If you’ve lived in Ireland all your life, it’s easy to forget how lucky we all are to live on such a beautiful, green island with so much space to explore.
The fast pace of our lives, with all the distractions of work, social media and binge consumption means that we’re receiving more mental stimulation than ever before — and that’s not necessarily a positive thing.
Since Cadbury Twirl is bringing its Take Ten With Twirl pop-up on tour around Ireland this August — which invites members of the public to come chill out on a bean bag, place their phone in a signal-blocking pouch and write their thoughts in a notebook while enjoying a hot drink with a Twirl — we’ve teamed up with them to help you unplug and let your mind wander while in the great outdoors.
So switch off your phone this weekend and try one of these peaceful walks…
Divis Ridge Trail — Antrim
It’s easy to enjoy the present moment as you walk these 4.2 miles of gorgeous scenery along a gravel path. This is a loop walk with some light climbing involved and all worth it for the best view of Belfast along the way.
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Slieve Donard Walking Route — Down
This is a 9km walk that’ll take you a full 5 hours to do given the steep inclines — that’s a full 5 hours of complete freedom from the connected world. You’ll be rewarded with an absolutely stunning view when you reach the top.
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Coumshingaun Loop Walk — Waterford
The walk comes in at 7.5km, but it’ll take you at least 4 hours given the amount of climbing you’ll have to do. When you reach the top, it feels as though you’re in a world all of your own.
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The Glen of Aherlow — Tipperary
There are actually a selection of walks here for all levels ranging from 2k to 10km, so it’s a perfect place to lose yourself for a day.
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Errigal Mountain — Donegal
Well worth a trip up to the very northern tip of Ireland to tackle this mountain. In this isolated part of the country, with its rugged terrain, you can briefly forget your everyday life.
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Slieve Foye — Louth
This is just behind the popular town of Carlingford and there are a number of trails to choose from, including a great looped one that’s 8km in length and can be completed in a comfortable 3-4 hours.
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Cronin’s Yard Loop — Kerry
An 8km looped walk that’ll take the average walker 2-3 hours and has a climb of 300m. Once you reach the top of the walk you could push yourself on for even better views and to extend your period of solitary contemplation.
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The Wicklow Way — Wicklow
A long walk that offers stunning views of the Wicklow countryside as it snakes its way through the quiet mountains and streams.
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Connemara Way — Galway
Here we have the wild West of Ireland and generally one of the most stunning places on the planet. The rugged natural landscape couldn’t be more different from the city streets.
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The Slieve Blooms — Laois and Offaly
A walk that’s so good it’ll take your across two different counties. Again you have a choice of several walks including looped tracks, bringing you on a fantastical journey across blanket bogs, forest paths, wooded valleys, waterfalls and ancient settlements.
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Of course, if you’d prefer a quicker break from your everyday life, you could also just check out the Take Ten With Twirl pop-up at Mahon Point Shopping Centre, Cork on Saturday August 4, Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, Dublin on August 18 or Eyre Square Shopping Centre, Galway on August 25.
