Éire · Ireland outdoors

Ireland's wild places,
and the best day to go.

Trails, beaches, forests and heritage in all 26 counties — gathered from Ireland's open data, joined up, and read against this week's Met Éireann forecast.

Kindest weather this week: County Carlow on Fri, 16 Oct — dry by day, breezy, up to 12°C

Choose a county This week's outdoor forecast

Trails & walks: 1,194
Beaches & bathing waters: 243
Forests & woodlands: 155
Heritage sites: 104
Parks, gardens & islands: 229

Choose a county

Where to go, and when

Each county is shaded by its best day outdoors this week. Pick one for its forecast and the trails, beaches, woods and heritage we'd try first.

Great
Good
Mixed
Wet or wild
Warning

Contae Cheatharlach

County Carlow

Best day outdoors: Fri, 16 Oct — dry by day, breezy, up to 12°C

Thu, 15 Oct12°Light rain
Fri, 16 Oct12°Clear weather sun
Sat, 17 Oct11°Scattered clouds
Sun, 18 Oct11°Sun with grey cloud

Trails 17

Forests 2

Heritage 2

Parks, gardens & islands 7

Everything outdoors in County Carlow →

Outdoor forecast

Where the weather is kindest this week

All 26 counties, day by day →

Trails & walks

Every waymarked route on Sport Ireland's register — loops, greenways, long-distance ways — with length, climb, time and dogs.

Trail · Co. CavanBailieborough Castle Lake Loop (PJ's Way)3.7 km1 hr 15 minEasyLoopThe Loop begins and ends at the car park in Castle Lake Forest and follows blue arrows around Castle Lake. There are some spectacular views over the lake and of the surrounding countryside from the highest point. All on…

Trail · Co. WicklowBallinastoe Mountain Bike Trails - Blue Routes5 km2 hrBlueLoopBallinastoe National Mountain Bike Trail Centre is located in the heart of the wild Wicklow Mountains in Irelands Ancient East, yet just 40 minutes from the Dublin City centre. If you are looking to experience some of…

Trail · Co. ClareBallinruan Loops - Gortnamearacaun Loop14.9 km4 hr 30 minModerateLoopThis trail offers pleasant walking on minor roads, forest tracks and forest and bog paths and old sunken tracks through a variety of landscape, including farmland, evergreen and deciduous woodland and blanket bog. The…

Trail · Co. WexfordBallybeg loop7.7 km2 hr 30 minModerateLoopThis loop follows blue arrows in a clockwise loop through Askamore Forest, on sandy lane, forest road, forest track and tarred road. It climbs and descends steadily on the access lane to the loop while the loop itself…

All 1,194 trails & walks →

Beaches & bathing waters

Every bathing water the EPA monitors, with its water-quality record, warnings and the facilities that matter.

Beach · Co. ClareCappagh Pier, KilrushWater quality: Excellent (2025)Blue FlagLifeguards in seasonToiletsCappagh is a rocky beach with stones of up to 30cm and is located on the northern side of the small pier. Due to the stony nature of the beach, the number of plants and animals, which are found on the shoreline, is low…

Beach · Co. DonegalCúil DabhchaCuldaffWater quality: Excellent (2025)Blue FlagLifeguards in seasonToiletsCuldaff beach consists of a sandy beach with two rock outcrops at the south-east of the beach. The beach is contained to the west by sand dunes and to the north-west by the Culdaff River which has an extensive area of…

Beach · Co. KerryAn FhianaitFenitWater quality: Excellent (2025)Blue FlagLifeguards in seasonToiletsFenit beach is a relatively sheltered sandy beach facing due south into Tralee Bay. Fenit beach has no vegetation of note due to a concrete promenade at the rear of the beach which spans the length of the bathing water…

Beach · Co. CorkInchydoney East BeachWater quality: Excellent (2025)Blue FlagLifeguards in seasonToiletsInchydoney East beach is a sandy south facing beach. The bathing area is approximately 500m long. The bathing water is approximately 0.12km² in area.

All 243 beaches & bathing waters →

Forests & woodlands

Coillte's forest parks and recreation woods: the trails inside them, where to park, and where to ride.

Forest · Co. CavanCavan Burren ParkForest park · 124 ha5 trailsParking

Forest · Co. MonaghanRossmore Forest ParkForest park · 294 ha6 trailsParking

Forest · Co. DublinTibradden Wood (Pine Forest)7 trailsMountain bikingParking

Forest · Co. GalwayClonbur Wood5 trailsParking

All 155 forests & woodlands →

Parks, gardens & islands

Island crossings, walled gardens, town parks and quieter beaches — Fáilte Ireland's nature places, without the tour operators.

Nature spot · Co. WexfordCahore Point BeachBeachCahoreCahore Point Beach is located just beside the rural village of Cahore, County Wexford and is a which has a pier at one end. It is popular for water sports and is ideal for families.

Nature spot · Co. DonegalCionn Mhucrois (Muckros Head)BeachHead for a bracing cliff walk, go rock climbing or stop to take in the view of the wild Atlantic from the rugged peninsula of Muckros Head.

Nature spot · Co. MayoCross Strand BeachBeachCrossCross Strand Beach in County Mayo is a peaceful coastal escape south west of Louisburgh. Known for its wide sandy shore and excellent waves, it’s a favourite for surfers and nature lovers alike.

Nature spot · Co. CorkOileán BaoiDursey IslandIslandDursey IslandThe most westerly of West Cork’s inhabited islands, Dursey lies across a narrow sound that one crosses by boarding the only cable car in Ireland.

All 229 parks, gardens & islands →

Heritage in the landscape

UNESCO sites and the National Monuments Service's monuments to visit — abbeys, dolmens, ring forts, round towers.

Heritage site · Co. LimerickAdare CastleCastleAdareAdare is regarded as a fine example of the medieval fortified castle in Ireland and is one of a number of outstanding castles situated in County Limerick. It is sited on the north bank of the River Maigue in a strategic…

Heritage site · Co. WexfordBallyhack CastleCastleBallyhackBallyhack Castle is located on a steep slope in a commanding position overlooking Waterford estuary. The castle, a large tower house, is thought to have been built c. 1450 by the Knights Hospitallers of St. John, one of…

Heritage site · Co. CorkCahervagliar RingfortRingfortCappeen WestThis large earthen ringfort is situated near the village of Cappeen in West Cork. It is unusual in terms of the arrangement of its enclosing banks and ditches and the presence of a stone-lined entrance passageway within…

Heritage site · Co. GalwayClaregalway FriaryReligious houseBaile ChlÁIrClaregalway Friary was founded on the banks of the Clare River about 1250 for the Conventual Order of Franciscans by John de Cogan, who was one of the leaders of the Anglo-Norman conquest of Connaught. The church…

All 104 heritage sites →

From the journal

Stories from the field

Racing the Tide at Omey: Connemara's Beach Horse RacesOnce a year the Atlantic pulls back at Claddaghduff and a racecourse appears on the seabed. A field report from the 2026 Omey Races, the 1,500 years of history under the sand, and what it takes to run a meeting on a beach.

Read the journal →

Turn it into a weekend

Tell Winsome AI where and when, and it drafts a slow, nature-first itinerary you can refine — built around the places on this site.

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Ireland's wild places,and the best day to go.