St Declan's Way

Great to be on a trail as it is developing we have done Cashel to Mount Mellory so far over 3 days. Certainly in some places some Km markers would. Be appreciated as the leg from accommodation near Goatenbridge to Mellory took us 6 hours Wasnt sure did we have Time to rest as the path kept on giving !! Some local link. Buses from Cashel to
stops enroute would of course be fabulous so walkers can plan to do a few days at a time. Plan to travel as light as possible especially Goatenbridge to Mellory!

Very well signposted, although one finger post sign near Lismore pointed in the wrong direction. Luckily a fellow walker was aware of this and saved us a long extra trek.
Some of the road walking was uncomfortable as we vied with busy traffic.

The actual walk was very good, but the signage from out of Cashel was very bad. Took us an hour to get out. One sign was actually pointed the wrong way, maybe someone had turned it. Also the taxi cabs I rang to arrange a lift back to Cashel didn’t answer.

NOTE FROM ST DECLAN'S WAY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE: Thank you for your review Francis and for flagging the issues you had the with signage in Cashel. One of our fingerpost signs in Cashel has been damaged and we are working to resolve this.

Goatenbridge to Liam Lynch memorial is safe and picturesque. The signage and marker seated areas need improvement.

The signage was overall excellent though my other 2 companions felt they were small. The major drawbacks for the trail were the lack of rest areas along the route and lack of signage directing one to Goatenbridge and Aglish neither of which are directly on the route but are very suitable for a rest area or to refuel. Also giving potential “pilgrims” an indication along the route as to distances covered or distances to travel to landmarks and highlighting these landmarks on roads so one can indicate to taxi services when one decides the walking is completed for the day will help to make the SDW more appealing to a wider group. The roads/tracks from Cashel to Goatenbridge are flat but the rest of the walk all stages are a mixture of up and down a number of inclines the Mount Melleray route being the most difficult but doable. Unfortunately at this stage I would not be recommending the route to anyone unless they were going to make it more piecemeal. The taxis we were fortunate to use were excellent as was the staff in the Lismore Heritage Centre.

NOTE FROM ST DECLAN'S WAY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE: Hello Patrick, thank you for your review. We are always happy to get feedback from walkers, especially as the trail is only approved since July 2021. We are already working to address some of the issues you raise, especially signage to direct people to Goatenbridge and Aglish. Provision of rest areas is another priority. We have a new map brochure almost ready that will provide information for walkers. We hope all of these things will make St Declan's Way more enjoyable for walkers.