Ballintotis Loops - Castle Loop
Walking Trail · Cork
Ballintotis Loops - Castle Loop is a 3.7 km easy waymarked loop in Cork, starting near Castlemartyr.
Grade
| Activity | Grade | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking | Easy | Easy | 1.25 hours |
Getting there
Starts at Ballintotis Church Car Park, near Castlemartyr.
- Trailhead coordinates
- 51.91115, -8.0924
- Irish Grid reference
- W 937 732
- Ordnance Survey sheets
- Discovery Series Sheet 81
The National Trails Register's own latitude and longitude fields are empty for all 1,186 trails on it. This trailhead comes from Sport Ireland's separate Trailheads dataset, matched to this trail on its register ID.
Public transport
Bus service to Castlemartyr 2km from trailhead
About the trail
This trail follows country roads and laneways from the Church car park and passes Ballintotas National School (built in 1898). It incorporates Ballintotis Castle (once the possession of the Fitzgeralds of Munster) dating from the 16th century and the ruins of a national school dated 1826. Other features to be enjoyed on this trail include open countryside, traditional farmsteads, crops and farm animals as well as abundant wildlife (hare, pheasant, fox, and rabbit are common). Varieties of native plant, bird and insect species abound amid the long-established hedgerows of this looped trail as it returns to the trailhead at the Church car park.
- Waymarking
- Red arrow
- Dogs
- Yes
Who manages it
Ballintotis Area Community Council
email: [email protected]
Conditions and closures change. The operator is the authority on both, not this page.
Trails nearby
Measured trailhead to trailhead, in a straight line.
- Ballintotis Loops - Castle Loop Cycling Trail 0 m away · 3.2 km trail
- Ballintotis Loops - Lake Loop 0 m away · 2.1 km trail
- Ballintotis Loops - Lake Loop Cycling Trail 0 m away · 2.1 km trail
- Ballintotis Loops - Woodbine Loop 0 m away · 5.5 km trail
- Ballintotis Loops - Woodbine Loop Cycling Trail 0 m away · 5.5 km trail
- Castlemartyr - Mitchell's Wood Loop 2.8 km away · 2.4 km trail
Common questions
How long is the Ballintotis Loops - Castle Loop?
3.7 km, recorded as a loop on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. It climbs 10 m in total. Sport Ireland estimates 1.25 hours.
How hard is the Ballintotis Loops - Castle Loop?
Sport Ireland grades it Easy. Grades are set against national criteria, so they are comparable with other registered trails.
Where does the Ballintotis Loops - Castle Loop start?
Starts at Ballintotis Church Car Park, near Castlemartyr. The trailhead is at 51.91115, -8.0924 (Irish Grid W 937 732).
Can you bring a dog on the Ballintotis Loops - Castle Loop?
Yes. The register records dogs as allowed. Much of the Irish trail network crosses working farmland, so keep a dog under close control near livestock.
Can you get to the Ballintotis Loops - Castle Loop without a car?
Bus service to Castlemartyr 2km from trailhead.
Who manages the Ballintotis Loops - Castle Loop?
Ballintotis Area Community Council. They are the authority on current conditions and closures, not this page.
More in Cork
Trail data from the Sport Ireland National Trails Register, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Trailhead coordinates from the companion Trailheads dataset. Snapshot taken 2026-08-13.