Limber up for an expansive Ballyhoura walking Festival

THE Ballyhoura International Walking Festival takes place from Friday, April 28 until Monday, May 1.

Walkers are expected to descend on the many towns and villages of Ballyhoura Country over this coming May Bank Holiday weekend. Mitchelstown Clan Search puts on Culture events on Saturday, April 29 encompassing a guided cultural town walk of 1.5 hours, hurling heroes talk and roots tracing workshop in Forest Hall. Register at Forest Hall, New Square at 2pm. €5 entry. Contact 087.3589734 for details.

The festival provides an opportunity to explore some of the Ballyhoura Country’s stunning countryside in the company of guides. The Festival features a packed programme of walks for all abilities, from the enthusiastic wellequipped walker who relishes the challenge of the A& B walks on the Saturday and Sunday, to the gentle ramblers who are out to enjoy pleasant guided walks in the company of local experts in the fields of heritage, archaeology, history, flora and fauna.

The main A Walk fundraiser is for dementia is the Galtee Mountain Climb.

Registration for Saturday and Sunday A walks take place at the Kings Yard outside Mitchelstown and Murroe N.S from 9.30am with both walks starting at 10am.

The nature walk registration starts at 11.30am and this will be at the Ballyhoura Mountain Bike Park giving people the opportunity to explore the tracks and trails of the Ballyhouras.

The facilities at the trailhead provide secure parking, toilets and shower facilities and also provide an opportunity for walkers to see the array of bike routes, trim trail and nature trail located here.

This year the Festival line up on will include a range of walks including a new and exciting singles walk along the Keale River from Darragh to Ballyorgan, this is an over 18’s walk as a drink or 2 may be consumed at the bars located at the start and end point, this walks will also involve a bus transfer from Kilfinane, also a Film screening at the Church of Ireland Kilfinane, Moon walk on the Friday night and an induction to Geocaching. Find out about the history, folklore and archaeological walks at Lough Gur, a heritage walk at Doneraile park, historical walks in Kilfinane.

So please contact Reception at the Ballyhoura Offices, Kilfinane.

For further information phone: +353 63 91300, e-mail: reception@ballyhoura.org.