Backpacking in Ireland

gregorio

gregorio

Joined
Nov 9, 2007
Messages
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I'll be moving to Northern Ireland for six months and would appreciate a recommendation on backpacking camping locations or regions.

Thanks.
 
I spent a weekend near Newcastle (as mentioned by baldtaco above) a few years ago. Went horse riding in the woods near Castlewellan and hiked up Slieve Donard. It's not wilderness but the Mournes are pretty rugged and you won't find a much nicer area anywhere in the British Isles.
 
Thank you both for the replies, sometimes google can only get you so far in finding new places to go.
 
We flew into Belfast airport and caught a bus into central Belfast. Then another bus from there to Newcastle. There is a bus service along the coast connecting Newcastle with Bloody Bridge. I found all the timetables on the net and printed the relevant ones.
Newcastle itself is a slightly shabby, run-down seaside town but the countryside around is green and pleasant.
 
I assume you have a placement in Northern Ireland for 6 months with an American owned company ? You should have a company representative who can fill you in a little about the different areas of Northern Ireland. Religion and politics still dominate the population "spread" so to speak with certain areas being either dominant Ptotestant or Catholic. American's travelling into Northern Ireland will usually be linked with a Catholic background, a legacy from "Nor-Aid" and the "troubles", whereas a lot of the farming areas and particularly in the hills of the North are strong Protestant areas. Things have certainly quietened down from where it once was but you will still find that you could receive a lot of turned heads if you went into a pub in a rural area. However, all Northern Ireland are united in welcoming jobs and investment and if you play that card well you should have no issues. Expect though that many will probably quiz you for the basic's of your life story after chatting to you over your first pint of Guiness. You need to appreciate that "foreigners" like yourself working over there might be quite a rare thing for the other people you meet.Like as not you will probably find them incredibly hospitable and many will admire you for coming there ... people like yourself are the best visible sign that things are on the mend ... but I have been there in the not so distant past where you needed to be careful and am just trying to give you a "heads up" as to what to expect and what you need to ask about.

When I go anywhere in the UK which I am unfamiliar with and want to learn some good long hikes I check out the Duke of Edinburgh's award scheme web site as this organisation will have details of walks which have been put together quite carefully. The various awards, Gold and Silver etc require long hikes to be completed without recourse to pubs, shops and hotels so they are as close as you get to "expedition" conditions but equally the walks will have been vetted for Health and Safety risks and usually have roads and cut off exit distances throughout the walk that are manageable in an emergency. Most expedition walks average 10 to 12 miles per day and total around 50 to 60 miles for the Gold award. Here is a link to their web site for Northern Ireland ...

http://www.dofe.org/en/content/cms/takepart/notice-boards/northern-ireland/approved activity pr/

Making enquiries there as to where they host their expedition walks will serve you well ... and good luck :thumbup:
 
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