Ireland - (Not) a Hiking Paradise with a Dog

I was really looking forward to Ireland, the country, the people, and especially the hikes.

BUT this last joy has been dampened, because unfortunately many hiking trails are not allowed for dogs. This is a little disillusioning, because it is not mentioned in any travel guide, and the websites always say "extremely dog-friendly!" as a motto.

For me, a little world has collapsed here, because I had already marked several things in the hiking guide that now almost all don't work anymore.

This means that on the one hand, we now search more specifically for forests under state supervision, and of course we exchange more with local dog owners. In addition, there are also websites that can be consulted, so we will continue the adventure in Ireland, even if I have lost interest for now.

Fortunately, there were nice neighbors here at the campsite who said that they always take a walk here, the dog should always be on a leash, that's all.

That sounds better than 'NO DOGS ALLOWED; THERE HAVE BEEN DOG SHOOTINGS!'

You always have to be careful, but I have never experienced this before, because I always keep my dog on a leash in the grazing areas. Apparently, not all dog owners do that, so I can understand the farmers' frustration.

In addition, many of the hiking trails go through private property, because here there is no automatic right of way. This has the consequence that annoyed farmers can put up signs against dogs OR even against any hikers, if they have had enough.

I did not know this before, but now I have to accept it. Some hikes will therefore not be possible, but then you just look for an alternative, there is a hiking app here, Allterrain, which shows dog-friendly hikes, but it loses this filter with every use, so please always set it up again!