Exploring Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way is essential reading for anyone planning to visit the Atlantic coast of Ireland. Whether looking for ideas for weekend adventures or visiting from abroad you will find everything you need within this guide.At over 2500km, The Wild Atlantic Way is the world's longest defined coastal touring route, travelling the full length of the west coast of Ireland, taking in some of the most breathtaking scenery imaginable. The route is alive with literature, music, stories, and surf. Its landscape, flora, fauna, and sheer size have inspired everyone from WB Yeats to John Lennon. Just a few highlights include the UNESCO World Heritage site Skellig Michael; the largest karst landscape in the world, The Burren; and the traditional Irish towns dotted along our western coast. This book's focus is on the outdoors - on getting out into the fresh air, the wind, the sun and the rain - and experiencing the incredible natural beauty found everywhere along the coast. It is full of spectacular photos, helpful maps and detailed information on the west coast's best sights, from the most famous landmarks to the hidden gems on this awe inspiring route.

The Wild Atlantic Way is a driving route along Ireland's Atlantic seaboard, covering over 2,350km of coastline and showcasing the region's breathtaking landscapes. This guide adapts the route for cyclists - and throws in a couple of other highlights (such as the Aran Islands and Killarney) for good measure. Since relatively few people are likely to have seven weeks to spare for a full Wild Atlantic Way tour, the book presents six self-contained cycle tours, each offering 7-10 days of riding. For the full Wild Atlantic Way experience, these distinct routes can be linked together into a 44-stage trip from Derry/Londonderry to Cork. Each route includes detailed advice on accommodation and facilities, plus optional detours and shortcuts and points of interest. The routes themselves are presented as 'route cards': ideal for use with a cycle computer, these pages provide 'at a glance' information for when you're on the road, covering navigation, facilities and local highlights. The guide covers all the practicalities - including transport, equipment and general tips on cycling in Ireland.

The Wild Atlantic Way follows the magnificent west coast of Ireland, passing golden beaches, thrusting headlands and soaring sea cliffs. Renowned walking-guide author Helen Fairbairn explores the best walking routes of the region, recommending trips to uninhabited islands, coastal mountains and much more. Routes vary from two to six hours, and are illustrated with colour photos and detailed maps. Whatever your level of expertise, this comprehensive guide is all you need to discover the real wonders of the Wild Atlantic Way. Praise for this author: 'Handy, easy to use guide.' Walking World Ireland. 'Will be appreciated by local walkers and visitors alike.' Irish Mountain Log. 'Ideal for bringing out on a trail.' The Irish Times Also by this author: 'Dublin & Wicklow: A Walking Guide', 'Ireland's Best Walks: A Walking Guide', 'Northern Ireland: A Walking Guide'

This book documents the best cycling that Ireland has to offer. With eighty routes spread across the entire island, there is something for everyone; from gentle, traffic-free cycles, ideal for the whole family, to long challenging routes packed with relentless climbs. The routes range in length from 8km to 207km on a variety of surfaces including tarmac roads, gravel tracks, canal towpaths and singletrack. Each route description includes - A full-colour map - Turn-by-turn directions - A route profile - A detailed description of the route - Advice on variations, extensions and shortcuts - A downloadable GPX navigation file. The book also includes details of over fifty family-friendly greenways and trails, information on Ireland's long-distance cycle routes and sixteen pages dedicated to cycling along the Wild Atlantic Way. This comprehensive guide is packed full of detailed information and inspiring photography that is sure to appeal to everyone interested in cycling in Ireland.

The Wild Atlantic Way is Ireland's 1,600 mile driving route stretching around the beautiful and rugged western coast from Cork to Donegal. With his Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a map, author Eugene O'Loughlin set out on a trip of discovery from Kinsale in West Cork to Inishowen in Donegal. Along the way he explored beautiful and remote locations with wonderful names like Toe Head, the Bridges of Ross, Sheep's Head, Flaggy Shore, and Horn Head. County by county he documents his trip, taking photographs along the way. With detailed maps highlighting the many points of interest, this book is the essential guide to one of the world's newest and best driving routes.

Birds have been important symbols in our art and culture for thousands of years. They have inspired poets and painters, and feature in many place names and legends. In this book, Niall Mac Coitir draws together the mythology, legends and folklore of Ireland's birds, both wild and domestic. The birds are presented in seasonal order based on their migratory habits (the cuckoo and summer) or on their cultural associations (the robin with Christmas). He also explores how birds are often powerful symbols of various virtues and qualities, such as the goose, which is a symbol of watchfulness and bravery. This challenges us to look at birds in a different way, as dynamic creatures that have influenced our society over the millennia. Written with imagination and enthusiasm, this mix of natural history, mythology and folklore will delight and enlighten all interested in the birds of Ireland.

Take a photographic journey down Ireland's Atlantic coast from Donegal in the north to Cork in the south. This beautiful book showcases the west coast in all its wild beauty: dramatic views, abundant nature and wildlife, lighthouses, harbours and quaint seaside villages, as well as heritage, history and people. The Wild Atlantic Way is a fully-signposted route along the west coast of Ireland that brings the visitor to some of Ireland's most spectacular scenery and liveliest towns: from surfing in Rossknowlagh to birdwatching at the magnificent cliffs of Moher, from the boats in Galway Bay to traditional music in Doolin, from dolphins in Kerry to castles in Cork there's something for everyone on the wild west coast. Over 200 wonderful photographs. Maps showing each section of the Wild Atlantic Way: Donegal-Mayo, Mayo-Clare, Clare-Kerry, Kerry to Cork. 'a sumptuous book in which the magnificent colour photographs speak for themselves' Books Ireland on Ireland's Coast

In a country richly endowed with wild mountain ranges, secluded valleys and untamed coastlines, the best natural landscapes can only be explored on foot. Here are over sixty of the greatest one-day walking routes in Ireland, varying from short strolls to full-day treks. Every part of the Republic and Northern Ireland is featured. From rugged peaks and chiselled ridge lines to towering sea cliffs and sheltered loughs, these routes take you past all the country's finest scenery. Many of the routes are hill-walks, with clear descriptions of the country's classic mountain ascents. Even seasoned hillwalkers will find challenging outings. Each walk is illustrated with sketch maps and colour photos and is prefaced with a quick-reference summary and access notes. Route descriptions include clear navigational guidance to keep you on the right track.

Ireland’s First Settlers tells the story of the archaeology and history of the first continuous phase of Ireland’s human settlement. It combines centuries of search and speculation about human antiquity in Ireland with a review of what is known today about the Irish Mesolithic. This is, in part, provided in the context of the author’s 50 years of personal experience searching to make sense of what initially appeared to be little more than a collection of beach rolled and battered flint tools. The story is embedded in how the island of Ireland, its position, distinct landscape and ecology impacted on when and how Ireland was colonized. It also explores how these first settlers evolved their technologies and lifeways to suit the narrow range of abundant resources that were available. The volume concludes with discussions on how the landscape should be searched for the often ephemeral traces of these early settlers and how sites should be excavated. It asks what we really know about the thoughts and life of the people themselves and what happened to them as farming began to be introduced.