Western Way

Western Way (Bealach an Iarthair) is Ireland’s long-distance National Waymarked Trail linking Oughterard in County Galway with Ballycastle in County Mayo. The full route is about 179 km and is commonly walked in roughly seven days (often longer for slower groups or extra breaks).

The hike is split into a Galway section and a Mayo section. In Galway, it runs along the western edge of Lough Corrib, then breaks away across the Maumturks via the pass of Maumeen before descending toward the Inagh Valley and continuing on to Leenaun at the head of Killary Harbour.

From Leenaun, the Mayo section climbs over Sheefry Bridge and then works its way through Westport and Newport, continuing toward Sheskin and Ballycastle. From there it continues through Killala and Ballina, finishing at Lough Talt in the Ox Mountains near the Sligo border (with the option to continue on the Sligo Way).

Terrain alternates between lake-edge ground, upland passes, valley hiking, and remote stretches through forest/bog landscapes as the route moves north. The route passes through the Maam–Leenaun area and the Croagh Patrick region, and it spends time traversing rougher countryside away from town services.

Waymarking is described as “yellow arrow on black background” and the route is managed under the National Waymarked Trail framework. Dog access is restricted on off-road parts of the trail, and some private land along the way means landholder permission rules apply during the access arrangement.

Most walkers plan the Western Way as a multi-day undertaking with a stage-by-stage approach, using the towns along the line for supplies and accommodation where available. It’s typically run as a linear end-to-end walk between the named trailheads (Oughterard → Ballycastle, with the route continuing onward to Lough Talt near the Sligo border).

More information: Wikipedia, Western Way: 5 Trail Highlights - Hillwalk Tours, Western Way - Galway