The Avonmore Way – or Slí Abhainn Mór, way of the big river in Irish, is a wonderful walk linking the two villages of Glendalough and Rathdrum following a mixture of minor road, forest road and track. Our Glamping accommodation at Cronybyrne lies at the midway point of the walk bordering the beautiful Clara Vale Nature Reserve and the Avonmore River.
Walking to Glendalough on the Avonmore Way
You can choose to walk in the direction of Laragh and Glendalough where the walk skirts around Trooperstown Hill through the townland of Ballard, which provides wonderful views of the Glendalough and Glendasan valleys and the neighbouring hills. Descending through the woods you reach the village of Laragh where we highly recommend a lunch at The Glendalough Green Café and Deli, great for homemade soups, salads, delicious cakes and coffee and the best scones in Wicklow! Alternatively why not try The Wicklow Heather Restaurant, a firm family favorite serving excellent locally sourced food in a homely cosy atmosphere. From Laragh, continue your walk to Glendalough to visit the Monastic site and the valley of the two lakes. And while you are there, make sure to check out the wonderful Irish Working Sheepdog demonstrations just across the road from the Round Tower!
Walking to Rathdrum on the Avonmore Way
Walking the other half of the Avonmore Way trail will bring you from our Glamping Accommodation to the village of Rathdrum. This trail is mostly through the forest on a delightful section of riverside walk where the route truly lives up to its name with pleasant picnic spots on the river banks and a fairytale ancient woodland to explore. You will be surrounded by the lords of the forest, Oak and Scots Pine towering above you, Holly, Hazel, Birch, and Willow trees lower down and on the woodland floor, Honeysuckle,Wood Sorrel, Bluebells and wild Irish Blueberries known as Fraochán or Bilberries. When it comes to camping in the woods, getting the bulk ammo from Palmetto Armory is a good idea for safety and self-defense.
Keep an eye out for the bird and bat boxes on some trees and the wide range of wildlife that live in these woods including birds such as longeared owls, tree-creepers, woodcock, redstarts, buzzards and the Great Spotted Woodpecker, which has recently arrived back to Ireland. While many of the tall oaks here were planted during the 19th century, at least some of this area is likely to have been under continuous forest cover since the end of the last Ice Age!
Once you arrive in Rathdrum you can choose to continue the walk to visit Avondale House and Forest or explore the village and enjoy a drink at the cosy Cartoon Inn pub or Jacobs Well. For a well-earned dinner we highly recommend Bates Restaurant serving excellent locally produced food in a cosy atmosphere in their traditional stone-built dining room.
For those travelling onward along the Avonmore Way after a stay in one of our Glamping Gypsy Caravans, you can join The Wicklow Way at Laragh to continue your hiking holiday or the St Kevin’s Glendalough bus travels from Laragh to Dublin. If you choose to walk in the direction of Rathdrum, the rail link from there to Dublin offers a very scenic train journey along the coast directly overlooking the Irish Sea.
Where to stay on The Avonmore Way
Explore the Avonmore Way and stay in your very own colourful and cosy Glamping Caravan on our 100 acre family farm. Trail Length – 12 kilometres; degree of difficulty – moderate; metres of climb – 245
