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Beara Breifne Way

Beara Breifne Way

Tracing the Footsteps of O'Sullivan Beare

  • Home
  • Walking
    • Overview
    • Section One Trails
      • Beara Way
      • Slí Gaeltacht Mhúscraí
      • North West Cork Way
    • Section Two Trails
      • Ballyhoura Way
      • Multeen Way
      • Ormond Way
      • Hymany Way
    • Section Three Trails
      • Suck Valley Way
      • Lung / Lough Gara Way
      • Miner’s Way & Historical Trail
      • Leitrim Way
      • Cavan Way
    • Beara Breifne Way Accommodation List
    • Location of Stamps
  • History
    • Clans
  • Cycling
  • Horse Riding
  • About Us
  • Maps
  • Contact

Walking

Walk in the footsteps of O’Sullivan Beare as you hike across Ireland on the Beara-Breifne Way

The Beara Breifne Way runs 500 km north from the tip of  Beara Peninsula at Dursey in Co. Cork to Blacklion  area in the  Breifne area of Co Leitrim And Cavan, following generally the line of the 17th century march of O’Sullivan Beare, the last great chieftain of West Cork and South Kerry area.

In the words of Dan O Sullivan. Community representative, Kealkil, the idea behind the creation of the Beara-Breifne Way was to transform “the theme of tribulation into a celebration of human spirit and endurance.”

In 1602 Munster was ravaged by war. The forces of Queen Elizabeth I had defeated the Irish and Spanish at the Battle of Kinsale and advanced to capture the territory of Donal Cam O ’Sullivan Beare,
Chieftain of Beara. Following a series of battles and the loss of his stronghold, Dunboy Castle, O’Sullivan and his troops withdrew to Coomerkane Valley west of  Glengarriff on the Beara Peninsula.

A Mid-Winter March

On New year’s Eve, 1602, faced with almost certain starvation, they were finally forced to flee. a thousand men and women, including four hundred soldiers, embarked on an epic mid-winter march, hoping to join forces with rebel leaders in Ulster.

Travelling through Ireland at a time of war and severe food shortages they were seen by local chiefs as a threat and were attacked. Women carried infants and many of the camp followers could not keep up. By the time they reached the river Shannon their numbers were severely reduced. Hemmed in by enemies, they crossed the river at night in a boat made of the hides of slaughtered horses, the meat eaten by the starving in the camp. two days later, at Aughrim, their path was blocked by cavalry and infantry.

O’Sullivan Beare’s camp had no choice but to fight. against all odds, his exhausted band defeated greatly superior forces, then continued to march without a rest. as the mercenaries among O ’Sullivan’s followers began to drain away, returning to their Connaught homes, the remaining refugees were continuously threatened. on the fourteenth day, O ’Sullivan Beare reached Leitrim Castle, stronghold of the rebel O ’Rourke of Breifne. Of the original one thousand followers only thirty five remained.

Today’s Walk

The dramatic history contrasts with the beauty and diversity of the landscapes along the Beara-Breifne way. the walk begins with a rugged coastline, then threads a barrier of hills. there are bogs and woodlands, riverbanks, rolling farmland and wayside villages. the route links counties Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Offaly, Galway, Roscommon, Sligo  Leitrim and Cavan, and it also connects a series of rural communities along the entire way.

The finer detail of the route is supported by strong folk memory and there are unbroken clan connections with the story. The 400th anniversary re-enactment of the march galvanised the route’s communities to develop the walk. The venture could only have come from the ground up; almost all the land used is in private hands and access has been granted, neighbour to neighbour, for the greater good of the wider community. the route may be nationwide but the sense of ownership and heritage is emphatically local.

For the seasoned walker it is this local interaction which sets the Beara-Breifne way apart.

Choose Your Route

Walk part or all of the Beara-Breifne waymarked trail, meeting local communities and exploring the route’s heritage and culture as you walk.

Ballyhoura Way
Beara Way
cavan way stamp
Suck Valley Way
Hymany Way
Slí Gaeltacht Mhúscraí
Leitrim Way
Lung / Lough Gara Way
Miner's Way & Historical Trail
Multeen Way
North West Cork Way
Ormond Way

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How to Walk the Beara Breifne Way

Order Your Beara-Breifne Way Passport

You can walk the whole of O’Sullivan Beare’s route from West Cork to Leitrim

We’ve created a unique walking passport you can use to catalogue your progress over days, months or even years. Each community has chosen a stamp to represent its character, and as you collect your passport stamps, you’ll get to meet some of the people behind the walk’s creation.

How to use the passport

You can order your  Beara-Breifne Way passport online and plan your route using our handy maps.

Stamp locations are listed on on this website for each walk and walk section. When you complete your  walk, call in to its passport point, and we’ll stamp your passport for you.

At the end of your journey, you can claim the final stamp which proves you walked the entire Beara-Breifne Way!

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Beara-Breifne Way
4 years ago
Beara-Breifne Way Community Stamp Launch

Communities from the tip of West Cork to the top of Cavan gathered in Roscommon yesterday to launch the new passport and community stamps visitors can use to track their journeys on the Beara-Breifne Way.

You can order your passport at https://www.bearabreifneway.ie/passport
... See more

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4 years ago
Beara Breifne Way

Today the Beara-Breifne Way has its launch! Its creation is a great tribute to the communities along Ireland's longest walking route who've collaborated to commemorate O'Sullivan Beare's 17th-century march. ... See more

Tracing the Footsteps of O'Sullivan Beare

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