Venturing down a woodland trail puts things into perspective. Trees join limbs before the sky and…read moresunshine filters down in golden patches. Bees land on wild flowers and the sound of birdsong is powerful. All of a sudden, the softest blanket of purple haze shimmers before me. A shock of bluebells huddle together, their heads downcast. The astonishing splendour of nature has awoken me and I feel like telling the bluebells to look up. Look up and appreciate the beauty around you. The magnificence of yourselves.

Went for a lovely walk here recently. It's a bit out of my way but I wouldn't mind coming back,…read moreespecially in Spring when the bluebells and wild garlic are in full bloom. Seemingly there are walks to the extend of 10km and well sign posted. Some of the ways we walked are lovely small. Just pure nature. A nice suurounding to unwind.

Djouce wood is an extensive area of forest managed by Coillte and bordered to the south west by…read moreDjouce mountain close to Dublin in the Wicklow mountains. The wood is a mix of forest roads, trails and paths laid out and useable by walkers and mountain bikers alike. The area was once part of the Powerscourt Estate. The trails in the forest offer excellent views over the River Dargle valley to the Powersourt Waterfall which is the highest waterfall in Ireland and to Djouce Mountain (725m). The area has many other great walking trails including accessing the mountain area of Djouce, War Hill, White Hill and Maulin. It also gives access to the Wicklow way heading north through Crone and Lackan or south to Ballinastoe. There are two specific trails in Djouce wood, the red (Deerpark) and the blue trail. The red trail is approximately 3 hours long and deemed a moderate level walk. It's along mostly forest paths and a few forest roads. It can be quite wet, muddy, and open to the elements so this trail is best approached with appropriate wet gear and walking shoes or boots. The blue trail at one and a half hours is an easier route on drier woodland trails which wouldn't require the same level of dressing for the weather and environment. The carpark is well maintained and at the moment is open until 4pm in the afternoon. Coillte's website www.coillteoutdoors.ie provides driving directions and maps of the trails available in this wood.

The plan was to go to Glendalough for a hike, but at the last minute we decided to climb the Sugar…read moreLoaf instead and we were so glad we did. It was a clear cool day, with blue skies. Perfect for a climb of the Sugar Loaf. When the incline became steeper, we had to unzip our raincoats. Close to the top it becomes a bit of a scramble, with loose scree under foot. So you need to be sure you can cope with these conditions before attempting the last part of the climb. But if you can make, it will be worth it, the views were smashing. The clear conditions of this day probably made for near perfect views, although we couldn't quite see Wales :) One other thing to note was the drop in temperature when we neared the top, so we zipped up our jackets and put on our woolly hats again. The car park at the foot of it had ample space when we arrived at midday, but by the time we got back it was full. Maybe a early start is advised, but that said cars were coming and going all the same.

The sugar loaf mountains are absolutely beautiful, it just so happened we got a perfect day for it…read more The climb up the mountain isn't very tough and there was lots of different ages of people doing it, from small children to older people. The view from the top is breathtaking!! I'd recommend wearing comfortable gym clothes and good runners. OHHH and don't forget your water!!

My return to Knocksink Wood really surprised me, it's not the same place I remember…read more To find it, as you drive down into Enniskerry via the Monastery Road, you will see the wooden sign by the entrance. If on a Dublin bus, I would say its the second stop after you pass the stop at the closed down Texaco garage. About a mile in off the road is a car park and an education centre. This was all new to me and both great additions to the woods. We didn't go into the centre, so cannot comment on that. I should have though and I will next time I am back. The trails that are marked out are very even and safe, for anyone who prefers a safe stroll. There appears to have been some work done to make these paths quite safe, especially a long parts of the river bank. For the more adventurous there are some paths that deviate from the main foot paths, but prepare to get a bit muddy. The Glencullen river runs through the woods and this is really the highlight of the woods. The view and sound of the river is a tonic. Of all the dogs being brought for a walk here, there was many of them enjoying a dip in the river. In fact the whole woods is perfect for dog walking. They all seemed to be really enjoying their walkies. It was a Sunday afternoon in March and by the time we were leaving, at about 15:30, the car park was getting very busy. I look forward to going back for another walk in the woods.

A very nice woodland walk - quite short and easy without and major hills. The Glencullen river…read moreruns along side with a couple of little waterfalls and bridges. Very well signposted and with a big car park

A lovely place. Great scenery on top with nice rocks. You can see the whole Dublin…read more Coming here mostly with a road bike. A good challenge to get up there. You may park at the bottom and walk up. Be prepared to sweat a little bit. There're at least two ways. I tried the other one and it was all gravel. No good for road bike. But nice walking experience.

Ticknock has up to 10 km of mountain and forest walks catering to seasoned hikers, mountain bikers,…read moreskateboarders, mountain runners, Sunday strollers and everyone in between with fantastic views from Dublin City to Bray Head. The forest has an extensive network of forest trails managed by Coillte and Ticknock is part of the Dublin Mountains Partnership which aims to improve the recreational use of the Dublin Mountains. The area comprises Two Rock, Three Rock, Kilmashogue and Tibradden Mountains. There are two trails specific to just Ticknock with the addition of the Wicklow Way Trail. The first trail 'Mountain Access Route' starts and finishes at the Ticknock Forest carpark. It meanders through the woodland paths before going straight up to the summit of Two Rock at Fairy Castle. This trail comes back down the same way. It's an 800m walk which takes about 20 mins. It's marked by Coillte and the Dublin Mountain Partnership as moderate and it seems to be used by runners a lot for training, as well as the occasional skateboarder on the lower part of the trail where it is tarmacadamed (I know this isn't a word, but you get what I mean!). I tend not to do this trail as it's a bit too short. The ground is partially forest walk, partially forest road and partially uneven mountain trails. It's a nice short, steep walk to the great views from Fairy Castle. The second trail 'The Fairy Castle Loop' starts and finishes at the same point but covers 5.5km and takes an estimated 1hr 45mins although as we took the wrong path for a little while on Sunday it took us closer to two hours, but hey, it was a lovely sunny day so no harm done The trail is also considered moderate. It's grand, a little uneven in places and some parts are a little on the steep side, but if you have any level of fitness you should be fine. This trail loops past Fairy Castle at the summit and passes Three Rock on the way back down (or up if you go in the opposite direction). Another thing to note is that the Dublin/Wicklow Way also runs through this part of the mountains, and so there are often other walkers coming from further afield. You can also extend your walk by heading along the Wicklow Way to either Tibradden Wood and joining the 'Tibradden Mountain Trail' or to Kilmashogue Forest which is another lovely walk. The Coillte and Dublin Mountains Partnership websites both have handy downloadable free maps which I would recommend taking if you're unsure of the trails and you don't want to bring an OSI map with you. The trails are well marked in places but not at every possible diverging fork. There is quite a lot of parking available at Ticknock as it is a very well used part of the mountains. Apparently the 44B is the closest public transport but I've had a look and it seems the closest stop might be at Lamb Doyle's.

The Grand Canal Way actually starts at Lucan Bridge near Adamstown in Co Dublin and goes all the…read moreway to the Shannon Harbour. It follows pleasant grassy towpaths, gravel and sometimes tarmac canal-side roads with many ancient locks that are in perfect working order today and widely used for commercial purposes in the 18th and 19th century. The stretch of Canal that I am mentioning here is a really wonderful amenity on the doorstep of Celbridge for all walking and cycling enthusiasts. The pathway from Hazelhatch to Straffan Bridge has been upgraded and some of it tarmacced in the last year or so, but it is a real pity that this work was not continued at least as far as Sallins. It is such a lovely scenic local route but also very safe for cycling which I had the pleasure of enjoying yesterday. If the hunger or thirst gets you en-route, you could drop into the Canal Bank Cafe at the Village at Lyons, which has an entrance right on the canal walkway..and plenty room to park your bike! Great amenity but should be extended and further developed.

The walk that starts from Sean Moore Park and ends a little after the Pigeon House (another Dublin…read morelandmark) is a perfect spring/ summer outing. On a nice sunny day, I can think of nothing better to do then spend the afternoon strolling down the pathways of the Irishtown Nature Walk. The walk itself is not arduous but still not easy. The trail bends and twists and is at times hilly, but there are a number of benches to rest and to gaze at the beautiful view of sand and sea. The hike will take you through blackberry bushes and tall grass. There are a number of sea birds to look out for. This activity is popular with athletic types. Joggers, dog walkers and cyclists raced past me. Overall, it was a quiet and relaxing hike, one that will work up an appetite.

I am incredibly lucky to have this right on my doorstep, a headland with lovely sea views and wild…read moreovergrown parkland to explore at the same time... lovely. Sometimes when I really want to shake things up I go and join the local druggies and alcoholics in the park to discuss the deeper philosophical quandaries and questions like when the fridge door closes does the light go out. A few of them having recently slept in a fridge were able to confirm that yes, the light does go out. ..er... yeah, deffo only to be explored during daylight hours.