Grennan Loop
Walking Trail · Kilkenny
Grennan Loop is a 6.6 km moderate waymarked loop in Kilkenny, starting near Thomastown.
Grade
| Activity | Grade | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking | Moderate | Moderate | 2 hours |
Getting there
Starts at Town Centre, near Thomastown.
- Trailhead coordinates
- 52.52537, -7.13939
- Irish Grid reference
- S 586 418
- Ordnance Survey sheets
- Discovery Series Sheet 67
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
Train to Thomastown station (1.3km from town centre) Bus Eireann bus
About the trail
This trail varies from footpath to the banks of the River Nore to deciduous woodland to quiet country road, passing many archaeological and historic features including the ruins of Sweetman Castle, statue of hurler Ollie Walsh, ruins of the Thomple (church of Grennan) with its intact east wall window, Dysert and Grennan Castles and mill buildings, while flora and fauna include sand martins, buzzards, oak, birch, beech, spindle holly, wild garlic, wood anemone and bluebells with picturesque vistas along the way.
- Waymarking
- red arrows on white background
- Dogs
- No
Who manages it
Thomastown Community Network
Thomastown Community Network
Conditions and closures change. The operator is the authority on both, not this page.
Trails nearby
Measured trailhead to trailhead, in a straight line.
- Woodstock - Ladies Loop Walk 6.4 km away · 3.4 km trail
- Woodstock Loop Walk 6.4 km away · 4.7 km trail
- Nore Valley Walk - Inistioge to Thomastown Section 6.6 km away · 10.8 km trail
- Woodstock Waterfall Loop 7.8 km away · 4.4 km trail
- O'Gormans Lane 8.0 km away · 4.4 km trail
- Brandon Hill Summit Walk 9.8 km away · 6.5 km trail
Common questions
How long is the Grennan Loop?
6.6 km, recorded as a loop on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. It climbs 60 m in total. Sport Ireland estimates 2 hours.
How hard is the Grennan Loop?
Sport Ireland grades it Moderate. Grades are set against national criteria, so they are comparable with other registered trails.
Where does the Grennan Loop start?
Starts at Town Centre, near Thomastown. The trailhead is at 52.52537, -7.13939 (Irish Grid S 586 418).
Can you bring a dog on the Grennan Loop?
No. The register records dogs as not allowed on this trail.
Can you get to the Grennan Loop without a car?
Train to Thomastown station (1.3km from town centre) Bus Eireann bus.
Who manages the Grennan Loop?
Thomastown Community Network. They are the authority on current conditions and closures, not this page.
More in Kilkenny
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.