Annascaul laces up for Walking Festival

THE hills will be alive with walkers - and the sound of music will probably be heard in local pubs - when the Annascaul Walks October Walking Festival gets underway later this month.

The annual event offers a selection of hard, moderate and easy walks on the hills of West Kerry and has built up a steady following of walkers from around the county, the country and further afield who come to enjoy the hills by day and the atmosphere of Annascaul by night.

The festival runs on Saturday and Sunday, October 26 – 27, with Mount Brandon and Binn ós Gaoith offering the most challenging walks while Meelin Hill and Loch Tuarin Mharta (in the hills west of Annascaul Lake) are among the moderate outings. On Sunday 27 th there will be a guided walk on the newly developed, and extremely attractive, Annascaul River Walk with local man John Hanafin joining the outing to recall the myths and legends associated with the river Scáil and its environs.

In addition to the festival walking programme, on Monday 28th at 11am Annascaul Historical Society will host a walk to visit the main sites associated with the Ballinclare Ambush, which took place in August 1920.

Registration for all the walks will take place at Hanfin’s Bar in Annascaul. Registration for Saturday’s walks will take place on Friday night from 7pm – 9.30pm. Walkers can register for all other walks up to an hour before the start time of each walk.

Registration for the walks costs from €10 for the easy walks to €25 for the Mount Brandon outing. Cash-in-pocket is the way to go because Annascaul Walks doesn’t have credit card facilities and there is no ATM in the village.

Tea, coffee, soup, and sandwiches will be available to sustain the weary in Hanafin’s Bar after each walk, but walkers are required to provide their own food and water during the walks. Walkers are also reminded that they need to be equipped for all weather conditions. More information is available on the annascaul walks. org website.