Route: Day 1 Faughart to Dundalk

Summary of the Day 1 Route: Faughart to Dundalk

Total Distance (approx.):

6 miles, 9.6 km

Terrain:

The footpath of minor ‘L’ roads and across the meadows of Lisnawilly Estate

Start:

Faughart Upper Well & graveyard 2 mins drive from the Faughart Shrine

End: Dundalk

Faughart Upper Well & graveyard 2 mins drive from the Faughart Shrine

Shops & Toilet stops:

Dundalk is a lovely country town well serviced with shops, cafes, restaurants and ATM bank machines.

Accomodation: Dundalk

Glen Gat House Bed & Breakfast (B&B) Ph: 042 9337 938, www.glengathouse.com, Email: glengat@gmail.com

Lissnawilly Estate B&B. Sally Cox Ph: 085 7766 005

Accomodation Listing for All Stages of the Pilgrimage

Here are our recommendations for accommodation if you are walking the full 9 day Pilgrimage or individual days. Just click here to download.

Gallery Images

Route Directions

Walking Route: approx. 6 miles, 9.6 km

Start at FAUGHART UPPER WELL and graveyard carpark. Walk around this quiet contemplative place to the beehive stone Well. Exit via the old gates and turn right to walk along the small country road to a T junction. Turn left to walk down to FAUGHART Shrine. First take the loop walk by the large Beech tree lined avenue to the Well, then cross over to the grassy area and the small Church to St Brigid’s Stream and ancient stones.

Exit FAUGART Shrine car park, turn right and continue walking straight.

After .5 miles, take the turn right towards KILCURRY on the L7108.

At O’Hagan’s pub crossroads continue straight across towards KILCURRY.

At the crossroads in KILCURRY (you will see the Kilcurry Church where Brigid’s Relic is housed ahead on your left and the Big Tree just before it), continue straight across (still the L 7108). There will be a sign for Dundalk to the left and Armagh to the right. Walk straight ahead towards the Church.

After 2 miles (from Faughart) at a Y junction with a Chevron road sign, veer left.

After approx .4 miles you will walk under the M1 bypass overhead bridge.

After .3 mile at Barleyfields, turn right at the red bricked bungalow.

Continue on over the stone bridge at the Castletown River through Toberona townland.

At the T junction, walk through the Fatima Church car park and turn left onto Milltown Road (passing the Dundalk Rugby Football Club).

At the next crossroads, walk across the Castleblayney road straight through to Mount Avenue, which is signposted for the Castletown Motte near Cuchulain’s Mound on the right hand side.

Continue up Mount Avenue, and at the REDUCE SLOW sign turn right to the entrance to LISSNAWILLY ESTATE (Eircode A91 TOF8). This is private land so you must call ahead to ask for permission to walk across her land Ph: 085 7766 005. This meadowland is part of the ancient pathway and holds the sacred healing stream of Brigid and ancient Cairn and prestigious rock art. Follow the signs and respect the animals.

Exit at the Mount Avenue again (having walked in a loop) and turn right to walk to the top of this road, then left into DUNDALK past Glengat House B&B.

Getting to the Starting Point – Faughart

If you are walking a solo private Pilgrimage travelling by public transport, we recommend catching a taxi from Dundalk to Faughart, see phone numbers below.

On our organised 9 day or 1 day Pilgrimages, we will arrange lifts from Dundalk to Faughart and let you know by email nearer the start date.

Local Taxi Numbers

Dundalk Taxi Tel: 042 93 777777 and 042 93 333333

Driving from the North

Head south on N1 toward Exit 18 (Sign posted for Dún Dealgan Thuaidh/Dundalk North/N52/Cairlinn/Carlingford/R173/Baile Mhic Scanláin/Ballymascanlan)

Take this exit and at the first Roundabout (Major Hollows Roundabout) take the 2nd exit onto R132

At the next Roundabout (Ballymacscanlan Roundabout) take the 4th exit off this roundabout on to the N52 and drive over the bridge.

Follow the road for 1.4km until you arrive at a T junction. Turn right at the T junction and you will see a car park on your left for St. Brigid’s Well and Shrine.

Driving from the South

Take M1 ​to exit 18. Take the first left turn on to L71000. Drive 1 mile (1.6 km), Faughart Shrine is on the Left Hand Side.

GPS Co-ordinates

Discovery Map 29: J 049 127

Longitude: 6° 23′ 52″ W

Latitude: 54° 3′ 11″ N


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Getting to Dundalk

By Bus from Dublin

Bus Eireann’s 100X service departs from Custom House Quay on the hour. It arrives into Dundalk’s Long Walk bus station. Disembark at the second last stop in Dundalk, opposite McDonalds. Glengat B&B is only one minute walk away. Lissnawilly Estate B&B is 8 minutes walk away.

View Glengat on Google Maps
www.buseireann.ie

The Matthews bus service departs hourly from Parnell Street. It terminates in Dundalk at The Marshes Shopping Centre. You can get a taxi from the shopping centre to Glengat B&B or walk for about 15 minutes. www.commuter.matthews.ie

By Bus from Dublin Airport

Bus Eireann’s regular service bus departs at 20 minutes past every hour. It arrives into Dundalk’s Long Walk bus station. Disembark at the second last stop in Dundalk, opposite McDonalds. Glengat B&B is only one minute walk away. Lissnawilly Estate B&B is 8 minutes walk away.
www.buseireann.ie

By Train from Dublin

The Dublin train departs from Connolly Station in the city regularly. www.irishrail.ie

By Train from Belfast

The Enterprise train service leaves from Belfast Central rail station approximately every 2 hours and takes 75 minutes. Trains arrive into Dundalk’s Clarke station from where it is a 10 minute walk into Dundalk town. Glengat B&B is about a 5 minute walk away.
www.translink.co.uk

There is no convenient bus service from Belfast to Dundalk.

Driving from the South

Most routes are via Dublin and the M50 motorway. Follow signs for the North and Belfast. Leave the M50 at Junction 3 for the M1 motorway. Remain on the M1 until Exit 16 signed Dundalk South.

When you leave the motorway take the 3rd exit on the roundabout for Dundalk town . Stay in left lane until you reach a large junction; the Xerox building is on the right, with the Crown Plaza Hotel on the left. Turn left at this junction for Dundalk town centre.

You will go through 3 sets of small lights: at a college, at a hospital and just before going over a bridge. When you go through the 3rd lights and cross the bridge prepare to turn left. The Glen Gat is ahead on the corner on the right. Lissnawilly Estate B&B is nearby and Sally will guide you from here.

Driving from the North (via Belfast)

Take the M1 motorway out of Belfast and follow the signage for Dublin. Exit the M1 at Junction 8 onto the A1 (still signposted Dublin, the South) via a series of roundabouts. Remain on the A1 (which becomes the N1 when it crosses the border) until Junction 18, signposted Dundalk North. Follow the signs to take you into Dundalk town centre.

You will pass the Greyhound stadium on your left and a few minutes later, a Lidl on your right. Move into the right hand lane and take a right hand turn at the second set of lights. This road will bring you into Dundalk town centre.

Driving from Monaghan, Enniskillen, Sligo and Cavan

Drive through Castleblaney on to the N53 until you come to Dundalk. This route is well signposted.

Travel from Airports Near Belfast

Flights arrive into George Best Belfast City airport and into Aldergrove, Belfast International Airport. Both these airports have bus services which bring you into Belfast city centre. (Airport express 600 bus from George Best Airport and the Express 300 bus from Aldergrove).
www.translink.co.uk

From there, take a taxi to Belfast Central railway station and follow the instructions above.

 

 Additional Information

For information about the wonderful Dundalk area full of historical and archeological interest, contact the very helpful Sinead at the Dundalk Tourist Office