Hymany Way

Currently walking the Ireland way Sept 22 and the Hymany way is extremely well signposted and maintained. A beautiful part of Galway that should be walked by all.

July 2022 Ballinasloe to Clonfert
We walked this short section of the Hymany Way starting on the well waymarked link from the Grand Canal Roundabout (L6402) before reaching the Hymany Way proper after about 3 km.
On some of the first stretches alongside the disused canal the grass was highish but all the tracks were perfectly walkable. The terrain was a mixture of minor road, Borden and forest paths all VERY well waymarked (yellow walker). There are several information units along the way with interesting facts about the Grand Canal, the Pollock estate, the Hymany Way in general and Clonfert which is UNESCO Heritage Site. For much of the way one also has superb views over the vast Bord na Mona boglands.
In spite of the showers we had a very enjoyable and informative day.

Done the Hymany Way over the August Bank holiday weekend. As an avid walker the way in places is extremely overgrown and not maintained properly. It’s a real pity as the walk itself is very interesting. I would suggest there is a review and inspection in some of the places where it’s problematic to walk.



Gino

Sadly I already commented on this @ three weeks ago. There is no maintenance on the first part of this trail from Portumna to Clonfert. It has the potential to be a lovely trek but as the grass is so high you have to concentrate on each step and also in case you miss the yellow waymarkers. It makes it difficult to walk and you miss out on the peaceful surroundings. There is amazing biodiversivity here butterflies dragonflies etc. A narrow path cleared through the grass on top of the levy would make it a much more pleasant experience suitable for most abilities.

A group of us from our walking club undertook a rekkie on this trail on Saturday last with a view to including it in our club walks over a weekend later in the summer. Sadly, the Shannon levy is very overgrown. I am not sure if there is an onus on the farmers to cut this or if it is the responsibility of the ESB. This walk has the potential to be a really enjoyable and interesting walk as it is perfect for children and for those who want a good walk without any climbs. Just outside Portumna heading to Muckanagh, the grass has grown over the YellowMan way sign so it is very easy to go astray. The grass is just too high in places again making it difficult at times to pick out the YellowMan signs. A simple mowed or strimmed single file track on top of the levy would be just perfect and not too invasive and probably not too difficult to achieve. On a positive note the biodiversity is absolutely alive there. We were thrilled with the amount of butterflies and dragon flies and numerous pleasant little insects who kept us company. Other than the few boats that were meandering up and down the river there was no one else out in this area which added to the peace and quiet. When we neared Meelick the Way is diverted due to some works being undertaken near the lock. the only other person we met, a local farmer George, was really helpful. Meelick church is the absolutely beautiful and well worth a visit.

To sum up the Hymany way from Portumna to Meelick, the only parts that were easy to travel comfortably were those areas grazed by the sheep. As we hadn't allowed for the extra time it took us to trudge through the high grass we had to defer the final part to Clonfert.

Full wet gear & gaiters are a must on this walk under the present conditions. Would not be inclined to recommend it unless there is something done about the overgrowth.

Currently walking the River Shannon in stages. Joined Hymany Way at Mellick quay heading south. Lovely route with excellent waymarking. Grass on levy is well controlled in the northern section by sheep grazing. South of Tiranascragh beyond the pumping station to Portumna grass is knee length currently.

I have just walked part of the trail in sections over the last few weeks and found the path from Portumna to Meelick to be somewhat difficult at times but passable while the sheep helped a lot. The minor roads made for pleasant walking however the cross country sections were different - managed to navigate the first cross country section at Roonan but gave up when I reached the main road and continued that section by road. Having rejoined the way the section at Cankilly was much better. It was the section between the byroad at Clonfert and Coolcarta that really proved a problem and took every once of navigational skill to compleate, the problem is mainly in the forest - markers and paths are missing in places - terrain difficult to say the least - a big effort not for the faint hearted but I reached the bog road at Kylemore and will be back to soldier on but will be wary of the cross counrty sections

Walked this trail from Portumna to Meelick today and was extremely disappointed. It was hard, extremely hard. The track is not maintained there was grass up to my knees. In fact its difficult to find a track at all in a lot of places and in others you'll be lucky if the sheep have worn the grass a little. Luckily it has been extremely dry lately. If it had been wet it would have been even more difficult. There's a good chance of spraining an ankle on the lumpy rough ground that is not visible through the grass.



This trail is unused at 2 Km outside Portumna which is surprising as it has great potential. There was no sign anyone was walking this. What a shame. Perhaps it should be covered in a hard sandy surface to make it more usable. As it stands it is not suitable for anyone other than extreme hikers.

We regret very much that Emilia from Poland found the section of the Hymany Way between Portumna and Meelick to be so badly overgrown. We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused and have taken the necessary steps to address the issues raised. The grass has since been cut.

Walked it from Portumna to Meelick at the beginning of June. Expected a lengthy but easy enough walk by the river but due to lack of maintainance it was quite hard. While I was entering Hymany Way in Portumna it looked pretty well maintained for about 2-3km; after a while grass was very overgrown (up to my waist at times). As I didn't enjoy walking through the nettles and thistles I gave up on the part I was more excited about and joined the cycling route on the back roads for half of it - which was nice but not quite what I hoped for.Tried to approeach the missed part from the Meelick side but same story- not really fit for walking. There is track going next to it which helps. Also signs still up, I guess from winter, prohibiting the entrance due to wildlife breeding season. Beautiful area but either the walkers should be made aware this is not as easy as it is advertised or it should be maintained in better condition.