Ormond Way

I walked the Ormond Way as part of my Beara Breifne Way walk.

1. Milestone to Upperchurch. Boggy, overgrown & there are several fields of cows & bullocks. Unsafe to walk due to the bullocks & slow as the fields are churned up by cattle. Going on the official route through the fields was the worst section of any I have walked in Ireland. Don't risk it but go around on the road. P O'Cuinneain's bar in Upperchurch is good & they are walker friendly. Hillview B&B is currently closed.

2. Upperchurch to Templederry. The off road sections are overgrown,poorly marked & sometimes impassible. It's best to go around them on the road. At Greenan the track marked on the map is actually a road. There is a small shop in Templederry.

3. Templederry to Toomevara. The route no longer goes cross country to the Nenagh River but stays entirely on road & crosses the Nenagh River at Latteragh bridge. Going southbound it can be confusing as the old waymark is still in place at Latteragh bridge pointing you off road down the Nenagh River. However this route is likely to be very overgrown & locals advised me to go around it on the road. Toomevara has a petrol station with Centra shop, deli, toilets & even a launderette. The Tipperary Inn is walker friendly.

4. Toomevara to Cloughjordan. This section is a model of what the Ormond Way should be like. Approaching & after the M7 there is a track which is entirely fenced off from cows. Cloughjordan has a Centra with deli. The Thomas MacDonagh museum is worth a look.

5. Cloughjordan to Ballingarry. About 5KM north of Cloughjordan the route goes through a wood which is overgrown & then you go through overgrown fields of cows. It would be best to go around it on the road.

6. Ballingarry to Curraghglass. You can bypass Aglish which has no faciltites. At an unmarked T junction go right & soon after the route is marked. After Lorrha the route no longer goes cross country (it has been closed off) Instead you go out to the road & need to walk on the busy road with no hard shoulder for 4KM. As you approach Portumna there is a footpath.

Did part of this trail as part of the Ireland's Way route (so far only Upperchurch to Templederry). Most of the stiles make no sense and force you into a field full of cattle and maybe bulls even though the road passes right beside them. Why are there so many unnecessary stiles? I prefer walking off road but not if I'm going to have cows and bulls charging at me. Also the fields with the stiles don't have an area for the walkers- mainly overgrown and not separate from livestock. This route could do with some checking and maintenance.

Appalling signage, zero maintenance and overgrown tracks that are impassable. The maps are also wrong in places A complete disgrace, who is responsible for this shambles? I have rated it one because there is no minus figure...it would not qualify for zero.

NOTE FROM ORMOND WAY ASSOCIATION: We regret very much that you experienced the issues you describe during your time on the Ormond Way. We will identify the location of these issues and address them as soon as possible. The maps are also being updated.