National Famine Way

[G_the_D]

Has anyone on the forums walked this? It looks fascinating.

Ireland's heartbreaking walk of forced emigration

The 165km National Famine Way from Strokestown to Dublin is a harrowing but deeply impactful route that allows modern walkers to follow in the footsteps of the Strokestown tenants.

www.bbc.com

This very much appeals to me as I am a Canadian of Irish descent. My family line also emigrated during the famine.

 

[roving_rufus]

I did the section in 2022 that is the Royal Canal Way (which misses the first section from Strokestown to Cloondara). (This was part of my camino from home). The royal canal way predates this newer addition of National Famine Way. There is a little booklet to get stamps in and the story of the march from Strokestown to port at Dublin is explored with a range of resources. The section following the Royal Canal is mainly offroad. The issue was accomodation- with limited availability in places, and sometimes creating some short or long days. It was very easy walking along the canal.
Also worthwhile when in Dublin is the "new" Epic musuem on emigration.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I saw this sobering memorial of the Irish famine on a road trip in 2013. I can't recall exactly where it was located, but somewhere in the west, possibly near the Crog Patrick pilgrimage hike.
The walk you mention looks interesting.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I saw this sobering memorial of the Irish famine on a road trip in 2013. I can't recall exactly where it was located, but somewhere in the west, possibly near the Crog Patrick pilgrimage hike.

Couldn't be closer, just across the road from the parking lot for the Croagh Patrick trail. We hiked that last year but we didn't know about the famine memorial nor see it; we have another famine memorial in Boston though.

National Famine Memorial · Murrisk, Co. Mayo

maps.app.goo.gl

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Couldn't be closer, just across the road from the parking lot for the Croagh Patrick trail. We hiked that last year but we didn't know about the famine memorial nor see it; we have another famine memorial in Boston though.
View attachment 178832

National Famine Memorial · Murrisk, Co. Mayo

maps.app.goo.gl

Rick, we hiked nearly halfway up Croagh Patrick, but had to turn back due to adverse weather near the top. I did not know about the Caminos at that time.

 

[Kirkie]

Has anyone on the forums walked this? It looks fascinating.

Ireland's heartbreaking walk of forced emigration

The 165km National Famine Way from Strokestown to Dublin is a harrowing but deeply impactful route that allows modern walkers to follow in the footsteps of the Strokestown tenants.

www.bbc.com

This very much appeals to me as I am a Canadian of Irish descent. My family line also emigrated during the famine.

It is something I still hope to actually do, although as noted by @roving_rufus finding handy accommodation is a bit of a task. I was half way to organising it but the Ingles came first...Arriving in Dublin, the Famine statues are part of the story, and closely linked to Canada. A little further along, just past EPIC, is the replica of one of the coffin ships, but it has the reputation of a captain who took care of the welfare of his passengers, with no resulting deaths on the journeys. https://www.dublindocklands.ie/visi...seeing/famine-memorial-and-work-poverty-stone

 

[Robo]

I saw this sobering memorial of the Irish famine on a road trip in 2013. I can't recall exactly where it was located, but somewhere in the west, possibly near the Crog Patrick pilgrimage hike.
The walk you mention looks interesting.
View attachment 178827

Did you walk up the Reek "In Your Feet" as they say locally. (bare foot!)
I have family close by.
Think I was dragged up there at age 11 on a very hot day!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Did you walk up the Reek "In Your Feet" as they say locally. (bare foot!)
I have family close by.
Think I was dragged up there at age 11 on a very hot day!

No, I did not go barefootand on an early September morning it seemed there were only a few pilgrims besides us. It was disappointing to turn back, but we could see that the beautiful day quickly was turneding black up at the top and it began to sprinkle.

 

[Robo]

No, I did not go barefootand on an early September morning it seemed there were only a few pilgrims besides us. It was disappointing to turn back, but we could see that the beautiful day quickly was turneding black up at the top and it began to sprinkle.

Yes, weather in that part of the World can be tricky

 

[tinaviafran]

Has anyone on the forums walked this? It looks fascinating.

Ireland's heartbreaking walk of forced emigration

The 165km National Famine Way from Strokestown to Dublin is a harrowing but deeply impactful route that allows modern walkers to follow in the footsteps of the Strokestown tenants.

www.bbc.com

This very much appeals to me as I am a Canadian of Irish descent. My family line also emigrated during the famine.

My husband and I just returned from doing The Famine way from Strokestown. We walked as far as Maynooth as the trail along canal from Maynooth was closed.
We live in Canada but my husband is from Dublin and both very interested in the fact that Canada was final destination of the people who did actually make the journey.

I think that in time it could be a good walk, but at moment accommodation is a big issue and also amenities along way almost non existent.

 

[roving_rufus]

On a further note regarding accommodation- some needs to be contacted directly, some are online like booking.com, and I did find stuff on Airbnb of rooms for rent which might be useful. The quality also varied greatly - but in places there are no options so Abbeyshrule has one great B&B with lovely rooms while Cunningham's Pub is a great pub but the rooms are basic. In other places it is necessary to leave the route to access such as at Ballymahon (I stayed in Skellys and still have good memories of their take on a vegetarian fry for breakfast). I also took a bus from Enfield to Maynooth to split my days in a better manner, and stayed there 2 nights making use of the train back and forth to Lexilip.
Hope this might be of use - happy to go back and look up my actual distances and stops if you want

 

[Rita Flower]

This very much appeals to me as I am a Canadian of Irish descent. My family line also emigrated during the famine.

I hope this doesn’t break the Forum rule on politics but I think that the Irish who left during the famine rarely ‘emigrated’.
They were actually refugees forced to leave their beloved homeland.