Beara Bridleway
Horse Riding Trail · Cork
Beara Bridleway is a 30.1 km moderate waymarked linear route in Cork, starting near Castletownbere.
Grade
| Activity | Grade | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horse Sport | Moderate | Moderate | – |
Getting there
Starts at Car park at Clonglaskin, near Castletownbere.
- Trailhead coordinates
- 51.63996, -9.97992
- Irish Grid reference
- V 630 448
- Ordnance Survey sheets
- Discovery Series Sheet 84
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.
About the trail
Etched into the sides of the Miskish and Knockgour mountains of the Slieve Miskish range which knuckles the Beara Peninsula West, the Beara Bridleway is Ireland's first ever horse trail. The main trail hugs the flanks of the mountains, overlooking 23 kilometres of rugged mountain scenery, stunning seascapes and dazzling island views. It includes some optional but highly recommended detours that climb to access even better vistas from elevated viewing points. The Bridleway links Clonglaskin townland several kilometres west of Castletownbere town with the colourful village of Allihies, once famous for its copper mines, and the coastal townland of Urhan near picturesque Eyeries village. Despite the wildness of the scenery, the terrain has something for all experience levels and can be undertaken at any pace.
- Dogs
- No
Who manages it
Beara Tourism & Development Association
Beara Tourism,Castletownbere,Co.Cork. Tel/Fax 027-70054, Email: [email protected] Web: https://bearatourism.com
Conditions and closures change. The operator is the authority on both, not this page.
Elsewhere
Trails nearby
Measured trailhead to trailhead, in a straight line.
- Bullig Bay Loop 4.0 km away · 4.2 km trail
- Allihies - Ballydonegan Loop 4.7 km away · 18.2 km trail
- Allihies - Kealoge Loop 4.7 km away · 9.3 km trail
- Allihies - North Engine Loop 4.7 km away · 7.2 km trail
- Bere Island - Ardnakinna - West Island Loop 5.6 km away · 7.5 km trail
- Eyeries - Coastguard Station Loop 6.1 km away · 7.3 km trail
Common questions
How long is the Beara Bridleway?
30.1 km, recorded as a linear route on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register.
How hard is the Beara Bridleway?
Sport Ireland grades it Moderate. Grades are set against national criteria, so they are comparable with other registered trails.
Where does the Beara Bridleway start?
Starts at Car park at Clonglaskin, near Castletownbere. The trailhead is at 51.63996, -9.97992 (Irish Grid V 630 448).
Can you bring a dog on the Beara Bridleway?
No. The register records dogs as not allowed on this trail.
Who manages the Beara Bridleway?
Beara Tourism & Development Association. 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.