Assembly Points:

At present, all cars leave Ennis at 8 a.m. sharp on Sunday mornings. All intending walkers should assemble in the Temple Gate Hotel car park from 7.50 a.m. This allows time for deciding on drivers and on car-pooling arrangements.
Walkers from Limerick are met either outside the Regional Hospital, just past the roundabout (across the street from a car park), or on William St. (about halfway up on the left), depending on the destination.
En route it is customary to regroup at a designated filling station for last minute items.

What to bring:

Required:

Recommended:

Club Walks:

The six hillwalks listed for the October to December quarter are of a moderate level but they require a good level of fitness and stamina as they are normally at least 4 hours in duration, 10 km in length and, most importantly, include a minimum of 900 metres cumulative ascent.

Walks and climbs are normally in the higher mountain ranges of Connemara, Kerry, Mayo and Tipperary. This involves driving from Ennis at 8 a.m. on Sunday mornings for about 2 hours or so to the starting point. Cars are pooled and petrol costs are shared among the group - one of the designated leaders on the day organises this. Once the scheduled destination is reached the leaders divide up the groups, ideally at a ratio of 1:6 or 8, and the group sets off, returning 4-5 hours later for the journey back to Ennis. It is customary to stop for a meal on the return journey and so the day may extend to 12 hours or more depending on the crack!

In the second quarter (January to March) the level of the scheduled walks gradually increases from moderate to strenuous, especially after the commencement of summer time when the clocks move forward one hour and the days get longer.

Finally, in the 3rd quarter (April/May/June), strenuous walks only are organised and scheduled and some classic mountains such as Mt Brandon and Mweelrea are visited as well as the Glencoaghan Horseshoe in the Twelve Bens. Sometimes, the full Maamturks traverse that takes 12 hours to complete is attempted. The full circuit of the Hag's Glen that takes in most of the MacGillycuddy Reeks is often on the calendar at this time too. The end of the walking season is usually celebrated with a summer barbecue that is held in conjunction with some other activity such as a shorter walk or, as was the case this year, a Treasure Hunt, a visit to Scattery Island and some archery. As always, this was a varied programme and a most enjoyable social event.

Responsibilities of all walkers:

All walks are subject to change, at the discretion of the leader(s), for a variety of reasons and extenuating circumstances e.g. prevailing weather conditions, excess numbers or problems with access. It is absolutely essential that all intending walkers inform one of the designated leaders, in person or over the phone, on or before Saturday evening of their intention to participate in the walk on the following day. It is preferable to meet the leader and let him or her know on the Thursday night prior to the walk as this is when final arrangements are made relating to the starting/finishing points, travel directions, and the makeup of the different groups walking on the day. Remember that failure to notify the leader may disqualify one from taking part.