The Lighthouse loop on the Sheep’s Head has been named as one of Ireland’s top 50 walks in a new book on the subject.
John G O’Dwyer released a new edition of 50 Best Irish Walks - Easy to Moderate featuring several new rambling routes including the West Cork trail.
Spain has the Camino de Santiago, Scotland has the Highland Way, but Ireland is also strewn with jaw-dropping walks up hills and down glens, cliffs and ancient forests, says the author who has been exploring the Irish landscape for over 30 years.
The hardest part of writing his latest book, according to John, has been narrowing down the book to only include 50 walks from the hundreds worthy of attention in Ireland.
Asked why he champions exploring Ireland on foot rather than from the comfort of one’s car, he says: ‘The most compelling reason is the bewildering richness and variety to be found in the outdoors.
‘An astonishing variety of landscapes and ecosystems are ready to be explored, from woodland to moorland, peatland, fenland, and lake-strewn valleys. There is almost always something surprising and enthralling lying around every corner.’
John G O’Dwyer has chosen the Sheep’s Head Loop as one of his 50 Best Irish Walks because ‘the landscape is a wild fusion of erratically strewn boulders, serene lakes and amplified hues’.
50 Best Irish Walks – Easy to Moderate is published by Currach Books and available in all good bookshops, and on the publisher’s website, RRP paperback €16.99.
