Overview
The Avonmore is the ‘big river’ of its name – An Abhainn Mhór, also written Abhainn Dé – draining Lough Dan down through about 30 km of wooded valley to the Meeting of the Waters, where its flow joins the Avonbeg and becomes the River Avoca. It is the working spine of a walking and paddling landscape rather than a single sight: a woodland trail, a couple of kayak put-ins, a wild-swimming spot, and the confluence Thomas Moore turned into a song. If you have one afternoon, spend it walking the Avonmore Way through Clara Vale, where the river runs closest to the path.
From source to confluence
The river leaves Lough Dan, a glacial ribbon lake above Roundwood on private land, and descends through a steep wooded catchment to the village of Annamoe, where it crosses beneath the R755. At Laragh it takes in the Glenmacnass, Glendasan and Glenealo rivers draining the higher lakes, then runs down a heavily timbered valley past Rathdrum and the grounds of Avondale, once the family seat of Charles Stewart Parnell. A few kilometres on, it meets the Avonbeg at the Meeting of the Waters (Irish: Cumar an dá Uisce) to form the Avoca, which runs east through the Vale of Avoca to the sea at Arklow. Together with the Avonbeg and Avoca it drains the largest river catchment in County Wicklow, around 650 km².
The Meeting of the Waters
The confluence became famous in 1808 when Thomas Moore published The Meeting of the Waters in his Irish Melodies, written after a visit the previous summer:
There is not in the wide world a valley so sweet / As that vale in whose bosom the bright waters meet…
The song has stayed in the Irish repertoire ever since, and the interpretive park at the confluence marks it with a bust of Moore and the verses set out beside the water. The park is free; check current parking arrangements before you travel.
Walking the Avonmore Way
The Avonmore Way is a 12 km linear trail linking Laragh and Rathdrum, following the river through some of the county’s best native woodland. It is waymarked with the yellow ‘walking man’ symbol, graded easy but with around 245 m of ascent, and most walkers take three to four hours end to end.
Trail highlights:
- Clara Vale Nature Reserve – Wicklow’s largest semi-natural woodland, with boardwalks, old oaks and seasonal wildflowers. This is the stretch to prioritise.
- Clara Vale Bridge – A popular wild-swimming spot, with easy access to shallow water.
- Samuel Hayes Bridge – Despite the historic name, the current structure is a modern pedestrian suspension bridge, opened in June 2021, linking the Jubilee Walk and the Avonmore Way. It is named for the 18th-century Avondale MP and arborist.
- Jackson’s Falls – A waterfall on the river worth the short detour.
The trail is well surfaced in places but includes forest tracks and uneven ground, so it is not suitable for wheelchairs. One honest warning: car break-ins have been reported at the Trooperstown Wood car park and near Ballard bridge, so park sensibly and leave nothing on show.
Estates and activities on the river
Practical information
- Getting there: The R755 connects Laragh and Rathdrum to the N11. Rathdrum has a railway station with services to Dublin.
- Parking: Car parks serve the Trooperstown and Laragh trailheads and the Meeting of the Waters park; they fill on summer weekends, and some carry a charge.
- Facilities: Rathdrum and Laragh have cafés, pubs and shops; there are toilets and a café at Hidden Valley near Rathdrum.
- Best time to visit: Late spring to early autumn for the clearest water, full woodland colour and long daylight. Early morning at the confluence is best for photography.
- Accessibility: The Avonmore Way involves uneven forest tracks and steps and is unsuitable for wheelchairs. Sturdy footwear helps, especially after rain.
Arrive at the Meeting of the Waters before 9am to beat summer traffic, and give yourself time on the boardwalks in Clara Vale, the one stretch where the river and the path stay side by side.