Western walking wonders

Park up the car and embark on one of these walking and cycling trails

goes cross-country into the white sands of Banna Strand and the beginning of a scenic mountainous area on Kerry Head, which it loops around before finishing at Ballyheigue. Made up of mostly quiet country roads, fields, and beaches, the terrain is easy enough to traverse so is family-friendly. You can also join the trail at any number of points along its length if you don’t wish to complete the full 48km, or you can return along the same route to Tralee increasing the walk to approx. 70km. It’s up to how adventurous you are!

How long will it take to complete? This path is typically hiked over two days and there is plenty of accommodation along the way Visit sportireland.ie/outdoors/walking/ trails/north-kerry-way

Inis Mór Loop, Aran Islands, Co Galway

◊Why not try something different and go for a cycle around the largest of the Aran Islands, Inis Mór? It is the perfect place to explore on two wheels. This route is a moderate, 55km cycling route around the entire island, stopping at all the best sights. These include the ancient stone fort of Dún Aonghasa, the strange natural rock formation and wormhole known as ‘Poll na Peiste’ (the Serpent’s Lair), scenic viewing points, beaches, headlands, and old churches.

Step off the ferry, choose your bike at Aran Islands Bike Hire (aranislandsbikehire.com), and take off on your very own Wild Atlantic Way adventure. And depending on the time available, you can judge how many places you can visit and explore.

How long will it take to complete? If you want to see a good few main highlights on the island, this cycle route will take about four or five hours.

Visit connemarawildescapes.ie

Glenveagh Derrylahan Nature Trail, Co Donegal

◊This walk is perfect for those who want to spend the day exploring the magnificent Glenveagh National Park. This looped walk takes you to a remote area of Glenveagh that was once covered in Oak Forest and is now blooming with many different habitats, so you can become immersed in nature.

At 2km long, the gravel trail starts close to the Visitor Centre, with easy-to-follow signs to help you navigate along the loop. The trail will showcase a section of a blanket bog and Scots Pine woodlands! It is an ideal introduction to Glenveagh’s natural environment, as visitors of all ages and fitness levels have the chance to see some of the plants and animals of Glenveagh National Park. Once complete, you can choose to explore the other walks in this park including the Lakeside Walk, the Garden Trail which takes you on a full tour of the Castle gardens, Bridle Path Walk, Lough Inshagh Walk, and the Viewpoint Trail. How long will it take to complete? The terrain is mostly gravel paths and visitors should allow approximately 45 minutes to fully explore the trail.

Visit glenveaghnationalpark.ie

Curraghchase Forest Park, Co Limerick ◊

This cycle trail in Kilcornan, Co Limerick extends to nearly 300 hectares of parkland, lakes, and woodlands. It has plenty of cycling routes which are just the right distance for children. The Glenisca Trail is 3.5km and brings you past an old cave and impressive limestone cliff walls. While the 2.4km Curragh Trail is flat and takes you away from the park’s lake, through mature broadleaf and conifer forest. Most of the cycling is done under a tree canopy, and there are plenty of playgrounds, an orienteering course, picnic spots and barbecue pits, and a campsite to stay over. How long will it take to complete? The Glenisca Trail is moderate and takes around an hour to complete, while the Curragh Trail is easier and takes around 30 minutes.

Visit limerick.ie/discover/eat-see-do/ nature-wildlife/forest-parks/ curraghchase-forest-park

Sea Sessions, Co Donegal

June 17th - 19th

Get back to the sunny seaside for the longawaited return of Sea Sessions ’22! It has been three years since the last festival took place and now the over 18s event is aiming to become the best concert this summer. With top acts including Kodaline, Tinie, Basement Jaxx, Lyra, Gemma Dunleavy, David Keenan and so much more, the tunes will be rocking out across Bundoran beach.

Sea Sessions is the only event in the country bringing together the unique lifestyle aspects of surfing, music, skating, BMX, beach sports and more into a three-day and four-night camping festival. You can camp, glamp, or stay in a local hotel. And there are surfing competitions, barefoot tag rugby and barefoot soccer on the beach, as well as yoga sessions, so the weekend suits all interests.

Visit seasessions.com. Tickets are on sale now. €129.90 – 3-day non-camping, €159.90 – camping weekend. Day tickets: Friday:

€59.90, Saturday: €69.90, Sunday: €64.90

West Cork Chamber Music Festival, West Cork

June 24th - July 3rd

This summer’s West Cork Chamber Music Festival is celebrating its 25th anniversary. More than 70 concerts will take place in Bantry and feature 60 professional musicians and twenty students.

The 2022 Festival is built around four top international String Quartets: the Pavel Haas Quartet from Prague, Danel Quartet from Belgium, Signum Quartet from Germany, and Doric Quartet from London – and a series of major cycles from Biber and Bach to Weinberg via Haydn, late Schubert and Bartók.

This year’s line-up includes cellists Johannes Moser and Alexander Kovalev; viola players Dana Zemtsov and Sara Fervández; percussionist Alex Petcu; pianists Anna Fedorova, Zoltán Fejérvári, Julius