Avondale Railway Walk Recently I undertook some survey work at Avondale Forest Park near Rathdrum in Co.Wicklow for Coillte Outdoors - the recreation branch of Coillte Teoranta, see coillteoutdoors.ie Theres a fine new trail that links Rathdrum train station to Avondale Forest proper and I thought some Dublin area based readers might be interested in this. Avondale is nice at any time of year but particularly fine in early autumn. Leave the car at home and save the petrol, carbon emissions and the €5.00 parking fee :) Instead head into Connolly station or one of the other main line rail stations at Dun Laoighre or Bray and buy a return ticket on the Rosslare line to Rathdrum. The train journey itself is fine; with views from Killiney across Dublin Bay, the sea cliffs and tunnels of Bray Head, followed by the flat coastal strip to Wicklow town. The train then turns inland through wooded valleys to arrive in Rathdrum where you alight. Turn right as you exit the station parking area and follow the road back downhill towards the rear of the station. Theres some old railway buildings here, now business premises. The walk starts from the back of these, entering the wood down some steps. The trail is narrow enough and soon drops downhill and then follows a line high above the Avonmore River, with fine views to same - see photo. After a few minutes, the walk then descends to reach a riverside track, which you turn right onto and follow. Its 2.5 kilometres from the station to Avondale House which will take about 40-60 minutes. The riverside track is pleasant, grassy at first but gravel later. Youll pass under a fine viaduct carrying the railway and the Avonmore - Abhainn Mhór or big river is close by. A little distance after the viaduct, youll come to a fork and a choice. Keeping left on the narrower path will bring you onto the River Walk, a 5 kilometre circuit of the park. Otherwise the main track now trends right and uphill away from the river, leading to Avondale House and car parks etc. There is a playground here open all year and coffee/ craft shop open in summer months and weekends. There are several other signposted walks and a multiplicity of tracks in the park to suit various needs, as well as many fine trees and of course Avondale House, home of Charles Stewart Parnell. See coillteoutdoors.ie for more detail and a map of the trails, though note that these are currently being simplified and upgraded - the current map on the site is a bit out of date. Attached an extract from the new map showing the Railway Walk, the orange dots. Please note that this trail is not suitable for buggies at the start - youll probably have to carry/ walk small children down the short enough path to reach the riverside track. There are also steep drops below the path, so hold onto their hands! So all in all, a fine day out if you include the rail journey, forest park and maybe refreshments in Rathdrum afterwards. The only wee problem is the Irish Rail timetable - youve a choice of hurrying a bit to get the 14.30 or 15.57 train back to Dublin or waiting till about 19.30. Please complain to Irish Rail, not me or Coillte!
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 09:37:00 +0000
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