Slieve Bloom walking festival

The 15th Annual Slieve Bloom Walking Festival takes place from May 1st to 4th. Slieve Bloom is full of hidden, magic places for walking, especially perhaps along the streams and rivers that radiate from the hills in all directions. Each has its hidden waterfalls and miniature ravines, where the wild plants and animals of the mountains still find a home. Everywhere there are places you can feel you are seeing the land as it must have been when the first people stepped into it. These are places off the beaten track, places you will discover as your guide takes you into remote and wilderness areas of the Slieve Blooms which are only accessible on foot and rarely frequented by hill walkers. The festival provides a range of hill walks from easy to moderate to challenging at various locations in the Slieve Blooms over the three days. Experienced walk leaders will enhance your walk with information on local historic sites and wildlife. At the end of each walk meet at a pre-arranged local pub for refreshments. In the evening enjoy dinner at a local restaurant followed by traditional Irish music or ballad session in one of the local pubs. Registration Weekend Festival Registration: €20pp or €8 per day: Registration for the walking festival takes place on Saturday morning at 11am in the Community Centre, Clonaslee, Co Laois. Sunday morning: Walking festival registration in Kinnitty Community Centre at 11am in Kinnitty. Monday morning Walking Festival registration takes place at 11am at Clonaslee Community Centre, Clonaslee, Co Laois Blisters BBQ and dance 8pm on Sunday 3rd May in Kinnitty Castle. Tickets available €25 at registration or by calling Chris on 0862789147 Evening Entertainment The Slieve Bloom Walking Festival will offer a great deal more than just guided walking. Gather with the other walkers in Giltrap"s Pub Kinnitty on Friday nigh for an evening of traditional music and song.After walk refreshments and chat on Saturday at the Village Inn, Clonaslee, Co Laois. Evening dinner available at the Glendine Bistro, Kinnitty- Walkers Special 3 course dinner €25. Afterwards join the bus from Kinnitty to music night in Dempseys Pub, Cadamstown, 9.30pm (just five minutes drive) €5 return from Kinnitty. On Sunday walkers meet for refreshments at the Slieve Bloom Bar, Kinnitty. Sunday night: Blisters BBQ and Dance, Kinnitty Castle €3. Tickets available at walk"s registration. Monday walking registration at Community Centre Clonaslee 11am. The final gathering of walkers will meet at Fallons Pub, Clonaslee for refreshments and to recount their adventures of the weekend.