{"id":2657,"date":"2026-08-12T17:21:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T16:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/?p=2657"},"modified":"2026-08-12T10:37:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T09:37:55","slug":"12-townlands-3-river-crossings-and-one-18km-loop-the-slieve-bloom-circuit-to-walk-before-the-schools-go-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/12-townlands-3-river-crossings-and-one-18km-loop-the-slieve-bloom-circuit-to-walk-before-the-schools-go-back\/","title":{"rendered":"12 townlands 3 river crossings and one 18km loop \u2014 the Slieve Bloom circuit to walk before the schools go back"},"content":{"rendered":"

The late\u2011summer light feels generous<\/strong>, and the hills answer in soft greens<\/strong>. Before backpacks fill with timetables and pencil shavings, there\u2019s a sweet, long day to be had on an 18km loop that threads peat, forest, and open sky<\/strong>. You\u2019ll cross three playful rivers, step through a dozen quiet townlands, and return to the car grinning and mud\u2011flecked<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This is a loop that rewards curiosity<\/strong>, not speed. It moves from waterfall music to high\u2011ridge hush, then slides you back through moss and pine<\/strong>. \u201cLet the trail set the tempo<\/strong>,\u201d you\u2019ll hear yourself say, and the day takes care of the rest<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why this loop works now<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Late August gives you dryish<\/strong> tracks, friendlier bog, and heather in soft bloom<\/strong>. The air is gentler, the midges fewer, the sunsets more gold<\/strong>. Kids are still in summer mode, adults still half on holiday<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The circuit plays like a mixtape<\/strong>: boardwalk bop, riverside hum, airy ridge chorus<\/strong>. \u201cFeet dry, spirits high<\/strong>,\u201d becomes a refrain every time a footbridge clicks under your boots<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Where to start and how to follow it<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Begin at the Glenbarrow trailhead, where the upper Barrow runs bright and brown<\/strong>. Take the waterfall path upstream, then join the waymarked Slieve Bloom Way<\/strong>. Yellow men on posts point your line toward the Ridge<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Climb through oak and sitka to the open blanket<\/strong> bog. The Ridge of Capard boardwalk pulls you across spongey ground<\/strong>, with big\u2011movie views over Laois and Offaly<\/strong>. On a clear day the distant midlands look stitched with light<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

From the high point, swing west on waymarked forest roads, then south toward the quieter cuttings<\/strong>. The loop closes by drifting east to rejoin the Glenbarrow paths, slipping back into the music of falling water<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Expect around 500m of ascent<\/strong>, five to six hours at an easy, talk\u2011friendly pace<\/strong>. If weather turns, you can shorten by dropping to forest tracks and skipping a ridge spur<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The three crossings<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

The river work is simple and a little bit joyful<\/strong>. Early on, a solid footbridge takes you over the young Barrow<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Mid\u2011loop, you step shingles and stones across a peat\u2011tea stream under spruce shade<\/strong>. \u201cOne step, two steps, hero,\u201d says someone, and nobody falls in<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Later, a final wooden bridge hums under boots as the water speeds east<\/strong>. It\u2019s splashable, photogenic, and entirely doable<\/strong> with school\u2011age kids and steady adults<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Little legs, big morale<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Keep the breaks light<\/strong> and often. Ten minutes on a log can reset an entire day<\/strong>. Bribe the hills with biscuits that crumble like edible confetti<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Name the bog cotton \u201ccloud flowers<\/strong>,\u201d count dragonflies as blue arrows<\/strong>, and let curiosity pick micro\u2011goals: \u201cSnack at that bend,\u201d \u201cStory at the next gate<\/strong>.\u201d Short, bright targets light the trail like breadcrumb lamps<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cAdventure tastes better when it\u2019s shared,\u201d someone will say<\/strong>. The reply is boots tapping in agreement<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What you\u2019ll see<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Down low: slick rock, fast water<\/strong>, fern frills, and birch that catch stray sun<\/strong>. Midway: quiet forests, star moss, and the sweet resin of warm pine<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Up top: wind, heather, bog pools mirroring thin cloud<\/strong>. Ravens fold the air like black paper, and the midlands open like a green atlas<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Old turf cuts read like book margins<\/strong>, and stray walls drift in and out of gorse<\/strong>. You walk through a drifting roster of townlands, each a light change on the day\u2019s small stage<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Essentials to bring<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n
  • Map or GPX on airplane\u2011mode phone, a small first\u2011aid kit, layered clothing, lunch you\u2019re excited to eat<\/strong>, two liters of water per adult, and a spare pair of warm socks just because it feels luxurious<\/strong>.<\/li>\n

    \n<\/ul>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Timing, weather, and getting home<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Set off early<\/strong> to pocket the hush, or start mid\u2011morning for kinder temperatures<\/strong>. If the forecast wobbles, the forest sections buffer wind<\/strong>, while the ridge demands an honest layer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Underfoot swings from stone to boardwalk to springy peat<\/strong>. Waterproof boots keep the mood bright<\/strong>, even when curiosity wanders into the splash zone<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Back at the car, the day feels full<\/strong> but not wrung out. \u201cSame time, next year<\/strong>?\u201d someone asks, already scrolling toward ice\u2011cream options<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Leave no trace, keep the magic<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Carry wrappers out<\/strong>, shut gates softly, and step off boardwalks only where ground is robust<\/strong>. A hello to farmers and fellow walkers keeps the hills friendly<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Take photos, take memories, take your time, and leave the quiet exactly as you found it<\/strong>. That\u2019s how you stitch one more bright loop into the soft fabric<\/strong> of August.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2668,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2657","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\/2657","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=2657"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2657\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2667,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2657\/revisions\/2667"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2668"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}