A group of people in historical clothing walk sombrely through a grassy field, led by a man with a staff. The National Famine Way logo is on the left. Trees and a large building appear in the background.
A pair of worn bronze shoes sits on a stone slab outdoors, near a small round blue plaque. In the background, there is grass and a dark water-filled stone structure.
A man in an old-fashioned top hat and coat holds a walking stick, leading a queue of people in period clothing across a grassy field near a historic building, with trees and clear skies in the background.

National Famine Way

  • Family friendly
  • Free to visit
  • Rainy days

Historic trail tracing the footsteps of famine emigrants.

The National Famine Way is a powerful 165km heritage trail in County Longford that follows one of the most significant journeys in Irish history.

Overview

The National Famine Way traces the footsteps of tenants from Strokestown, Co. Roscommon who were forced to walk to Dublin in 1847 during the Great Famine. From there, many were transported to Liverpool and onward to North America aboard so-called “coffin ships”.

These 1,490 people became known as the “Missing 1490”, a lasting symbol of famine-era emigration and hardship.

Why Visit

  • Walk or cycle sections of a nationally significant trail
  • Follow interpretive signage and storytelling markers
  • Experience Ireland’s famine and emigration history first-hand

Good To Know

  • Suitable for walking and cycling in stages
  • Can be explored in sections across Longford and beyond

The National Famine Way offers a moving journey through Ireland’s past, connecting landscapes, stories, and communities along one of the country’s most important heritage routes.

Contact Details

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The Route
  • Starts: National Famine Museum
  • Passes through: County Longford and along the Royal Canal corridor
  • Ends: Famine Memorial statues, Dublin Docklands (near EPIC Museum)
Immersive Experience

With its captivating layers of history and culture, the National Famine Way is a truly immersive experience. You can follow the trail on the free app. Find out more about the app on NationalFamineWay.ie.

You can also check out the Official National Famine Way Pack. This includes a personalised ticket naming one of the family groups who walked this trail in 1847, allowing you to truly walk in their footsteps. You will also receive a passport to stamp along your journey, which you can present at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin to receive a Certificate of Completion. At the museum, you will also discover what became of your family group on their journey in 1847.

You can also see over thirty pairs of 19th-century bronze children’s shoe sculptures interspersed along the route which create a thought-provoking experience. Learn more about these Shoe Stories. 

National Famine Way through County Longford

The trail weaves mostly along the Royal Canal and can be completed in sections or all at once. As such, the County Longford section of the National Famine Way stretches from the county border beside Tarmonbarry through to the start of the Greenway Clondra, where it continues to the county border on the Westmeath side.

Opening hours

TBC

More info

Further Information

You can visit NationalFamineWay.ie or follow the National Famine Way on Facebook to see their latest news.

The National Famine Way is an inter-county collaboration between Waterways Ireland and County Councils along the route: Roscommon, Longford, Westmeath, Meath, Kildare, Fingal and Dublin.

It has been developed by Strokestown Park House, the National Famine Museum, and the Irish Heritage Trust in partnership with Waterways Ireland, the ADAPT Centre for Digital Content Technology, and EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum.