Walk or Cycle

The Royal Canal Greenway

The enchanting Royal Canal Greenway is 130km of level towpath, ideal for walkers, runners and cyclists of all ages and stages. Starting in cosmopolitan Maynooth, it follows the 200 year old canal through friendly Enfield and lively Mullingar to charming Cloondara in Longford, with cafés, picnic spots and attractions along the way. Rustic and industrial landscapes combine, with rolling fields, pretty waterside villages, working locks and historic landmarks. Cycle between any of the main towns and return by train to where you started.

The National Famine Way

The Royal Canal Greenway is also the route of The National Famine Way which is a digitally and physically waymarked 167km National walking trail that connects the National Famine Museum in Strokestown Park, Co. Roscommon, with Ronan Gillespie's Famine memorial on Custom House Quay in Dublin along the banks of the Royal Canal. The trail ends near the Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship and EPIC The Irish Emigration Walkers can set their own pace and follow in the footsteps of the 1,490 tenants who were forced to emigrate from Strokestown to Canada. The trail is waymarked with 30 plinths and pairs of 19th Century bronze shoe sculptures.

Bronze Shoe Sculpture - The National Famine Way