Sir, – I was amazed at Vincent O'Hagan's assertion in a letter (April 8th) that "at present there is no right of access to the countryside whatsoever for anybody in Ireland".
If he had looked at the website of the Irish Trails Office he would have found hundreds of walking routes listed in every county in Ireland. In Wicklow alone 55 trails are listed, ranging from “easy”, to “moderate” to “strenuous” including the six-day Wicklow Way.
No matter what part of Ireland you live in, you will find waymarked trails simply by enquiring locally or checking the website. Walking is well set up for tourists in Ireland.
It is unreasonable to expect legislation to allow access to every field in the country and also unnecessary.
As well as the listed walks mentioned, there are hundreds of hectares of open mountain where people can organise their own walks without any interference from anyone.
What more could one want, whether local or tourist? – Yours,etc,
BRIAN
GILSENAN,
Bunclody,
Co Wexford.