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Cong Lakes Walking Weekend 2013

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Barry Murphy

Join our group for this fantastic guided walking weekend in May. Taking place over the May bank holiday weekend, from May 3 through 6, this is one of the top walking weekends the West of Ireland has to offer.

Walking is graded easy on two of the days, with the third graded moderate and includes a hike to the top of the 411 m Benlevy mountain outside Clonbur.

: Walking in Cong Wood

: Benlevy mountain

: Cong – The Monks’ Fishing House

Cong, at the very southern tip of County Mayo, is one of Ireland’s prettiest villages. The village is criss-crossed by numerous channels of the same river, with deep pools dotted all around. Cong even enjoys the added attraction of beautiful native and exotic woodlands all around.

Cong is a wonderful place for walking, with good quality off-road trails that skirt along the edges of the great western lakes of Loughs Corrib and Mask. The trails meander through lovely woodland, a mix of native broadleaves and the typical conifers of the West of Ireland.

Two pubs in Cong are excellent – Danagher’s at the bottom of the village and Lydon’s at the top. Both are home to really good trad music sessions.

This is a three-night guided walking event, involving three days of walking. Cong and neighbouring Clonbur inhabit the narrow isthmus between the great Loughs Mask and Corrib, on the Galway Mayo border.

We stay in a choice of a Cong B&B or Cong Hostel, both directly across the street from eachother, with full board, including three breakfasts, three dinners and three packed lunches for the walks.

Day One (Fri.) : Arrival, dinner and orientation.

Day Two (Sat.) : Hiking the linear walk between Clonbur and Cong, through the native woodland regeneration site and on the limestone pavement (a ‘mini Burren’) landscape at Lough Mask.

Day Three (Sun.) : Hill climb of Benlevy, wedged between the two lakes and offering fabulous views of Mask, Corrib and the higher Connemara and South Mayo mountains in all directions. Visit the haunting deserted village at its base.

Day Four (Mon.) : Low lying walk through woodland and along the shore of Lough Corrib. Departure.

Book this walking weekend :

You can book your place on this relaxing, lovely walking weekend here.

Posted in Blog, Walking in the West of Ireland | Tagged Clonbur, Cong, Galway, May bank holiday, Mayo, walking weekend | 2 Comments

Single Parent Families Break, Easter 2013

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Barry Murphy

A walking and outdoors fun weekend especially for the single parent and his or her children. In the beauty of rural Mayo.

This event runs from Saturday, March 23rd (the day after schools close for Easter holidays) to Tuesday 26th.

Walking in Woodland

This extended weekend, of a gentle level, is for the single parent – both men and women – who have children roughly in the age bracket of 7 to 14. Ages are at the parent’s discretion; there are no ‘rules’.

Join us for three days of gentle walking and outdoor fun with your beloved children. We will walk entirely off-road, through lovely woods and alongside lakes. We will discover caves, castles and ancient monuments. We will climb a tower, cross bridges and traverse tunnels. The kids will enjoy both the woodland Treasure Hunt and Orienteering with their parent. They will also get to learn some tree species as we go. This will be a relaxing, stress-free fun weekend in the West of Ireland’s great outdoors. Parents will get out at night for a chat, if they so wish, while the children will be minded in our B&B.

Accommodation is in a choice of a B&B or hostel and they’re literally straight across the quiet road from eachother. Whichever accommodation you would like to choose, breakfasts and dinners are taken together at the B&B. Packed lunches are provided for the walks.

Saturday : Arrive at our B&B for dinner together. A movie and boardgames for the children, while the parents get to go out for a quiet drink, chat and some R & R.

Sunday : A morning stroll in the woods. After lunch, a Treasure Hunt.

Monday : A morning stroll in a different location, along lakeside paths and through woodland. After lunch, a walk around the village and to feed the ducks.

Tuesday : Having departed our accommodation, we will go Orienteering at a lakeside woodland along the return route towards Mayo / Galway / Dublin.

Orienteering on Monday

Cong, where we will be based, is a really lovely little village in south County Mayo. It is surrounded by large forests that allow us to stay off-road. It is a 250-km, 3-hour drive from Dublin, via the Galway motorway.

What to Bring :

While runners will probably be fine for the walks, do bring the children’s wellies, or at least a second pair of runners, as it will be muddy in places. A little rain jacket would be sensible, but then you know that - you’re a parent!

Bring your own parental enthusiasm for getting your kids out into and interacting with Irish nature. Heck, they’ll even get their hands dirty. Some fresh spring air in your lungs and theirs - you can’t beat it!

Single Parent Families Break - Book Now

Prices start from Euro 230 for the parent and Euro 90 for the first child in the hostel, or Euro 260 and Euro 100 in the B&B. Additional children are just Euro 40 each. To learn more and book your place on this walking and outdoors weekend, please call 086 8318748.

Posted in Blog | Tagged children, Cong, lone parent, single parent, walking weekend | 6 Comments

Single Parent Families Outdoors at Easter

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Barry Murphy

Event Dates :

Single Parent Families Outdoors at Easter takes place from

Saturday 23rd – Tuesday 26th of March 2013

Event Location :

Cong, Co. Mayo [3 hrs from Dublin; 1h30 from Sligo; 40 mins from Galway]

Event Details :

: Beautiful lakeshore by Cong, Co. Mayo

: Get them out there !

: Walking through Cong Wood

A short holiday for the single parent to come and enjoy with your children. Get to spend some time with other single parents, in a relaxed, rural environment. Our group will gather Saturday afternoon the 23rd of March – the day after schools close for Easter holidays. On Sunday and Monday, we will walk off-road on easy, flat ground in lovely woodlands. We will visit a ruined castle, lakeshore, sink holes and more. Children will especially enjoy the treasure hunt on Sunday and the orienteering on Tuesday. They will climb a tower and learn about tree species we encounter as we go.

Cong is a beautiful place in County Mayo, traversed by numerous river channels, with islands and forest tracks that mean we can stay off the roads while walking.

At night, parents can discover the local pubs, relax and chat, while the children will enjoy movies, boardgames and popcorn, under supervision.

Choose between B&B or hostel private room accommodation. They are literally straight across the quiet cul-de-sac from eachother. All meals will be held together in the B&B, with packed lunches on each day we’re in the great outdoors.

We will endeavour to accommodate each family’s preferred sleeping arrangements. The B&B has rooms with one double plus one single bed, others with twin beds, etc. The hostel has en-suite rooms with four beds.

Saturday, March 23, 2013 :

Arrive at your leisure in Cong during the afternoon, for dinner together around 6 pm.

Sunday, March 24 :

We will walk in woodland and by Lough Corrib. After our picnic lunch, we will have a treasure hunt in the woods.

Monday, March 25 :

We will discover new woods and Lough Mask. After our picnic lunch, we will walk around Cong village and feed the ducks.

Tuesday, March 26 :

Having departed our accommodation, we will enjoy an orienteering event in a lakeside woodland located 30 minutes along the road.

Get in touch if you are interested in coming along with your children on this single parent outdoors break, in one of Ireland’s loveliest locations.

Included : Three nights in a B&B or hostel, 3 x dinners, 3 x packed lunches, 3 x breakfasts, treasure hunt, orienteering, full guiding throughout.

Not included : Travel to Mayo, miscellaneous purchases, drinks.

We suggest that this break is most suitable to children aged roughly 7 to 14 years.

Single Parent Families Outdoors at Easter Prices & Reservation :

Full board B&B Accommodation in a shared room – Price for parent (€260) + first child (€100)	Date :	€ 360
Full board B&B Accommodation in a shared room – Price for each subsequent child (€40)	Date :	€ 40
Full board Hostel Accommodation in a shared room – Price for parent (€230) + first child (€90)	Date :	€ 320
Full board Hostel Accommodation in a shared room – Price for each subsequent child (€40)	Date :	€ 40

Please Note : Drinks are not included in the prices.

Posted in Events, Multi Day Walking Tours | Tagged Cong, Galway, lone parent, Mayo, single parent, walking, walking holiday | 5 Comments

Ten Great Short Mayo Walks, Part Two

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Barry Murphy

I want to share with you 10 beautiful, but short, Mayo walks. These are places to go for a short, easy stroll and admire the surroundings. Bring the kids. I’ve chosen 10 places that you can easily reach in your car or, preferably, on your bike. No need for hiking boots to get to any of these spots, each of which is wonderfully representative of Mayo!

Part One, with 5 places, is here. Now for the remaining five spots to go visit.

These are places you will not need hiking boots to reach and, while most are more or less by the road, all are within a short, flat walk of one.

6	Causeway at Mulranny
7	Newport River leaving Beltra Lough
8	Limestone Pavement at Clonbur Wood
9	Erris Head Look Out Post, Belmullet
10	Minaun, Achill Island

6. Causeway at Mulranny

When the railway (now The Greenway cycle and walking track) came to Mulranny in the late 1890′s, a hotel (now The Mulranny Park Hotel) was built. Down from the hotel, and in order to reach the nearby beach in greater comfort, a causeway was built across the saltmarshes. Park your car or bike at the hotel, descend the steps across the road, walk the causeway, take in the beautiful views all around and suck in the sea air. Then return for a beverage in the hotel’s bar, overlooking Clew Bay (certainly one of the nicest views any Mayo bar can offer). Total walking time from car or bike, up to one hour (beware traffic when crossing the road).

I can’t seem to locate my picture of this, so will have to go take a new one and insert later !

7. Newport River leaving Beltra Lough

The Newport River

The most remote spot on my list is located in the middle of a Castlebar – Westport – Newport triangle in west Mayo, at the southern end of Beltra Lough, in the middle of nowhere. It’s a wonderful mix of native woodland, reed beds, river, lake and bog. This is inland Mayo at its natural best, with the beautiful mountains of Nephin Mór and Birreencorragh as backdrops to the north. Total walking time from car or bike, maybe 45 minutes (off-road).

8. Limestone Pavement at Clonbur Wood

Clonbur limestone pavement

Our ‘mini Burren’ is a beautiful area of exposed limestone, with dwarfed trees and prostrate shrubs eking out an existence in any tiny piece of soil they can find. A magical place of grykes and clints on the shores of Lough Mask. You’ll have to walk from the carpark at Clonbur village to reach this, but on forest tracks, runners will do fine. Total walking time, a good hour.

(psst, this is actually just inside Galway, but don’t tell anyone…)

9. Erris Head Look Out Post

Erris Head

At the very tip of the wild and wonderful Mullet peninsula, out beyond Belmullet town in NW Mayo, lies Erris Head with its fantastic ocean views. Walk for 40 minutes from the carpark at Glenlara to reach an excellent example of Ireland’s World War II marine and coastguard service Look Out Posts that were dotted all along neutral Ireland’s coast. This is ocean coastline at its finest. Total walking time approx. 1.5 hours.

10. Minaun, Achill Island

Minaun Heights

If your car can handle it, drive on up towards the mast atop Minaun and look west, across Keel Strand and Keem Bay to the top of Croaghan beyond. This amazing view is one of the finest in Mayo. The winds are strong too. Stunning is too weak a word for it. Total time walking around in the wind, as long as you like.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this list and get out to some of these spots, whether rural or urban. Just relax, take it all in and experience Mayo walks.

Posted in Blog, Ecotourism | Tagged Achill, Clonbur, Cong, Erris, Mayo, Mulranny, Swinford | 1 Comment

Walking Holiday in Cong, Co. Mayo

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Barry Murphy

Walking in woodland near Cong, Co. Mayo

Cong Lakes Walking Weekend takes place each year on the May bank holiday weekend. This short video gives you a flavour of the type of places we will encounter over this long weekend walking holiday.

This is lakes, mixed woodland and river wetlands country. We walk on low-level tracks for two days, while on the third we climb the gentle heights of a 400m mountain. This is idyllic easy walking country, as we meander between the great western lakes of Mask and Corrib, using forest tracks and enjoying the lovely woodlands. Our one excursion up Benlevy is not demanding, but affords us wonderful views over the lakes below.

After enjoying the gentle walks by day, we settle in to the genuine pubs of Cong by night. Traditional music is to be found and enjoyed. We stay in a B&B that’s near enough to the village to be able to comfortably walk to and from the pub on a safe path.

One more thing about this short walking holiday – I collect you from the station in Castlebar, should you wish to come on the comfort of the train, and drop you back on Monday. There’s no need to bring the car to Mayo. Come along to Cong – a great place for walking.

Posted in Blog | Tagged Benlevy, Clonbur, Cong, hiking, Mayo, Mount Gable, walking holiday ireland, walking tour | Leave a comment

Cong Lakes Walking Weekend 2012

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Barry Murphy

Join our group for this fantastic guided walking weekend in May. Taking place over the May bank holiday weekend, from May 4 through 7, this is one of the top walking weekends the West of Ireland has to offer.

Walking is graded easy on two of the days, with the third graded moderate and includes a hike to the top of the 411 m Benlevy mountains outside Clonbur.

: Limestone pavement, Lough Mask

: Stone circle, Cong

: Forest track, Cong