Going online along the Wicklow Way
A new online resource is available to help users of the Wicklow Way plan their trips in a manner that will maximise their enjoyment of the amenity.
The extensive online support portal has been developed by Wicklow County Tourism (WCT) on the visitwicklow.ie website.
The Wicklow Way is around 130km long and crosses the Wicklow Mountains from Marley Park in Dublin to Clonegal in County Carlow.
It’s one of the most popular and well-known public walks in Ireland and is usually split into seven sections along which there are several accommodation providers.
Speaking about the latest development WCT Manager, Fred Verdier, expressed delight that the information provided online will greatly assist users of the amenity.
‘We are delighted with the information provided and our Wicklow Way online section is already proving popular with users,’ he said.
‘We recently organised a press trip along the southern part of the Wicklow Way and the information available proved very useful not only when planning the walk but also during it by using our mobile phones for maps and local info,’ he added.
The extensive data compiled for the resource was gathered by Adventure.ie which is a company based in Laragh that has many years experience of outdoor activities in the mountains.
The project was overseen by Cindy Doyle from Adventure. ie who said it took several months to compile the required information.
‘It took us several months to gather the information [through] meeting and chatting with users and other stakeholders,’ she said.
Ms Doyle added that compiling the data also required travelling along the Wicklow Way during peak and off-peak times.
Adopting a true hands-on approach to the task Ms Doyle said her team put themselves in the shoes of walking visitors to get a better understanding of the needs of people who use the route.
‘We feel we have provided Wicklow Tourism with the most relevant information to them,’ she said.
Meanwhile, Mr Verdier said that while a ‘tremendous amount of work has been done’ to make the new information available the overall project is very much a work-in-progress.
‘Having the information online means that we can update or enhance any data at any time,’ he said.
He encouraged members of the public who use the route to provide feedback about their experience.
On the website visitors will find online, printable and downloadable maps along with planning suggestions and detailed information about each of the sections along the route.
Information on points of interest and exit locations is also included.