Durrow Leafy Loops - Dunmore Woods Loop

A group of us walkers from the Kill and Celbridge area chose this loop for our Christmas outing and we had a really memorable day. I had done the walk in summertime as part of the month long Laois Walking Festival and again had enjoyed it thoroughly.

The Scarecrow Festival was on that same weekend at the end of July and it was amazing...scarecrow characters from every walk of life depicted in the square, by the River Nore and outside houses everywhere. Not to be missed!

Back to the walk, even though it was wet in places we were able to detour a little and find our way back to the trail. The route is really well marked, with lots of diverse rural scenery and our large group, 24 in all, promised we would be back again.....especially when the bluebells are out!

We ended the day with lunch in Durrow Castle which was absolutely fantastic, gorgeous old world surroundings and lovely food at a reasonable price.

All in all a fabulous day.

Many thanks to Ann Lanigan, Laois Rural Development Officer who gave us such invaluable advice and support. Keep up the great work!

This beautiful loop walk starts in the lovely grounds of Castle Durrow, just over an hour's drive from Dublin. Having done the walk three times this year I recommend it to anyone of moderate fitness who enjoys walking. Boots are necessary for ambling by its three rivers, country lanes, woodlands and pastures. It's a walk Laois Partnership and the people of Durrow can be proud of.

Thanks to Brendan, in the previous review, for his much appreciated feedback on the Dunmore loop. As a result of his review Durrow Development Forum and myself have been in contact with the landowner and he has now moved the bull off walking route. This is a working farm and we are working with the landowner to ensure that walkers are safe and continue to enjoy the Dunmore and Leafy Loops.



Ann Lanigan

Rural Recreation Officer

Laois Partnership Co.

Nice walk except for the last part over N77.The last section is over a river via a gated bridge but then we arrived in a field of cows and a bull with no fencing visible so we couldn't run the risk of being in the same field - pity really - so we had to re-trace our steps back to N77 and walk back into Durrow - which was noisy!

What a wonderful walk to do on a beautiful Autumn day really fabulous but you do need hiking boots cause the end of the walk if wet at all is uncomfortable and we all forgot our boots. Highly recommend this Magnificant walk. Will do it in every season!!! Lovely

A friend and I walked the Dunmore Woods loop on Sunday Oct 18th 2013. He had walked it before during the summer and highly recommended it. Having just arrived back from a Camino a couple of weeks before I was yearning to get out on the trail again and I was not dissappointed.

We enjoyed a good chat and a good walk. The mixture of riverside, forest and field trails, along with a minimal amount of paved road, made for a very pleasant stroll. It is very well marked and except for a few 'mucky' patches after recent rain the underfoot conditions were excellent.

A highlight for me was to walk along the riverside boundary of an open field that featured an old quarry and where a healthy looking herd of cattle along with a few horses made for a great scene.

I will be back again to add in the leafy loops the next time!!

We did a section of the loop starting at the Castle, continuing on to Knockanoran and then to Dunmore wood, combining the river-bank and woodland walks. A beautiful walk to do in May with Bluebells in full bloom and wild strawberries on their way. The way was clearly marked and although it had been raining it was not mucky. A very easy walk that took us just over an hour. Highly recommended.

Beautiful, scenic, trail through forests, farmland and by the river banks. Lovely views of Laois countryside, Durrow castle and some old ruins. Well worth a visit!

We loved this trail. Beautiful walk through the woods and along the river. We have returned a second time. Relatively easy.