Slieve Donard Trail, Mournes

Slieve Donard mountain is named after a saint – known in Irish as Domhanghart. Saint Donard built a small prayer cell at the summit of the mountain during the fifth century. Until the 1830s, people would walk here as part of a pilgrimage in late July.

At 9.4 km, this is a comfortable half-day walk for most hikers. At an average walking pace, plan for roughly 2 hours and 6 minutes.

The route forms a complete loop, returning you to where you started. This makes logistics simple and the outing entirely self-contained.

Part of the Local Walking Network (LWN), this trail is ideal for exploring the neighbourhood landscape. It is typically well-known to local walkers and offers an authentic sense of place.