The Wicklow Way – Marlay Park to Clonegal

Overview

The Wicklow Way was Ireland’s first waymarked long-distance trail, opened in 1980, and it is still among the busiest: up to 24,000 people a year walk its most popular sections, most of them around Glendalough. It runs about 130 km – the official trail site says 127 km, Wikipedia 131 – from Marlay Park on the edge of Dublin south to the village of Clonegal in Carlow, climbing roughly 3,320 m along the way. It also forms the westernmost leg of the European E8 footpath. Waymarking is good throughout, a yellow walking figure on black, across a landscape that shifts from suburban parkland to forest, open mountain ridge, glacial valley and, finally, rolling farmland.

If you cannot spare the seven to ten days the full route takes, do not force it. The stretch most worth walking is the middle, from Enniskerry over Djouce to Glendalough, taking in Lough Tay and White Hill. The southern third, through south Wicklow and Carlow farmland, is pleasant but gentle and low, and many walkers happily skip it.

History and origins

The trail owes its existence to the hill-walker and writer J. B. Malone, who proposed a long-distance route through the mountains in a series of newspaper articles in 1966, drawing on his books The Open Road (1950) and Walking in Wicklow (1964). His campaigning earned him a place on the Long Distance Walking Routes Committee of Cospóir, the national sports council, in 1977, where he mapped the practical line.

It opened in three phases:

• 15 August 1980 – Marlay Park to Luggala, opened by Minister of State Jim Tunney.
• 27 September 1981 – Luggala to Moyne.
• 1982 – the final stretch to Clonegal.

Its formal name is Slí Cualann Nua, the ‘New Cuala Way’, after the ancient Slí Cualann that once crossed the kingdom of Cuala. Malone’s memorial stone stands at Barr Rock, above Lough Tay, and is still a natural place to stop. Over the years sections have been rerouted to protect fragile upland ground and settle access, including diversions away from Fairy Castle on Two Rock Mountain and the summit of Mullacor.

Trail highlights

• Marlay Park (Rathfarnham) – the northern start, an 18th-century demesne that eases you in along the Little Dargle River.
• Powerscourt Waterfall & Enniskerry – the trail skirts the ridge above Ireland’s highest waterfall (121 m) before dropping towards the Georgian village of Enniskerry.
• Lough Tay & Lough Dan – two glacial lakes, with the route passing above the Guinness family’s Luggala estate and along the saddle between White Hill and Djouce Mountain: the postcard section.
• Glendalough – St Kevin’s 6th-century monastic settlement, with its round tower and two lakes in a steep valley. The trail also passes the ruined Miners’ Village at the head of the valley, worked for lead and zinc from 1798 to 1963.
• White Hill – the highest point on the Way at 630 m, with views across the Wicklow Mountains and out to Howth Head on a clear day.
• Glenmalure – a long, deep glacial valley that sheltered rebels in the 16th and 18th centuries; the trail follows the old Military Road through forest.
• South Wicklow farmland – the final third winds through hedgerowed fields and quiet lanes past estates like Shillelagh.

Planning your walk

Route & stages

Traditionally walked north to south, though either direction works; going south to north gives you some low-level days to warm up before the mountains. It is usually split into six stages, but you can break it into shorter days or join partway.

Getting there & transport

• Northern start (Marlay Park) – Dublin Bus route 16 from the city centre, or the Luas Green Line to Dundrum and a local bus on. There is a small car park near Marlay House.
• Southern finish (Clonegal) – the Bus Éireann Expressway from Busáras towards Waterford stops at Kildavin (3 km) or Bunclody (5 km). A free village car park sits near the trailhead.
• Shortened routes – the Wicklow Way Bus picks up walkers at Glendalough, Glenmalure or Tinahely with notice and runs to Rathdrum station for the train to Dublin; the Glendalough Bus Company also serves the city centre.

Note that parking at Glendalough and other managed car parks now costs about €3 to €5 a vehicle in peak season (roughly March to October); off-season it is often free or by donation.

Gear, safety & seasons

Walking the whole Way is a real test of endurance, with long hours in isolated upland above 400 m.

• Gear – sturdy waterproof boots, layers, a good rain shell, at least a litre of water, food and a basic first-aid kit.
• Navigation – it is well signposted, but hill weather can close in fast. Carry a paper map and compass as backup; the official site has downloadable maps and GPX files.
• Weather & daylight – conditions change quickly, and from late autumn to early spring you get short days and a good chance of wind, heavy rain or sleet. The higher sections need care in ice and snow.
• Emergency – dial 112 for Mountain Rescue.

For a managed stop along the way, the Wicklow Mountains National Park is open all year, day and night; its visitor centre near Glendalough opens 9.30am to 6pm from mid-March to mid-October and 9.30am to 5pm through the winter, with last admission 45 minutes before closing.

Accommodation & support

Guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels and pubs line the route, so resupply and rest are straightforward, and many places will move your luggage between stages for a fee. Popular overnight stops include:

• Knockree – Glencree hostel and nearby B&Bs.
• Roundwood – Ireland’s highest village, with several places to stay.
• Glendalough – hostels, hotels and the visitor centre.
• Glenmalure – Glenmalure Lodge and local B&Bs.
• Moyne / Tinahely / Shillelagh – family-run inns and farm stays.
• Clonegal – Osborne’s pub, the finish, where you can collect a completion certificate.

Nearby attractions

• Avondale Forest Park – near Rathdrum, the birthplace and home of Charles Stewart Parnell, with extensive woodland trails.
• Annamoe – a village in the Avonmore valley, good for a riverside stop.
• Brittas Bay – a long sandy strand east of the northern sections, for a cold-water dip.

Practical tips

• Best time – May to September for the longest days and driest paths. Spring brings bluebells to the forest tracks, autumn the colour on the lakes.
• Pacing – the full route takes most people 7 to 10 days, but there is no need to rush; many add a day at Glendalough or an optional climb like Djouce.
• Wildlife – watch for red deer, red squirrels and foxes, red grouse on the heath, and peregrines and merlins over the ridges.

For a single memorable day rather than the whole trail, walk the Djouce to White Hill stretch above Lough Tay; the boardwalk climb past J. B. Malone’s memorial, with the lake below, is the finest few hours the Way offers.