National Famine Way

National Famine Way A historic Famine trail across six Irish counties, discover stories, history & moments along the way.

Get your National Famine Way Passport & start your journey today. .nationalfamineway.ie The National Famine Way is a self-guided Trail detailing the ill-fated journey of 1,490 famine emigrants who walked from Strokestown Park to ships in Dublin in 1847, at the height of the Irish Famine. With its captivating layers of history and culture, the Trail will give you a truly immersive experience. I

t is centred around the walk of twelve-year-old Daniel Tighe - one of the original famine walkers from Strokestown Park - who remarkably survived the horrific journey to Quebec in Canada in 1847. Daniel’s journey is reimagined in vignettes written by award-winning author Marita Conlon-McKenna. These are connected to over thirty pairs of 19th-century bronze children’s shoes interspersed along the route which create a thought-provoking experience. Walkers/Cyclists are invited to become an Officially Registered Participant by obtaining the new Passport/Guide, personalised Ship Ticket and Certificate of Completion. Whether you’re a casual walker, cyclist, historical enthusiast, or out for the day with your family, enjoy the trail at your own pace. This is a safe, recreational option available all year round with signposting and trailheads along the route and can be done in sections or all at once.

And we are off!! Day eight and we couldn’t have asked for better weather. We’ll be the 12th Lock from 12:30pm. Come say...
24/05/2026

And we are off!! Day eight and we couldn’t have asked for better weather.
We’ll be the 12th Lock from 12:30pm.
Come say hello!

23/05/2026

Hidden in the hills of Westmeath lie the remains of a forgotten famine village.

Once home to families who lived through one of the darkest periods in Irish history, these ruins still tell their story today.

This week on the National Famine Way, walkers visited the site and explored the landscape, history, and memories that still remain.

Some places are never truly lost, only waiting to be remembered.









23/05/2026

Our very last day on what has been an absolutely epic experience.
Leaving the bronze shoes at 9:30am from Maynooth Harbour, stopping at the 12th lock from 12:30pm and then on to the Quays in Dublin City.
Eight days of walking in the footsteps of the 1490 men, women and children who left Strokestown in 1847.
Come join us and hear their stories.

Day seven and we are still going strong !! Well done to all and a big shout out to Gerry and Eileen from the Royal Canal...
23/05/2026

Day seven and we are still going strong !! Well done to all and a big shout out to Gerry and Eileen from the Royal Canal Amenity Group for welcoming us into Maynooth Harbour!

This walk has been like no other, the people we’ve met, the stories and the music we have heard, and the connection to the landscape that our 1490 walked in 1847.
We know they are with us all the way ❤️

Tonight we’ll be in the Roost from 7:30pm.
All welcome for tunes and chats.

Leaving Maynooth Sunday morning at 9:30am from the bronze shoes. Aiming to be at the 12th Lock from 12:30pm and really looking forward to walking with all the communities between Maynooth and Dublin City centre.

Hidden among the hills of Carn, Killare, Co. Westmeath, a forgotten famine village still carries the memory of a vanishe...
22/05/2026

Hidden among the hills of Carn, Killare, Co. Westmeath, a forgotten famine village still carries the memory of a vanished community.

This week, walkers on The National Famine Way visited the site alongside local historian Seamus O’Brien, author of Carn, Killare: A Forgotten Westmeath Famine Village, and Frank Dillon, whose family farm surrounds the landscape where the village once stood.

Through oral history, maps, landscape and the surviving ruins themselves, the group explored how memory and place continue to shape our understanding of the Famine today.

Places like Carn remind us that famine history is not only found in archives, but in the land itself.










Looking forward to meeting the good people of County Kildare in the_roost_maynooth on Saturday evening for tunes and cha...
22/05/2026

Looking forward to meeting the good people of County Kildare in the_roost_maynooth on Saturday evening for tunes and chats on our very last night of our 165km walk to Dublin from Strokestown. Following in the footsteps of Strokestown’s 1490.
All are welcome!

22/05/2026

Day six and we are still going strong!
Thanks to the wonderful Dair Rioga Historical Group from Enfield for welcoming us and kindly providing refreshments for our walkers.

Tomorrow we leave from the bronze shoes at 9:30am, from the bridge in Enfield for our second last day of walking.

We will also be meeting locals in the Roost pub for tunes and chats from 7:30pm-8:30pm
All are welcome to join us on the route.

22/05/2026

Former President Mary Robinson reflects on remembrance, compassion, and Ireland’s famine story.

Tunes & chats with the National Famine Way team & walkers this evening in the Gregory Inn in Enfield. All welcome to joi...
22/05/2026

Tunes & chats with the National Famine Way team & walkers this evening in the Gregory Inn in Enfield.
All welcome to join us from 8-9pm.
meathcoco Meath County Council discoverboynevalley discoverboynevalley

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Strokestown House
Strokestown

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