Ireland's top walking trails and hikes revealed

The best walking trails and hikes in Ire‐ land have been revealed, with one Coun‐ ty Clare attraction rising high above the competition.

From stunning stretches of sandy beaches, to dramatic cliff tops and pic‐ turesque lakes, Ireland's magic lies in the beauty and variety of the land. One of the best ways to immerse yourself in nature is on foot, so Betfair Casino has created a definitive list of the best walking spots on the Emerald Isle. To create the list, the popularity of each location was measured by a unique in‐ dex score, based on Trip Advisor rank‐ ings, as well as Instagram hashtags and views - with the lower the overall index score, the higher the ranking.

At the top of the list are The Cliffs of Moher - one of the most famous spots in Ireland. The cliffs stretch across 700 feet of the Atlantic coast and the views are breathtaking no matter what the season or time of day. The stunning beauty of the cliffs has been the inspira‐ tion behind many songs, poetry and works of art.

In joint second place are Howth Cliff Walk in Dublin and Limerick Greenway in County Limerick.

Howth Cliff Walk delivers a slice of serenity and calm and will treat you to views of the spectacular coastline. Meanwhile, Limerick Greenway is the largest outdoor tourism project ever un‐ dertaken by both Limerick City and County Council and the 40km path takes you through some of the most en‐ chanting spots rural Ireland has to offer. Ballycotton Cliff Walk in Cork wasn't far behind as it placed in the top three alongside Errigal in County Donegal and Castletown House in Celbridge, County Kildare.

The Great Sugarloaf in County Wicklow and Killinthomas Woods in County Kil‐ dare took the fourth and fifth spots on the list respectively.

Also making the top six is Croagh Patrick in County Mayo, which is known for being a difficult climb and the ‘holiest mountain’ in Ireland. It is recom‐ mend for its panoramic views of Clew Bay at the top, as well as its religious significance.

1. The Cliffs of Moher, County Clare 7

Cliffs of Moher. Credit: Tourism Ireland 2. Howth Cliff Walk, County Dublin; Limerick Greenway, County Limerick

7

Howth Cliff Walk. Credit: Tourism Ire‐ land

3. Ballycotton Cliff Walk, County Cork; Castletown House, Celbridge; and Erri‐ gal, County Donegal

7

Castletown House. Credit: Tourism Ire‐ land

4. The Great Sugarloaf, County Wicklow

7

Sugarloaf Mountain. Credit: Ireland's

Content Pool

5. Killinthomas Woods, County Kildare

7

Killinthomas Woods. Credit: Peter Mooney/Flickr

6. Croagh Patrick, County Mayo

7

Croagh Patrick. Credit: Ireland's Content Pool