{"id":1738,"date":"2026-06-21T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/?p=1738"},"modified":"2026-06-19T13:50:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T12:50:58","slug":"more-scenic-than-the-ring-of-kerry-and-far-emptier-than-connemara-this-roscommon-valley-is-winning-over-dubliners-this-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/more-scenic-than-the-ring-of-kerry-and-far-emptier-than-connemara-this-roscommon-valley-is-winning-over-dubliners-this-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"More scenic than the Ring of Kerry and far emptier than Connemara this Roscommon valley is winning over Dubliners this summer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dubliners are quietly swapping coastlines<\/strong> for riverlands<\/strong>, chasing stillness, soft horizons, and a kind of easygoing<\/strong> adventure you can\u2019t force. What they\u2019re finding is a green<\/strong> valley in Roscommon where the days run slow<\/strong>, the roads stay empty<\/strong>, and the welcome is warm<\/strong> without being loud<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cGive it one clear<\/strong> evening and you\u2019ll hear the curlews<\/strong> again,\u201d said a local walker<\/strong>, pointing across meadows that look painted<\/strong> rather than planned<\/strong>. It\u2019s the sort of place where time<\/strong> slides and the city<\/strong> drops from your shoulders.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why this valley is turning heads<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

What\u2019s pulling the capital west is a mix of proximity<\/strong> and peace<\/strong>. In under three hours<\/strong>, you can swap bus lanes<\/strong> for hedgerow lanes<\/strong>, trading an inbox for the breath<\/strong> of river grass. The big crowds<\/strong> haven’t found it; that absence is its luxury<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, we came because we wanted no queues<\/strong>, no big itineraries<\/strong>,\u201d says Orla, a teacher<\/strong> from Drumcondra. \u201cWe got sunset<\/strong> over a hayfield and a pint<\/strong> where the publican knew our names<\/strong> by night two.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Landscapes that breathe<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Here the River Suck meanders through callows<\/strong> and wetlands<\/strong>, gathering light like a slow mirror<\/strong>. Stone walls run stitched<\/strong> across drumlin folds; a hawthorn leans weathered<\/strong> over a gated boreen<\/strong>. The valley\u2019s palette is all silvers<\/strong>, straws<\/strong>, and deep<\/strong> greens.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

On the Suck Valley Way, a waymarked<\/strong> loop beloved by quiet miles<\/strong>, you find buttercup meadows<\/strong>, peat banks<\/strong>, and ruined ringforts that sit patient<\/strong> among cattle. It\u2019s landscape that feels lived-in<\/strong>, not curated<\/strong>\u2014a soft theatre<\/strong> of water, field, and sky<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Slow adventures, real silence<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

This is the home of unrushed<\/strong> pursuits. A dawn paddle<\/strong> along a reed-fringed bend<\/strong> may deliver a sudden heron\u2019s lift<\/strong>, or a pike\u2019s sly swirl<\/strong> under willow shade<\/strong>. Cyclists drift through boreens<\/strong>, braking for foals and farm-gates<\/strong>, every bend a new quiet<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n
  • Try a simple weekend rhythm: day one on the trail<\/strong> between Castlecoote and Athleague<\/strong>, an afternoon kayak<\/strong> or cast<\/strong>; day two cycling quiet loops<\/strong> from Creggs to Glinsk<\/strong>, with a riverside picnic<\/strong> and a pub fire<\/strong> if rain shows up.<\/li>\n

    \n<\/ul>\n

    <\/p>\n

    \u201cOut here you can hear your own footsteps<\/strong>,\u201d a guide laughed, \u201cwhich is how you know you\u2019re going well<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Places that stitch culture to place<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Heritage sits close<\/strong> to the surface. Clonalis House<\/strong>, ancestral seat of the O\u2019Conor family<\/strong>, folds Irish history<\/strong> into polished wood<\/strong> and the smell of old paper<\/strong>. In market towns<\/strong>, stout stone bridges<\/strong> flank the river like unblinking elders<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Kitchen tables favour honest<\/strong> plates\u2014lamb that tastes of clean air<\/strong>, soda bread still warm<\/strong>, butter with that slow yellow<\/strong> you only get from grass. Caf\u00e9s show up with apple<\/strong> tart under enamel light<\/strong>, while pubs lean on music<\/strong> and low talk<\/strong>, not playlists and screens<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    How to get there, how to stay<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    By car, the easiest<\/strong> run from Dublin follows the M6 to Athlone<\/strong>, then quiet roads<\/strong> into the valley\u2019s folds<\/strong>. By rail, trains from Heuston<\/strong> reach Roscommon and Castlerea<\/strong>, where lifts, local taxis<\/strong>, or a pre-arranged bike<\/strong> can bridge the last miles<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Base yourself in a guesthouse<\/strong> near Athleague or Creggs<\/strong> for trail access<\/strong>, or choose a farm stay<\/strong> for the dawn chorus<\/strong> and evening silence<\/strong>. Self-catering suits families<\/strong> chasing slow mornings<\/strong>, while riverside inns<\/strong> work for two-night<\/strong> dashes.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    \u201cMidweek is magic<\/strong>,\u201d says a B&B owner<\/strong> with a smile. \u201cYou\u2019ll think the roads were made just for you<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    What to look for when you arrive<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Keep an eye out for kingfishers<\/strong> igniting a ditch\u2019s dark water<\/strong>, for hares boxing on a tilled<\/strong> margin, for summer skies<\/strong> that hold light far past your dinner<\/strong>. Notice the peat\u2019s sweet note<\/strong> after warm rain, and the way barns lean<\/strong>, handsome as old men<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Bring layers and patience<\/strong>. Weather turns on a heel<\/strong>, but the reward is in those shifts<\/strong>\u2014sun through a barn\u2019s slats<\/strong>, mist caught on a fence<\/strong>, a rainbow stitched to a hedge<\/strong> before it slips away<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Travel light, tread softer<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    The valley\u2019s charm is built on space<\/strong> and quiet<\/strong>, so treat both as precious currency<\/strong>. Park with sense<\/strong>, close farm gates<\/strong>, and buy your treats<\/strong> from the places whose windows you\u2019ve just fogged<\/strong> with your breath. Ask before crossing fields<\/strong>, wave at every tractor<\/strong>, and carry out what you carry<\/strong> in.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    What this gentle landscape gives back is restorative<\/strong>: a full exhale<\/strong>, a cleaner appetite<\/strong>, and a memory that doesn\u2019t need filters<\/strong>. That\u2019s why the capital is coming\u2014because out here, the only headline<\/strong> is the river\u2019s soft voice<\/strong> and the way the light keeps changing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1768,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1738"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1738\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1755,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1738\/revisions\/1755"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}