Dublin Mountains Way

MAP 1 Shankill - Barnaslingan

Travelling in a westerly direction, the trail starts on the main street in Shankill beside Brady’s pub, and follows paths through the suburbs over the M50 to Rathmichael.  The DMW heads up into Rathmichael Wood, coming out the other side near Puck’s Castle golf course.  From here you enter the back of Carrickgollgan Wood with a view of the Lead Mines tower.  A detour here along the Lead Mines Way (orange discs) gives you a close up view of the Lead Mines tower and further on the amazing views from Carrickgollogan hill.  Exiting Carrickgollogan Wood brings you into nearby Barnaslingan Wood.  Again a small detour following the red trail brings you to the spectacular Scalp viewing point.

Distance: 6km

Duration: 1.5 - 2hr

Degree of difficulty: Moderate

Metres climb: 110m

MAP 1 Barnaslingan - Fairy Castle

Leaving Barnaslingan Wood, the route heads along the Enniskerry Rd to the village of Kilternan and then upwards to Glencullen.   (Please take care on this narrow section of road).  With the option of a rest break at Johnny Foxes pub in Glencullen the route continues along the Ballyedmonduff Road all the way to Carthy’s Green where it enters Tiknock forest and heads up to Three Rock Mountain.  The walk continues along forest roads to Ballyedmonduff and then follows a trail up to the open moorland on Two Rock and on up to the cairn at Fairy Castle, the highest point on the Dublin Mountains Way at 537m. 

Map:  Download DMW Map1

Barnaslingan – Glencullen                         

Distance:                     5km                      

Duration:                     1.5 - 2hr                

Degree of difficulty:      Moderate          

Metres climb:               120m                       

Glencullen – Fairy Castle

Distance:                     8.3km

Duration:                     2.5-3hr

Degree of difficulty:      Difficult

Metres climb:               260m

MAP 2 Fairy Castle - Cruagh

Heading down from Fairy Castle the DMW joins the WW for a small section before the DMW heads northwest towards Tibradden Mtn and the WW continues south to Glencullen forest.  The DMW travels across the open mountain to another cairn on top of Tibradden Mountain.  This section of the trail was constructed in the autumn of 2008 with financial support from Comhairle na Tuaithe.  It is over 2.5 km in length and offers walkers excellent walking on a robust trail constructed to best international practice (modified for Irish conditions) and has already become hugely popular with walkers. The new trail cost over €100,000 to construct and includes bog bridge, reversal trail, robust stone stair case and water management features. The trail takes the walker across the heathland,  down through the spruce forest and into the beautiful mature Scots pine forest. 

Leaving Tibradden Forest, you cross the road into the back entrance of Cruagh Forest, and follow the forest road up along the Owenthrasna river (there is a nice picnic stop along the river).  Nearing the top of the forest road in Cruagh there is another nice diversion route – the Cruagh Mountain Access Route (constructed in partnership with Mountain Meitheal volunteers) – a 400m bog bridge bringing you up to the open mountain and rewarding you with great views of Dublin city on the way back down.  The DMW continues down the forest road and then turns off to a small trail winding through the forest to link with Massy’s wood.  Again this section of trail was constructed in partnership with the Irish Ramblers Club, Mountain Meitheal and Dublin Mountains Partnership.

Distance: 8.4km

Duration: 2.5 – 3hr

Degree of difficulty: Moderate

Metres climb: 150m

MAP 2 Massy's - Hell Fire Spur Route

Here is there is an optional spur route through Massy’s Estate leading over to Hell Fire.  The trail follows the Owendoher river down through the estate passing wonderful stone bridges, an old icehouse and walled gardens.  There are also many wonderful specimen trees to see in Massy’s estate including Giant Redwood, Coastal Redwood, beech, lime, cedar, monkey puzzle, western hemlock, oak, Monterey pine and grand fir.  Exiting Massy’s Estate the route crosses over to the Hell Fire Club and follows the forest road up to the Hell Fire Club on Montpelier Hill.  The route does a loop of the Hell Fire and then back up through Massy’s Estate to the entrance to Cruagh Wood.

Distance: 10.7km

Duration: 2.5 – 3hr

Degree of difficulty: Difficult

Metres climb: 480m

MAP 3 Glenasmole - Tallaght

The Dublin Mountains Way travels down to St. Ann’s graveyard and into the Glenasmole or Bohernabreena reservoirs.  The Dodder has a long history of use for both drinking water and power for mills.  The peaty water from the upper slopes was used to supply the mills down the Dodder (the lower reservoir) and the lower non-peaty slopes is used for drinking supply (the upper reservoir – with pipes leading to Ballyboden works for treatment).  The scheme was begun in 1883 using local granite.  Bohernabreena supplies 18.2million litres of water per day to Dublin (which is only a small contribution to the overall Dublin use of up to 410 million litres, but in times of severe drought, its value is appreciated).

Leaving the reservoirs the DMW continues along a small path to Fort Bridge and crosses the road into Kiltipper Park and back to surburbia and the housing estates of Tallaght, towards Sean Walsh Park.  The DMW finishes in Sean Walsh Park, close to the Luas Red Line.

Distance: 8km

Duration: 1.5-2hr

Degree of difficulty: Moderate

Metres climb: 0m