View Full Version : irish wild camping
Anyone know what the score is with regard to wild camping in Ireland (south of the boarder)?
Also having looked at the OSI maps I picked up on flying visit to Galway this weekend what are the rules about walking - there are some tracks on the map but no paths marked.
AFAIK wild camping is tolerated but it's good manners to ask the landowner beforehand. You could contact the tourist board (http://www.ireland.ie/Contact%20Us.aspx) and ask them if they have any further information.
You can camp pretty much any where in Ireland but I would stay away from farmland. I pitched my tent in Wicklow and down the West coast and nobody has ever said a word.
Great Pebble
07-06-2006, 23:08
Very few problems in Ireland generally as long as you keep your nose clean and don't pitch in someone's crop.
However there's no legal standing for it (AFAIK) so be good.
That said, I personally feel that the situation is preferable to landowners being forced to allow access. It means that the good get to play and the bad get to argue their case to a man with a shotgun and a big dog. (Which he happened to have along at the time anyway, no malice intended).
Regarding the walking issue, again (in my experience) there's a far greater degree of "live and let live" than exists across the water. As long as you're not doing harm you generally wont attract adverse reaction. That said, again, to the best of my knowledge this situation exists without legal compunction, so if asked to shift.....shift.
ask for permission to camp, and walk where ever and whenever the mood takes you ,the person who says this is private property tell him tof*ck off and continue mention it in the pub to a local and watch the house on fire
the whole "private property" is BS in S. ireland,but you break it you fix it<manners however says youy should seet permission to camp if permission is refused for unreasnable reason see above
hope tis is some help
Great Pebble
07-06-2006, 23:25
Actually.....
A good few years ago I was in Co. Clare with a couple of mates.
We'd done a slightly naughty overnight in the grounds of what in the UK would be described as a stately home. No fires, no tents, just doss bags and kip mats under the trees (good wx for a change).
Next morning we met the groundskeeper.
:eek:
"Ahh lads" he says as we walked by pretending to be interested in the flower garden. "if your after staying again tonight, keep well up above the road" (we'd been right beside it in case of having to move) "His Lordship" (that's what he said) "doesn't mind the likes of yourselves but some of the locals get upset" We did indeed stay another night and the groundsman came down for a chat, apparently the same family had owned the place for generations, waaay before partition and there had been a fairly major music festival there at one stage (allegedly with the Stones on the bill). In my experience that's a typical reaction.
I would however, and apologies if this is deemed contoversial, make an effort not to appear like a Traveller, traditional Irish or "New Age".
cheers guys.
Just thinking for next time I go over. Low impact wild camping for the odd night.