Lower Jenkinstown: Walks and Day Trips

When looking for a hotel in Lower Jenkinstown, it helps to know what kinds of day trips interest you. The Annaloughan National Loop Walk and Magic Hill in Jenkinstown offer two different kinds of experiences: a marked circular walk with a stated distance and walking time, and a road-related phenomenon. County Louth complements these local attractions with its own nature, cycling and cultural heritage destinations.

Annaloughan National Loop Walk: Start and timing

The Annaloughan National Loop Walk starts in Jenkinstown at a small lay-by with a picnic area beside the main road. The starting point is at the junction of the R173 to Dundalk and the R174 to Ravensdale, on the road from Dundalk to Carlingford. Purple arrows and signs mark the route; check the waymarking on site. The loop is 8 km long. The estimated walking time is 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours, depending on conditions and your pace. This time range helps you fit the walk into your day’s plans.

Scenery and memorials along the loop

The route follows the mountainside ridge of Annaloughan Mountain and offers views over Dundalk Bay. On the return, it passes through Rockmarshall Forest, with its pine and spruce trees. The loop thus combines views of the bay with a forest section on the way back, without reducing the two landscapes to a single viewpoint.

The route also passes cultural heritage sites: the Annaloughan National Loop Walk goes by the OPW Rochmarshall Court Tomb. There is also a memorial plaque along the way commemorating the crew of a RAF B-24 Liberator Mk. 2 aircraft. It crashed in bad weather on 14 March 1942. The Court Tomb and the memorial plaque offer different historical points of reference that you can bear in mind when considering the route.

A different kind of day trip: Magic Hill

Magic Hill is in Jenkinstown, a few kilometres outside Dundalk. There, if a car is put in neutral at the bottom, it rolls uphill again by itself. While the Loop Walk is described by its distance and walking time, the road phenomenon is the main attraction at Magic Hill. The two experiences therefore offer different reasons to include Jenkinstown in your travel plans.

County Louth: cultural heritage in the wider region

County Louth offers a distinct perspective on historical sites. Old Mellifont Cistercian Abbey in Tullyallen near Drogheda was Ireland’s first Cistercian monastery. The abbey site includes a two-storey, octagonal lavabo. Carlingford Castle offers a different historical perspective: it was built around 1190, probably by the Norman baron Hugh de Lacy.

Monasterboice is one of the outstanding examples of an early Christian, or “Celtic”, monastery, with its round tower and high crosses. The Tall Cross, also known as the West Cross, is 6.5 m high and the tallest high cross in Ireland. Muiredach’s Cross, also known as the South Cross, is 5.5 m high and fully intact. Its depictions from the Old and New Testaments include two playful cats at the bottom of the shaft. These specific differences help you see the two crosses as more than simply similar monuments.

More walking and nature attractions in County Louth

County Louth also offers a range of ways to get active. The Carlingford Lough Greenway runs for over 20 km from the village of Carlingford in County Louth to Newry City in County Down. It follows the southern shore of Carlingford Lough, mostly away from road traffic, and offers a route for walking and cycling. Unlike the 8 km loop in Jenkinstown, it is a longer connection between two places rather than a circuit with a designated starting point.

Another nature attraction is Stephenstown Pond Nature Park in Knockattin near Dundalk. It has lakeside walking trails, woodland areas and a wide variety of wildlife. The regional picture therefore ranges from the circular walk in Jenkinstown, to a longer route along Carlingford Lough, to a nature park with waterside trails.

Discover more destinations: Bettystown, Termonfeckin, Ardee, Collon, Dundalk, Carlingford, Stabannan, Tallanstown.

For the broader travel overview: County Louth.