Mullaghreelan Wood and Kilkea Castle Hotel & Golf Resort, Kilkea – Ireland

Not having seen much of County Kildare yet, it was decided that it was worth some exploration. While I was choosing a place to walk, one of the key things that jumped out to me about Mullaghreelan Wood was that it is steeped in history and had ample parking. It offers easy to navigate and manage paths for a casual stroller.

Mullaghreelan Wood is only a short 20 minute drive away from Carlow, and about a 1 hour drive away from Dublin. The Wood is a quiet old woodland that is situated next to Kilkea castle which is a 3 minute drive away.

The castle in Kilkea was built in 1180AD after the invasion of Ireland by Strong for Walter de Riddlesford – an Anglo-Norman Lord.

Kilkea is historic also for being St Laurence O’ Toole’s birthplace. St Laurence O’Toole was a famous Archbishop in the 12th century in Dublin. His preserved heart is stored in Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin.

There are 2 paths you can take at Mullaghreelan Wood, both of which are 2kms long: The Rath Walk (red route) and the O’Tuathaill Walk (blue route), both of which are about 45 minutes each to walk.

You can take a look at the trail map here: https://www.coillte.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Kildare-Mullaghreelan.pdf

highlights video:

Below you will find a video of the walk. Subscribe for more: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4JT4y3lUirpZ7Ecz-VDDAA

If you wish to visit the Kilkea Castle Hotel & Golf Resort, you’ll be visiting one of the oldest inhabited Castles in Ireland. It has classy accommodation, a beautiful garden, spa, golf course, restaurants, a bar, conference facilities and can function as a wedding venue.

Since I was just stopping past, I wanted to take a look at the Castle, its grounds and particularly the garden.

The garden is beautifully manicured, with apple and pear trees growing over an arch.