Flat water sets the tone. Four of the six routes here are towpaths, and two of them begin inside the county: the Barrow Way starts at Robertstown and runs 116.9km south to St Mullins in Carlow, and the Royal Canal Greenway starts at Maynooth, 130km of level path to Cloondara on the Shannon. The River Barrow entry describes that same towpath from the water’s side, from Lowtown down through Laois, Carlow and Kilkenny. These are section walks rather than end-to-end ones; the locks, stone bridges and canal villages give you obvious places to stop and turn back.
Donadea Forest Park is the only real woodland walk on the list. The Lake Walk is a flat 0.8km circuit past a lily-covered lake, the ruins of the Aylmers’ castle and a limestone replica of the Twin Towers, Ireland’s only woodland 9/11 memorial. Entry is free, parking is €5 and contactless only, and the longer loops, permanent orienteering courses and the Zipit high-ropes park can stretch a visit to a half-day.
The Lyreen is the one you can do on foot from a town centre, about six kilometres of small river threading through Maynooth past Maynooth Castle and the grounds of St Patrick’s College, with the best short stretch running from Pound Lane into the South Campus. The Dublin-Galway Greenway is a midlands route for now, with over 100km built between Mullingar and Athlone, so walking it means travelling out of the county.
A flat 0.8km lake circuit past castle ruins and Ireland's only woodland 9/11 memorial, with longer loops and a high-ropes park alongside.
Flat, well waymarked towpath running 116.9km from Robertstown south to St Mullins, past locks, stone bridges and river villages, and easily walked in sections.
The river behind the towpath, 192km from the Slieve Blooms to Waterford Harbour, its locks, weirs and lock keepers' cottages lining the walking route.
Ireland's longest greenway, 130km of level towpath from Maynooth to Cloondara, passing working locks, the haunted 13th lock and cafés in the canal towns.
Only the eastern section is built, but that gives over 100km of flat, traffic-free canal towpath and rail trail as far as Athlone.
6 of 6 shown — tap a pin for the place.
Donadea, kildare
Donadea's Lake Walk is a flat 0.8km circuit past a lily-covered lake, the ruins of the Aylmers' castle and a limestone replica of the Twin Towers – Ireland's only woodland 9/11 memorial. Longer loops, permanent orienteering courses and the new Zipit high-ropes park fill out a half-day. Free entry; €5 to park, contactless only.
Kildare, kildare
The Barrow Way is an easy 116.9 km towpath that runs south from Robertstown in County Kildare to St Mullins in Carlow, following the canal line and then the River Barrow through Kildare, Laois, Carlow and Kilkenny. The walking is flat and well waymarked, past canal locks, stone bridges and villages like Borris and Graiguenamanagh, and most people do it in sections rather than the full four days.
Laois, laois
The River Barrow runs 192 km from the Slieve Bloom Mountains to Waterford Harbour, past a 111 km engineered navigation of locks and weirs. Its towpath is the Barrow Way, a level 116 km walking trail linking lock keepers' cottages and river towns from Lowtown in Kildare to St Mullins in Carlow.
Dublin, dublin
The Royal Canal Greenway is the longest in Ireland – 130 km of level towpath from Maynooth to Cloondara, where the canal meets the Shannon. It follows a waterway built between 1790 and 1817, past working locks, stone bridges, the reputedly haunted 13th lock at Deey Bridge, and cafés in Maynooth, Enfield and Mullingar.
Dublin, dublin
kildare
← All things to do in County Kildare
Book tours & tickets
We may earn a commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you.
Book tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips with GetYourGuide. Free cancellation on most experiences.
See tours & tickets in County Kildare →