Dublin Mountains Way

Long Distance Waymarked Way · Dublin

Dublin Mountains Way is a 41.1 km strenuous waymarked linear route in Dublin, starting near Tallaght/Shankill.

Notice from the trail operator

Please Note: - Following Storm Darragh there is no access to Barnaslingan Wood, please follow the detour in place until further notice.

As recorded in the register on 2026-08-13. Check with Dublin Mountains Partnership before travelling.

Distance
41.1 km
Climb
895 m
Shape
Linear
Time
12.5 hours

Grade

Activity Grade Difficulty Time
Walking Strenuous Challenging 12.5 hours

Getting there

Starts at Tallaght / Shankhill, near Tallaght/Shankill.

Finishes at Tallaght/ Shankhill.

Directions to the trailhead

Trailhead coordinates
53.23115, -6.12405
Irish Grid reference
O 278 084 / O 253 217
Ordnance Survey sheets
Discovery Series Sheet 50

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

One of the flagship projects of the Dublin Mountains Partnership is the establishment of a long distance trail, the Dublin Mountains Way (DMW), across the mountains from Shankill in the east to Tallaght (Sean Walsh Park) in the west, in all approximately 43 kilometres of trail (plus an additional 12.3km round trip for the Hell Fire/Massy's spur). The DMW has been an objective of the local authorities for close to twenty years and with the formation of the partnership it has been realised.  This project has been achieved through the cooperation of Coillte, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, South Dublin County Council, Dublin City Council and some private landowners.  The Dublin Mountains Way was officially opened from Shankill to Tallaght on 31st October 2010. The entire route from Shankill to Tallaght is now fully waymarked. This route will be classified as one of the national waymarked ways and is waymarked with the standard yellow walking man symbol. The sections where the Wicklow Way and Dublin Mountains Way run alongside is signed with DMW and WW to avoid confusion. For more information follow external link to www.dublinmountains.ie

Before you go

Dogs are allowed but must be kept on a lead

Waymarking
Yellow arrow on black background
Dogs
Yes

Who manages it

Dublin Mountains Partnership

Dublin Mountains Partnership, c/o Coillte, Dublin Road, Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow. Email [email protected]

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.

Common questions

How long is the Dublin Mountains Way?

41.1 km, recorded as a linear route on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. It climbs 895 m in total. Sport Ireland estimates 12.5 hours.

How hard is the Dublin Mountains Way?

Sport Ireland grades it Strenuous, with an overall difficulty of Challenging. Grades are set against national criteria, so they are comparable with other registered trails.

Where does the Dublin Mountains Way start?

Starts at Tallaght / Shankhill, near Tallaght/Shankill. The trailhead is at 53.23115, -6.12405 (Irish Grid O 278 084 / O 253 217).

Can you bring a dog on the Dublin Mountains 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.

Who manages the Dublin Mountains Way?

Dublin Mountains Partnership. They are the authority on current conditions and closures, not this page.

More in Dublin

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.