Overview
In 2001 Killinthomas Wood won the Tidy Towns national award for wildlife conservation, which is not a prize many forests can claim. It sits 2 km north of Rathangan in County Kildare, close enough to the Dublin commuter belt to be a handy escape from it. Coillte manages the 70 hectares (200 acres) of mature beech and conifer plantation, with free entry, a car park at the centre and five gentle loops. You can do a quick turn after a coffee or settle in for a full morning.
A name worth arguing over
The Irish name, Coillín Tomáis, simply means ‘Thomas’s little wood’. Which Thomas is still up for local debate, though many point to the FitzGerald family, who held Rathangan Castle for centuries. The earliest record is the Earl of Kildare’s Rent Book of 1518, where it appears as Kyllen Thomas. By the 18th century maps had it as Kil Mc Thomas Wood, then Kilmacthomas.
In medieval times this was royal forest, kept for the king’s deer hunting. The First World War changed it: much of the original timber was felled for the war effort. The beech that now dominates the broadleaf canopy, with the later conifers, came from post-war replanting. For all that industrial use, the wood has grown back into solid habitat.
Walking the trails
Five colour-coded loops radiate from the central car park, about 10 km in all, every one graded easy. Families and casual walkers will manage them, and the flatter sections take a pram.
- Camp Walk (Yellow) – 1.3 km. A quick, gentle circuit for young children or a short break.
- Fr Doyle’s Walk (Purple) – 1.7 km. Named for a local clergyman, a slightly longer loop through mixed planting.
- Hazel Loop (Blue) – 2.3 km. Through denser undergrowth and older broadleaf sections.
- Ballydermot / Killyguise Loop (Red) – 4.1 km. The longest, and the one to pick if you want a proper leg-stretch.
- Bluebell Walk (Light Blue) – a short, linear trail on the most level ground, laid out to take you through the spring flora.
Picnic tables and benches are dotted along the way. The routes are well signposted and all return to the car park, so navigation looks after itself.
Wildlife and the seasons
The wood holds a steady population of red squirrels and foxes, and birdwatchers regularly pick out great spotted woodpeckers, nuthatches and treecreepers working the older trees. The place changes a lot through the year.
Late April and early May are the reason most people come: a dense carpet of bluebells and the sharp smell of wild garlic. The Bluebell Walk is the route for this, though the footfall is heavy at weekends. Summer gives cool, shaded walking and wildflowers in the clearings. In autumn the beech turns orange and gold against the dark conifers. Winter strips the canopy back and lets the low light through the misty paths – quiet, and good for photography.
Practical information
- Getting there: the most direct route is the L3001 from Rathangan. Watch for the forest lay-by on the right, which leads straight to the trailhead car park. From Dublin or the south, take the N7 or N80 to Rathangan and turn off. By public transport, take the train to Kildare Town, change to a Bus Éireann service to Rathangan, then walk about 1.5 km to the entrance.
- Parking and entry: the car park is free and sits right at the hub of the trail network. It is small, so arrive early on spring weekends. Entry to the wood is free.
- Facilities and accessibility: there are basic toilets, picnic tables and benches at the car park. The gradients are gentle but the woodland surface has roots and uneven sections, so the trails are not fully wheelchair accessible. The short Bluebell Walk is the flattest and most manageable route for anyone with limited mobility.
- Planning your visit: Coillte has a trail map to download here. For a fuller day, pair it with Donadea Forest Park, another Coillte wood a short drive away with ruins and a large lake.
- Tips: wear sturdy footwear with good grip, especially after rain, when the clay soil turns slippery. Bring a reusable water bottle and carry your litter out to help the wood keep its conservation status. For the bluebells, a weekday morning gives you the best light and the fewest people.