Mid Clare Way – Slí na Mearacaun

With the Burren Way to the north and the East Clare Way to the east, the Mid Clare Way, called in Gaelic Slí na Mearacan or the foxglove way, is a 130km long circular walking route around the centre of County Clare in the west of Ireland, with the county capital, the busy and picturesque town of Ennis, at its centre. The route touches on the Burren to the north and the broad Shannon Estuary to the south. Terrain on the route consists mainly of quiet tarmac side roads and farm roads with only brief sections on forestry tracks and through fields. Overnight accommodation possibilities are good, but in some areas the only available options are off-route. Aggregate ascent over the whole route is about 1600m, and the highest point the route reaches is just below the summit of the wooded hill of Ben Dash, west of the River Fergus estuary, at 267 metres. The amount of tarmac to be followed is well made up for by the large number of holy wells, killeens, stone forts, castles and ancient churches passed along the way. Walkers may want to linger, in particular, to enjoy the treasury of rich heritage around Dysert O’Dea Castle, where there is a good history and archaeology centre open to the public, and the beautiful Quin Abbey, dating from 1350.