Barrow Way
Long Distance Waymarked Way · Carlow, Kildare and Laois
Barrow Way is a 116.9 km easy waymarked linear route in Carlow, Kildare and Laois, starting near Robertstown.
Grade
| Activity | Grade | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking | Easy | Easy | 4 days |
Getting there
Starts at Robertstown.
Finishes at St. Mullins.
- Trailhead coordinates
- 53.26985, -6.81597
- Irish Grid reference
- N 790 250
- Ordnance Survey sheets
- Discovery Series Sheets 49, 55, 61 and 68
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
At Start: Bus to Robertstown. Check with Bus Eireann. At End: None at present.
About the trail
The River Barrow vies with one of its sister rivers, the Suir, as the second longest river in Ireland. It rises in the Slieve Bloom Mountains in the southern midlands, and flows to join its two €˜sisters', the Nore and the Suir, before flowing into the Celtic Sea at Waterford Harbour. The Barrow was made navigable in the eighteenth century by the insertion of short sections of canal along its course, and the 114km long Barrow Way follows surviving towpaths and riverside roads from the canal hamlet of Lowtown in County Kildare to the beautiful monastic site and village of St Mullins in south County Carlow. It is a peaceful route through a quiet sylvan landscape, with the constantly expanding river, growing more majestic every mile, for company. Terrain consists mainly of grassy towpaths, tracks and quiet roads. Overnight accommodation options are good: the route is frequently punctuated with villages and towns, many of which were founded at fording places by the Normans soon after the invasion. Among the interesting places the route passes through and walkers might wish to linger a while are the towns of Rathangan with its great hosting place, and Athy and Carlow. Borris in South County Carlow is a fine place that grew up around Borris House, the homeplace of the McMurrough Kavanagh clan, and Graiguenamanagh, a quaint old monastic town where a book festival is held every year, is Ireland's Hay-on-Wye.
Before you go
9 kms or 9% of the Way follows local roads. ***Dogs under effective control allowed, please clean up after your dog***
- Waymarking
- Yellow arrow on black background
- Dogs
- Yes
Who manages it
Waterways Ireland Barrow
Waterways Ireland, Floor 2 Block C, Ashtowngate, Dublin 15 Tel 01-8680148 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.
- Donadea Forest Park - Nature Walk 9.1 km away · 1.7 km trail
- Donadea Forest Park - Alymer Walk 9.4 km away · 4.5 km trail
- Donadea Forest Park - Lake Walk 9.4 km away · 1.1 km trail
- Ballydermot/Killyguise Loop 13 km away · 3.8 km trail
- Royal Canal Greenway Cycling Trail 19 km away · 121.4 km trail
- Royal Canal Greenway Walking Trail 19 km away · 121.4 km trail
Common questions
How long is the Barrow Way?
116.9 km, recorded as a linear route on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. Sport Ireland estimates 4 days.
How hard is the Barrow Way?
Sport Ireland grades it Easy. Grades are set against national criteria, so they are comparable with other registered trails.
Where does the Barrow Way start?
Starts at Robertstown. The trailhead is at 53.26985, -6.81597 (Irish Grid N 790 250).
Can you bring a dog on the Barrow Way?
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 Barrow Way without a car?
At Start: Bus to Robertstown. Check with Bus Eireann. At End: None at present.
Who manages the Barrow Way?
Waterways Ireland Barrow. They are the authority on current conditions and closures, not this page.
More in Carlow, Kildare and Laois
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.