Waterford - Dungarvan Greenway
The Waterford Greenway is a 46Km pathway from Waterford City to Dungarvan town, exclusive to cyclists and walkers. This is one of the most scenic greenways in Ireland. It is also known as the Deise Greenway, Deise being an ancient name name for County Waterford. The surface is asphalt (tarmac) and particularly suited to cyclists. The route includes a 400m metre tunnel, three viaducts and eleven bridges. The Atlantic ocean comes into view on the Dungarvan side and cyclists can look down on Clonea beach. In summertime one might stop for a swim at any of the wonderful beaches or enjoy cycling on the long stretches of sand. For pitstops along the route see Cafes Waterford page.
The pathway follows the track of the old Waterford to Dungarvan railway line which finally closed in 1990. The profile of the pathway is very flat with a slight incline a few kilometres from Dungarvan heading towards Kilmacthomas as the path leaves the coast see Profile below.
​
Waterford City to Kilmeaden 10.5 Kms
Kilmeaden to Kilmacthomas 13.5 Kms
Kilmacthomas to Durrow 12 Kms
Durrow to Dungarvan 10Kms
​
There is a wealth of information available about the Waterford to Dungarvan greenway see links here.
The Irish Road Trip website provides an excellent breakdown of each stage and identifies the attractions at each location.
​
​There are many options for cyclists depending on whether you use your own bikes and where you start your journey from.
Perhaps those with their own bikes and seasoned cyclists will be able to complete the round trip, starting early in the day. Others may cycle to Kilmeaden or Kilmacthomas and return back, returning to their cars to head home or staying in Waterford/ Dungarvan overnight.
Those hiring have the option of cycling the full greenway and returning the bikes to another depot. At least one company provides this service, see Bike Hire Waterford page.
Another option is to cycle one way from Waterford to Dungarvan or vice versa and take the bus back. There is no railway station in Dungarvan but buses are available, see Expressway bus timetables here. Buses depart every hour or ninety minutes.
The Road Travel pages of this website provides information on bus services and information on transporting bikes on buses.
Another option is to cycle one way, and can carry some belongings for an overnight stay. Hire bike companies will generally provide saddle bags free of charge but please check in advance if you wish to carry an overnight bag. There is plenty of accommodation options in Waterford but book in advance in summertime. See the Travel Waterford section page for further information.​
​
There are some wonderful stopping points along the route including the coffee shop at Kilmeaden station and the restaurant/ cafe at Kilmacthomas. Enjoy a trip on the Suir Valley Railway or visit Mount Congreve House and Gardens which is only a short distance from the greenway, just before Kilmeaden and is well worth a visit.
