Throngs of walkers are expected to descend on the many towns and villages of Ballyhoura Country over this coming weekend as a kick start to Heritage Week, to take part in the 2016 Ballyhoura International Walking Festival. The festival, now in its 22nd year is expecting to attract walkers throughout the weekend from all over Ireland and appealing to many of our overseas visitors and friends.
The festival provides an opportunity to explore some of Ballyhoura Country’s stunning countryside in the company of guides from the Ballyhoura Bears walking club. The Festival features a packed programme of walks for all abilities, from the enthusiastic well-equipped walker who relishes the challenge of the half marathon on the Saturday morning, to the gentle ramblers who are out to enjoy pleasant guided walks in the company of local experts in the fields of heritage, archaeology, history, flora and fauna.
Registration for Saturday A & B walks take place at the Village Inn Ballyorgan from 9.30am with these walks starting at 10:30am. These walks are the half marathon 20 km route and the river and forest circuit covering 15km. The C walk registration starts at 11am and this will be at the Ballyhoura Mountain Bike Park giving people the opportunity to explore the tracks and trails of the Ballyhouras. The facilities at the trailhead provide secure parking, toilets and shower facilities and also provide an opportunity for walkers to see the array of bike routes, trim trail and nature trail located here. Refreshments will be provided post walk at designated locations.
This year the Festival line up on Sunday will include a range of walks including a river & forest walk, animal sanctuary walk where there is an opportunity to walk your dog, archaeological walks at Lough Gur, a heritage walk at Doneraile & Galty Castle Wood, historical walks in Kilfinane, an Archaeology walk where you can learn about the iron age agricultural community dating from about 1,000BC to 400AD. The only community walk that will be held on Saturday August 20th will be the heritage walk in Mitchelstown starting from 11.30am at the library in Mitchelstown. All walks should prove hugely popular and provide great insights into some of the areas finest historical, heritage and archaeological attractions.
Pre registration is very important so please contact Reception at the Ballyhoura Offices, Kilfinane on 063-91300 or email reception@ballyhoura.org today.