Last month my friends and I set off on an adventure down to county Waterford. A trip we have been looking forward to for weeks, particularly after the last sixteen months we had. Our main aim was to walk the Waterford Greenway (46km!!!), however we did half and half in the end.
The Waterford Greenway starts in Waterford City and ends in Dungarvan which makes it 46km long. Kilmacthomas would be the half way point. I suggest if you go with a group of friends, that you bring along two cars. One car you leave at the start and one at the finish line. The reason why I say this, is because the shuttle bus is currently not running due to COVID. Alternatively you can take a taxi if you have no other option.
All car parks for the Greenway are free. Bilberry Carpark is located in Waterford City where you will start your journey from. We didn’t spot this at the start so started from WIT West Campus which is located 5 to 6km outside of Waterford City. It meant we “only” walked 18km instead of 23km. It was still hard going. The stretch from the campus to Kilmacthomas isn’t as scenic. You will be met with a lot of fields, cows and sheep. The first interesting sight is Mount Congreve Gardens in Killoteran. When we walked this part of the Greenway, we did not know that you can actually walk through the Gardens. So that might be something for next time when I am down there.
The next little town we hit was Kilmeadan. You can take a toilet or snack break here. Or else jump on the Waterford & Suir Valley heritage train which will take you all the way to Waterford City and back. An adult ticket is €10 and can be purchased in the train ticket office in Kilmeadan. The ride is approx. 40 minutes altogether.
On the way to Kilmacthomas you will have beautiful views over Comeragh Mountain. There is a very popular drive that leads you up to a lake with breath-taking views overlooking the lake. We didn’t get to do this but it will be next on my list when I am down in Waterford next.
Our half way point was the Workhouse in Kilmacthomas. This is where we sat down for some well deserved lunch. The Coach House Coffee provides you with coffee of course, but also delicious lunch options such as nachos, wraps, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas etc. I also highly recommend the cakes, even as a take out option. I chose the lemon cheesecake which was so refreshing. They are big enough portions, too.
We continued our Waterford Greenway journey the next day from Kilmacthomas Workhouse all the way to Dungarvan. This journey we completed with bikes we rented from the Workhouse. We had 23km to go and thought that we complete the other half of the Greenway leisurely on a bike. An adult bike is €25, regardless of whether you want to only hire it at the half way point or the whole 46km. Kids bike are €10. We rented from Waterford Green Bike Hire. You can return the bike at any of their stations.
The stretch from Kilmacthomas to Dungarvan is the most beautiful part. A bonus also is that it is mostly down hill so you can pick up on speed on the bike.
First attraction stop was Kilmacthomas Viaduct. Back in the day it served as a railway bridge. You come off the bridge cycling down a steep hill which leads you into a beautiful park. Here you can admire the view and incredible construction of seven rubble stone arches. We had a wander around the stream as well.
Another highlight of the Greenway is the Ballyvoyle Tunnel. It is 400m long. When you come out of the tunnel, the fauna is something that you would not expect in Ireland at all with all the different ferns and other types of plant. It almost feels like you are in Thailand. Make sure you stop off for a photo… or two.
We then drove on and stopped off overlooking the Copper Coast and Clonea Beach. It was a bit cloudy on the day but nevertheless the views were breath-taking. This then led us to our final destination, Dungarvan.
I have to say Dungarvan’s harbour is beautiful. Make sure you get a bite to eat in one of the restaurants along the water. With outdoor dining still in place, you could end up queuing for half an hour or so. We did anyway and dined in Indian Ocean restaurant. The food is beautiful but I love Indian food in general.
Also the Moorings is a must-eat place. The original plan was to go for dinner here but because it is so popular, I’d say we could have ended up queueing for an hour. Instead we enjoyed some nice lunch on our last day with just a five to ten minutes wait. They do have plenty of outdoor dining in both places (both sheltered).
