Active retirement group enjoys pilgrim walk along St Declan's Way

A recent pilgrim walk along St Declan's Way was a resounding success, much to the delight of the organisers, Knockmealdown Active.

The volunteer group, which promotes activities on both side of the Knockmealdown Mountains, organised the annual pilgrim walk which reached Ardmore in Co Waterford over the weekend.

The annual walk follows the historic 115km pilgrim path from Cashel, in Co. Tipperary, to Ardmore, Co. Waterford, bringing walkers through the landscapes, heritage sites and communities that shape one of the south of Ireland’s most distinctive pilgrim routes.

Over 350 pilgrims took part across the final weekend, held on Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 24. 

Stage 5 brought walkers from Lismore to Aglish, before the sixth and final stage carried them from Aglish to Ardmore, moving from the River Blackwater and Dromana landscape towards the Déise coast and the finish at Ardmore Beach.

Stage 5 began in Aglish, where walkers registered at the local community hall - with the help of Aglish Community Council - before being brought by bus to Lismore where they were welcomed by stewards and members of Lismore Men’s Shed.

They then gathered at St Carthage’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, where Gráinne Moynihan gave the day’s opening overview and Dean Paul Draper led a pilgrim blessing before the walk began.

A spokesperson for the organisers said that from Lismore, the day opened onto Lady Louisa’s Walk along the River Blackwater, giving Stage 5 one of the strongest scenic starts of the full route. 

The walk then moved towards Cappoquin - with the help of the Capppoquin Tidy Towns stewards - and into the Dromana landscape, where the river, bridge, gardens and estate history shaped the middle of the day before lunch at Villierstown and the final approach to Aglish.

The spokesperson noted that one of the standout moments of Saturday came at Dromana House and Gardens, where Nicholas Grubb spoke to pilgrims about the history of the estate and the wider Blackwater landscape.

Nicholas, along with his wife Barbara, has worked tirelessly to develop and restore the house and gardens, near Cappoquin.

"As the 26th generation connected with the care of the estate, his welcome gave walkers a direct sense of the deep family and local history carried through this part of Saint Declan’s Way," said the spokesperson.

"With the support of Ardmore Tidy Towns on Sunday, the sixth and final stage began with walkers gathering in Ardmore before being brought back to Aglish for the walk to the coast," she added.

"The route set out along quiet roads, tracks, grassy paths and boreens, with the day carrying a different feeling from the beginning; this was the last stretch of the 115km journey, and every stop brought the pilgrims closer to Ardmore."

The spokesperson went on to comment: "Early in the day, Majella and Andrew at Robin’s Acre continued their much-loved tradition of welcoming pilgrims with freshly made cordials and homemade treats. Their stop has become part of the character of Stage 6, offering a welcome lift as walkers began the final day of Saint Declan’s Way."

From there, walkers continued to Saint Declan’s Well at Toor, one of the most important devotional places on the route. 

Long associated with Saint Declan, healing waters and local pilgrimage tradition, the well gave the final day a direct link back to the saint whose path the walkers had followed from Cashel. 

With the support of the parishoners of Mount Stuart, who shared the healing water with the pilgrims, this visit helped mark the shift from a walking event into the final act of the pilgrimage itself.

Lunch at Ballycurrane National School brought another strong community welcome, with locally prepared refreshments and support from the school community. 

From there, the route continued by the River Lickey and through Grange, with the sea and village beginning to open up ahead as walkers moved towards Ardmore.

The finish at Ardmore Beach brought the 2026 pilgrimage to a powerful close. 

In excellent weather, walkers arrived with the sea in front of them and Ardmore’s Round Tower and old monastic landscape close by. 

Many stayed on at the beach after completing the final stage.

Among those recognised at the finish was Darrell Whyte from Cashel, Co. Tipperary, who received his certificate from Knockmealdown Active Chairperson Joe Byrne, after completing all six stages of Saint Declan’s Way for the third time. 

Having now completed the ancient 115km pilgrim path three times, Darrell’s achievement was warmly acknowledged by Knockmealdown Active and fellow pilgrims.

Speaking at the final stage, Joe Byrne said: “It’s great to see fantastic numbers out again, which makes Saint Declan’s Way 2026 a fantastic event. We’ve had great weather and everything has gone really well for us."

"There are only 15 of us in Knockmealdown Active and we organise this as volunteers, so I want to thank the committee and everyone who gives up their time to help us along the way," said Joe.

He also thanked the walkers, stewards, landowners, community groups, community centres and local volunteers who supported the event across all six stages.

Joe paid particular tribute to John O’Neill, who has photographed the walk for several years, and his wife Elena for their continued support, joking that walkers could be guaranteed to have their photograph taken “whether they want it or not”!

He also thanked Cahir Media for the wide range of work carried out behind the scenes, from bookings and emails to social media, website work, press releases, photography and drone coverage.

Onwards to 2027!