Ireland, separated from Great Britain by the Irish Sea, has a total population of over 5 million people, with about 70% living in the Southern Republic. Divided not only geographically, it has a long and complicated history of religious division, with a predominantly Protestant North and a predominantly Catholic South.

Ancient Ireland was divided into four provinces, and these were Ulster, Leinster, Munster and Connaught. The map today shows thirty-two counties, and whether you visit the Republic, or Northern Ireland, you'll find a beautiful country whose people are personable, kind, friendly, hospitable, devout, fun-loving, and full of wit and jokes. Ireland was a Gaelic speaking nation until the 16th century, and the language and traditions are kept alive today by people who love folk legends, poetry and music. You'll enjoy modern and traditional music, early Christian art, castles, and ancient sites that date back to 4000-3000 B.C. You might find a festival (fleadh - pronounced ‘flah’) to celebrate food or sport or even to remember a native son or daughter (after all this island has produced several Nobel prizewinners). Invariably, the fleadh will include music and dance, and there is even a matchmaking festival.

Ireland is a relatively small country, but there is tremendous variation as you travel from one county to another. The serious and sincere people of Donegal are quite different from the jovial, relaxed and gentle people of the southwest. Northern Ireland is politically separate from the Republic, but they are bound together by common traditions, heritage and history. Now that there a real optimism about peace and future prosperity on both sides of the border, you'll feel welcome and secure as a visitor here.

ULSTER (CIRCULAR WALKS)
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LOW IMPACT ULSTER (SHORT CIRCULAR WALKS)
‘Ulster’ includes the nine northernmost counties: Antrim, Armagh, Cavan, Derry, Donegal, Down, Fermanagh, Monaghan and Tyrone. Since partition in the 1920s, many foreigners assume that ‘Ulster’ means Northern Ireland, but in fact Northern Ireland comprises only six of Ulster's nine counties: Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Down, Fermanagh and Tyrone. Just in case you are not already confused, Northern Ireland is often referred to as ‘The Province’, while nationalists often refer to the area as ‘The North of Ireland’. You will find that you cannot generalise about the Northern Irish. There are two obvious groups: the Irish Catholics, a minority in Ulster; and the Protestant descendants of Scots and English, who are most numerous. When you see the beautiful Ulster cities and countryside, it is sad to remember that the “troubles” turned this lovely place into a battleground. Northern Ireland today is peaceful, and the people are exceptionally warm, friendly, and helpful, so you should not hesitate to visit. It's like an Irish county with a British mix of customs, currency, and culture.

We'll visit the nine counties, walking and touring in quiet, rolling farmland, rugged, mountainous regions, dramatic cliffs and white, sandy beaches, beautiful loughs and river valleys. As well as walking in spectacular locations, we'll have time to visit sites of archaeological interest, folk museums, National Parks, castles and gardens You could not hope to meet warmer or more hospitable people with determination to rise above the “troubles”. You will be impressed by the romantic beauty of the Glens of Antrim, and the dramatic Giant's Causeway where looking across the Irish Sea the Scottish coast is visible just 15 miles away. The rugged beauty of the North coast contrasts dramatically with Newcastle in County Down, where the Mourne Mountains “sweep down to the sea”.

THE ANTRIM COAST (LINEAR WALK)
Antrim, in Northern Ireland is a county blessed with fascinating geology, history, folklore and wildlife. From the north side of Belfast Lough at the start of the walk we look east towards Scotland and south to the mountains of Mourne. Below us is the entrance to Belfast harbour and the famous Harland and Wolf shipyard where the Titanic was built. This is a natural starting point, and we turn north towards the celebrated Causeway coast. We walk through a forest and over rolling, exposed hills to the coast before taking the high ground once again and descending into the finest of Antrim’s nine glens – Glenarriff. From Glenarriff Forest Park we enjoy rivers and ancient monuments before reaching Ballycastle on the north coast. After Ballycastle, the route runs along the Antrim coast to Portstewart via the Giant's Causeway. It is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is a World Heritage Site. Who wouldn’t love wide bays, sandy beaches, dramatic cliffs and cliff-top paths overlooking off-shore rocks?

N.W. COAST OF IRELAND (CIRCULAR WALKS)
The natural, unspoilt beauty, along with the marked absence of mass-tourism of this region captivated me on my very first visit. Donegal is part of the Republic, but is so unlike either Northern Ireland or the Republic in its geography, or its history. It is remote, wild and undeveloped in many ways (except for its fishing and golf courses. In fact it occurs to me that a few of my regular clients might find this the perfect tour to include a spouse who would love to fish or golf while we walk). There are more native Irish-speaking people in Donegal, than anywhere else in Ireland. These areas are called “Gaeltachts”. Here, road signs are exclusively in Irish, and 75% of the local people speak Gaelic.

Donegal's coastline is breathtakingly beautiful. Names like Inishowen, the Bloody Foreland, Blue Stack Mountains, Gweebarra Bay and Slievetooey conjure mystery and magic and promise unforgettable walks. There are towering cliffs, including Slieve League, the highest cliff face in Europe. In June, huge colonies of seabirds including gulls, guillemots and puffins return to breed here. Some of our walks will take us along these cliffs, or on white, sandy beaches, past early Christian monuments and relics, on craggy mountains and around lakes. Sheep farming is centuries old and so are the local weaving and knitting industries. Along the way, we'll find time to visit castles, prehistoric sites and a workhouse. You'll be made to feel so welcome at our B/B's, and in the evenings enjoy music along with some of the best wild Irish salmon in the pubs.

THE WEST COAST (CIRCULAR WALKS)
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LOW IMPACT WEST COAST (SHORT CIRCULAR WALKS)
Our tour of the mid-west coast includes three counties - Clare, Galway and Mayo. From Shannon airport, we'll travel north through rolling, peaceful farmlands. Enjoy seaside resorts and beaches, busy little towns and marketplaces, restaurants and singing pubs.

Our walks will take us to green cliffs where horses graze, along peaceful lake shores and rivers, and on beaches near the sites of Spanish Armada shipwrecks. We will visit the famous, steep Cliffs of Moher, and the Aran Islands where there used to be an annual custom for eligible Aran Island boys to row over to Doolin to seek a bride.

On the Burren, you'll be fascinated by the beautiful Mediterranean flowers growing alongside Alpine varieties on the dry surfaces of the limestone rock. Don't forget to bring your camera because the west coast is very photogenic. Mountains like the Twelve Bens change colours with the light and the season.

In Galway, beaches are called strands, and we'll look for the Galway hookers, special fishing boats with very rounded sides and sails. Here, in West Galway, Gaelic is frequently spoken in the pubs, and you can expect to be entertained by the spontaneous fiddling and singing.

Then there is County Mayo, with the sweeping, multicoloured grasses of the bogs. We stay in wonderful B&B's where you will receive the welcome of a lifetime - something the Irish are world famous for.

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