8 day program for horse caravanning
DAY 1:
Arrival at the farm at Cronybyrne:
This is the base which is located just 1 ½ hours from Dublin airport. Visitors can travel to the farm by an excellent bus link direct from Dublin airport to our local village at Ashford which runs on an hourly basis. We can also organise taxi transfers from the airport for our visitors, which stop en route to allow people to shop.
The 100 acre farm lies next to some beautiful forestry and a nature reserve with well-marked walks.
On arrival on the farm we will show you in to your caravan and give you some time to settle in. Later that day we will do a route discussion and map marking session with you where we provide detailed information on the possible routes and attractions and mark you a map based on your preferences.
DAY 2:
Horse Instruction and Journey 1
On the morning after your arrival, we do the 'horse instruction'. This consists of your learning and practicing how to catch, look after, harness, yoke and drive a horse. Before you start on the comprehensive 'horse instruction', we will have talked with you and will match you with a horse suitable for your chosen route and for your horse experience or lack of it. Following the instruction we introduce you to your horse and get you set on your first journey.
(For their first journey many of our guests prefer to do a short trip to get used to how everything works. A good option for this is a trip we call The Loop to Garryduff. For those who want to travel a little further to a town with pubs and restaurants, Rathdrum is a good option.)
Garryduff:
Our stop at Garryduff is owned by retired farmers Sheila and Brendan Byrne – Sheila will often bake fresh Irish soda bread for our visitors and Brendan will happily help collect fire wood for a bon fire. Garryduff has a very rural setting so some of our guests organise a taxi to bring them to Ashford to visit Mount Usher Gardens or to go for a meal in Ashford House.
Rathdrum:
This is our nearest town and has a great selection of pubs and places to eat plus shops to stock up on supplies. You can also visit Avondale House and forest park on the outskirts of the town. There are some lovely looped walks around the village for which we give guests a nice map and booklet.
DAY 3:
Greenane:
The “overnight stop” is at Birchdale House B&B in the quite village of Greenane which is well known for the Greenan Farm Museum & Maze – well worth a visit for the wonderful 1/2 acre hedge maze, farm animals, wild nature walks and traditional farming museums. Visit the lovely tea-rooms for home baking and browse through the local arts and crafts in the craft-shop. Byrne’s of Greenane nearby has all the old world charm of the traditional Country Pub.
DAY 4 & 5
Glenmalure:
Glenmalure is one of the most scenically beautiful mountain valleys of County Wicklow. Here the caravan is parked across the road from the Glenmalure Lodge, a lively family run pub and restaurant with great Irish music (Wed & Sat night) owned by the Dowling family.
The overnight stop is set along the Wicklow Way so there are a large selection of paths and walkways in the area and many visitors will walk to see the Glenmalure waterfall. There is also an open farm next to the stop where children can visit a collection of farm animals.
Our recommendation is to spend 2 nights here and hike across the Wicklow Way on your second day to visit the lakes and monastic site at Glendalough which is the most famous attraction in County Wicklow.
DAY 6:
Ballinaclash:
Ballinaclash is a small village with only a pub and a shop all in the one building! Visitors park in a lovely field beside the river across the road from the pub which is said to have the best Guinness in the area. From there a short taxi journey will also allow you to visit the village of Avoca, famous for Avoca Handweavers, Fitzgerald’s Pub and Avoca Studio Gallery. (It is also be possible to organise a guided walk with Avoca Tours)
DAY 7:
Cronybyrne:
You spend your last night in the caravan on our farm. This gives you plenty of time to pack and organize things for you departure the following day. You are welcome to have a campfire in our field or we can organize a taxi if you would like to go to a restaurant or pub for your last night. We can also lend out fishing rods for the week and most of the suggested stops are either directly on or very near a river.
You can find a lot more information on these areas on the local tourism website at www.visitwicklow.ie