Bantry Walking Festival for holiday weekend

THIS year’s Bantry Walking Festival will take place on the June Bank Holiday weekend.

From Friday June 2nd, until Sunday June 4th the town will host a weekend of hiking, exploring, sightseeing and general fun.

The Bantry Walking Festival was first held in 2013. It was conceived when members of local walking groups joined the Bantry Development and Tourism Association, (BDTA), the local group promoting the Bantry area. 

The walkers proposed the festival in an effort to boost the profile of the town as an ideal walking destination and to showcase the numerous breathtaking routes that the area has to offer.

Since then, the festival profile has grown and an ever increasing number of volunteers sign up to assist. 

Organisers and guides work on a voluntary basis, with any profit being put back into the BDTA to fund this and other festivals held throughout the year in the area. 

The volunteers set and map the walks, work tirelessly behind the scenes, and local farmers allow the walks to cross their lands, making the festival possible each year.

In 2016 the festival was extended, with a launch on Friday June 3rd in Bantry Community Tourist Office and a free, guided historical walk of the town itself.

Family-friendly D-rated walks were also a great new addition to the festival with Saturday’s walk following the Drimoleague Heritage Trails while on the Sunday, families rambled through the scenic Mealagh Valley.

Last year 198 walkers took part in 227 individual walks – a record for the festival.

For a full list of walks and ongoing updates to this year’s schedule, see www.bantrywalkingfestival.com.