The Avonmore Way Walk

 

The Avonmore Way is a 12km trail which follows a mixture of minor roads, forest roads and tracks.  It provides stunning views of the Wicklow Mountains as it skirts around Trooperstown Hill before winding its way through the beautiful Clara Vale Nature Reserve alongside the Avonmore River.  The trail is suitable for all fitness levels.  There is trail head signage at the beginning of the walk and the route is marked with yellow walking man and arrows on a black background along the way.  The walk starts from the Laragh side at Trooperstown Forest car park and from the Rathdrum side at Stump of the Castle Forest Entrance.

The idea for this walk goes back to 1994 when Finian McEvoy, a local resident of Laragh and Coillte employee, did a thesis as part of his Rural Development Diploma studies about ‘The Development of the Avonmore Way as a Walking Route’.  Finian said: “Walking was growing in popularity and The Avonmore Way ticked all the boxes, the outstanding beauty of the landscape, the diversity of flora and fauna and Clara Vale itself with its beautiful Church, old school, and narrow arched bridge over the Avonmore River.”  In 2013 Finian joined the board of Wicklow Uplands Council to represent Glendalough & District Development Association and the development of the Avonmore Way began.  

The development of the trail has been undertaken in partnership with Wicklow County Council, Coillte, NPWS, County Wicklow Partnership, private landowner Lucy Morgan, St. Laurence O’Toole Diocesan Trust, Parish Committee for Clara Vale Church, Glendalough & District Development Association, Laragh/Glendalough Tidy Towns and Rathdrum Tidy Towns Association. All local residents living close to the trail showed  great support to the project and helped all the way.  

The Avonmore Way is an important and strategic route in Wicklow as it provides a pedestrian link with train and bus services in Rathdrum to Laragh.  Due to Wicklow’s proximity to Dublin, tourism in the county is dominated by day visitors.  The development of this trail will promote independent visitors to the area who can stay longer and boost the local economy.  This important link will also enable hikers to join the network of trails in the Wicklow uplands including the Wicklow Way and the St Kevin’s Way.  And of course visitors in the Laragh area will have the opportunity to walk to Rathdrum and Avondale House.  Therefore this is a very important link for Wicklow tourism and the local communities.

The Avonmore Way was officially launched by journalist Valerie Cox at the Old School Clara Vale on Saturday 16^th April.  The local communities walked from either end of the trail and met at Clara Vale for the launch of the walk.  

Commenting on the spectacular scenery along the trail and the views across the Wicklow Mountains, Valerie noted at one point along the trail that you can view both up the Glenealo Valley towards The Wicklow Gap and also up the Glenmacnass Valley towards the Sally Gap simultaneously. She commented on the importance of the Avonmore Way for the local communities, and the value of having a trail that is accessible to all. 

Valerie shared a story about a Viking ship that had been excavated in Denmark back in the 60’s. It was determined that the oak used in the construction of the ship had come from the surrounding woods in Clara Vale. Due to these origins a reconstruction of the ship was named ‘The Sea Stallion of Glendalough’. 

Wicklow Uplands Council plans to develop further links from the ends of the trail with the local towns.  The long term vision is to realise a route that will link Kilmacanogue to Woodenbridge creating an ‘Eastern Greenway’.  For more information about the walk, please visit www.wicklowuplands.ie

A Letter from the Chair

 

Dear members and supporters, it is now summer season and I want to wish all of you a most enjoyable season in whatever role you play in the Wicklow and Dublin Uplands.

I am sure I speak for everyone in extending best wishes to our CEO Cara Heraty and husband John on their extended family, and to our CO Lenka Mulligan and husband Brian on their very happy event, may God bless all and keep them well.

In Cara’s absence, our care taker CEO Brian Dunne has excelled in holding the fort and keeping the business of Wicklow Uplands Council on schedule and within budget.  It has been a whirlwind of events this year. The business of completing and complying with the complex issue of ‘corporate governance’ and associated regulation that is involved was his first challenge and this was immediately followed with the business of registering our interest in new ‘legalisation on lobbying’ as a corporate organisation.

In February we organised a workshop on vegetation management and in particular the practice of heather burning in a controlled and effective manner.  I wish to thank Teagasc and the panel of expertise which they provided. The event was attended by 150 farmers and others with an interest in keeping our Uplands in good ‘agricultural and environmental condition’.

Wicklow Uplands Council has worked with Irish Uplands Forum in organising a conference in Killarney, which took place in May, to establish groups similar to ours and developing methods in supporting and funding a network of such groupings. A number of our board attended and participated in the conference.

On behalf of all our members I extend our prayers and best wishes for a full recovery to Mary Tubridy, Secretary of Irish Uplands Forum and principal organiser of this conference and who has given Wicklow Uplands Council so much support and encouragement since our inception.

In October Wicklow Uplands Council has been invited to prepare a workshop for a conference of EUROPARC, the ‘Federation of Nature and National Parks of Europe,’ in Switzerland. The focus of the workshop will be sustainability in the uplands. This will include a case study on a ‘Locally led Agri-environmental scheme’ and ‘Best Practice in Vegetation Management’. The workshop will be presented by Brian Dunne and a number of delegates from our board will also attend. It is promising to be a very exciting project.

Finally, to our members past and present, our board, our staff; Cara, Brian, Margaret and Lenka, and our funders, The Heritage Council, Denis O’Brien, Wicklow Co. Council, South Dublin Co. Council, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Co. Council, and everyone who has contributed in any way, my sincere thanks. Without the support of all of you, we could not continue our work.

Sean Byrne, Chairman, Wicklow Uplands Council

Wicklow Uplands Council reminds those in upland areas to take care against tick bites and Lyme disease during the summer and autumn months

Lyme disease is an infection that is transmitted through the bite of a tick infected with a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi. Ticks get the bacteria by biting other infected animals, like deer and mice. Most people who get tick bites do not get Lyme disease.  Not all ticks are infected but the risk for contracting the disease increases the longer the tick is attached to the body.

How do I know if I have been bitten?

An expanding area of redness is noticeable at the site of the tick bite.  This may not be noticeable until up to a week after the bite has occurred.  The rash is neither itchy nor painful. Ticks tend to go for sensitive areas of skin (under arms/groin area/behind ears) and therefore can go unnoticed.

Symptoms of Lyme disease

Some people report flu-like symptoms at this stage, including fever, chills, headaches, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, joint pain, and muscle aches.  Further rashes may develop, and there may be periods of pain and weakness in the arms or legs. Facial-muscle paralysis (Bell's palsy), and poor memory are other symptoms of Lyme disease. 

Other symptoms that may not appear until weeks or months after a tick bite include pain and swelling in the large joints – especially knees, nervous system abnormalities and heart-rhythm irregularities.  These symptoms may occur in patients who were not treated, or inadequately treated, at an earlier stage of the disease and are very uncommon.

Treatment

Most Lyme disease can be cured using antibiotics, especially when the infection is diagnosed and treated early. Later stage diagnoses might require longer-term, intravenous antibiotics.

How to best avoid becoming bitten/infected

When out in the countryside walking stick to the pathways.  Avoid wooded, bushy and grassy areas especially in summer months.

Cover up!  Wear long trousers and long-sleeved shirt and shoes that cover the entire foot.

Tuck your shirt into your trousers and your trouser legs into socks and wear a hat.

Spray insect repellent with 20%-30% DEET on your clothes.

After being outdoors wash and dry your clothes at high temperature and do a careful body check for ticks especially ears, under the arms, behind knees, and the scalp.

Dogs can carry ticks home which can then go on to bite family members so checking them for ticks after a trip to the countryside is very important.

What to do if I find a tick on my skin? 

Remove it! Using tweezers, grasp the tick close to the skin, pull straight back, and avoid crushing the tick's body. Apply antiseptic and be aware of symptoms. Save the tick for possible identification by your doctor.

Further information

Check out Tick Talk Ireland on their website www.ticktalkireland.org

and most of all………..Enjoy our beautiful uplands!