inny, and across into Westmeath, finishing at Ballynacargy.

Day 5

Ballynacargy to Mullingar

expand_more

pin_drop Ballynacargy → Mullingarhiking 19.2 kmlandscape ↑31mschedule 5h 30m

19 km · about 5½ hours · level canal towpath

Past Coolnahay Harbour, where the canal reaches its summit level and the flight of locks gives out, then an easy run down into Mullingar Harbour. Carry a packed lunch, services are thin between the two. Mullingar is the biggest town on the route and a good place to finish: the original workhouse and the famine graveyard can both be walked from the centre.

Day 6

Departure from Mullingar

expand_more

Breakfast and onward travel. Mullingar station is a few minutes from the canal, with direct trains to Dublin Connolly, straightforward whether you are heading home or on elsewhere. If the trail has got under your skin, Part B picks up exactly where you stopped and finishes at the Famine sculptures on Dublin's Docklands.

Accommodation

You stay in family run B&Bs and small hotels in the canal towns. Strokestown, Clondra, Ballymahon and Mullingar.

Rooms are en suite, breakfast is full Irish, and your hosts know the canal. Some of these villages have only a handful of rooms in total, so we book early on your behalf.

What's Included

check_circle What's Included

done5 nights accommodation in B&Bs, guesthouses and small hotels (en suite rooms)
doneFull Irish or continental breakfast every morning
doneDaily luggage transfer between accommodation
doneAdmission to the National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park, with the gardens and woodlands
doneThe official National Famine Way Passport Pack, your personalised ship ticket for one of the original Strokestown famine families, the 14 page Passport & Guide, the 30 page End of Trail booklet, your famine family's fate, the Bronze Shoes lapel brooch and your Certificate of Completion
doneTransfers between the trail and your accommodation where the trail has no beds of its own
donePersonalised digital itinerary and route app for your smartphone that keeps you on the trail at all times
done24 hours a day emergency contact and on trail support
doneBefore you travel information pack

block Not Included

closeFlights to and from Ireland
closeTravel and walking insurance, which is essential. We are happy to suggest providers
closeLunches and dinners
closeTravel to Strokestown on day one, and home from Mullingar on day six
closePersonal expenses

Best Time to Visit

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

You can walk the National Famine Way from April to October. May, June and September are the best months. The days are long, the air is mild, and there are fewer midges by the water. July and August are warmest, but the towns are busier. The yearly Remembrance Walk is held in May, and it brings a real sense of company to the trail. Early spring and late autumn are quiet. The days are shorter then, and the towpath is wetter.

From

€795 per person

Based on 2 sharing

Single room supplement

Walking with others but want your own room

+ €275

Walking solo?

Your own room and luggage transfers, all included

€1,275

Preferred Start Date

calendar_month

Book at least 20 days in advance

Number of Walkers

expand_more

Your total€1,590

2 walkers sharing

Add €275 for each walker who wants their own room.

mail Ask a Question download Download PDF brochure

phone or call +353 42 932 3396

shield No deposit required to enquire

verified Free changes up to 30 days before

support_agent Personal response within 24 hours

verified

Price Match Promise

Found this holiday cheaper? Send us the URL and we'll match the itinerary, services, and price.

Cliff & Louise

Your Personal Hosts

Have a question about this tour? We've walked it dozens of times and love helping you plan your trip.

Chat on WhatsApp

Frequently Asked Questions

What's included in this 6-day tour? expand_more

Here's what your price covers:

5 nights accommodation in B&Bs, guesthouses and small hotels (en suite rooms)
Full Irish or continental breakfast every morning
Daily luggage transfer between accommodation
Admission to the National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park, with the gardens and woodlands
The official National Famine Way Passport Pack, your personalised ship ticket for one of the original Strokestown famine families, the 14 page Passport & Guide, the 30 page End of Trail booklet, your famine family's fate, the Bronze Shoes lapel brooch and your Certificate of Completion
Transfers between the trail and your accommodation where the trail has no beds of its own
Personalised digital itinerary and route app for your smartphone that keeps you on the trail at all times
24 hours a day emergency contact and on trail support

Not included: Flights to and from Ireland, Lunches and dinners, Personal expenses.

Which days can I start? expand_more

Any day you like between 15 April and 15 October. This is a self-guided holiday, so there are no fixed departure dates: you choose the day you arrive and we build the trip around it.

You can book online from three weeks ahead. June to August fills up first, so for summer it pays to book early.

How fit do I need to be? expand_more

This tour is graded Moderate. You walk on 4 days, 18.8–24 km a day. There is some climbing, so you should be comfortable walking day after day. A few months of regular walking, including some hills, is the best preparation. You set your own pace, with route notes and our GPS app to guide you.

How we grade our tours

What happens if I need to cancel? expand_more

We take a 25% deposit to book, and the balance is due six weeks before you start. If you need to cancel:

More than 6 weeks before: you lose the deposit only
4 to 6 weeks before: 50% of the tour cost
2 to 4 weeks before: 80% of the tour cost
Less than 2 weeks before: 100% of the tour cost

We strongly recommend travel insurance that covers cancellation. If we can't find suitable accommodation for your dates, you get a full refund. Full booking terms

Can I walk solo, and is there a single supplement? expand_more

Yes, solo walkers are very welcome and there is no minimum group size. Walking on your own, this tour costs €1,275 instead of €795. That includes a solo supplement of €480 and gives you a room to yourself every night.

Travelling with others but would like your own room? The single-room supplement is €275 per person (5 nights at €55).

Do I get a certificate for walking the National Famine Way? expand_more

Yes. The official National Famine Way Passport is included in your holiday price. You collect a stamp in each county as you walk. Hand your passport in at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin at the end of the trail and you receive your completion certificate.

Where does the National Famine Way start and end? expand_more

The trail starts at the National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park, County Roscommon. It finishes at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum in the Dublin Docklands, where you collect your completion certificate. The Famine Memorial sculptures on Custom House Quay are a short walk from EPIC, so most walkers visit both on their last day.

How difficult is the National Famine Way? expand_more

It is one of the easiest long walks in Ireland. Most of the trail follows the Royal Canal towpath, which is flat the whole way, with only about 650 metres of climbing over the full route. The challenge is distance, not hills. Daily stages run from about 12 km on our 13 day tour to over 30 km on the longest days of the 8 day tour, so pick the pace that suits you.

How many days does it take to walk the National Famine Way? expand_more

Most walkers take six to ten walking days to cover the full trail from Strokestown to Dublin. Our holidays run 8, 10 or 13 days in total, which includes your arrival and departure days. The 13 day tour adds a rest day in Mullingar. Short on time? You can walk it in two halves of 6 days each: Part A from Strokestown to Mullingar, and Part B from Mullingar to Dublin.

What are the bronze shoes on the National Famine Way? expand_more

Over 30 pairs of bronze children's shoes mark the route. Each pair stands for a child who made the walk from Strokestown to Dublin in 1847. Together they tell the story of Daniel Tighe, who was twelve that year, and who lived. Spotting them becomes part of the walk.

Showing 10 of 10 FAQs · View all FAQs