How long is St Kevin's Way and how difficult is it?

The route is roughly 30 kilometres (the official Sport Ireland route from Hollywood is 34.3 km) with around 580 metres of ascent, graded as strenuous. It's a proper hill walk requiring good fitness and hill walking experience, but you won't need any climbing skills or technical equipment—just the usual kit for upland walking.

Does St Kevin's Way really have vertical rock staircases carved into it?

No, that's a myth. While the route has steep sections and some stone steps, there are no vertical rock faces or carved staircases requiring climbing ability. The steep bits are gradient-steep, not exposure-steep—challenging hill walking, not actual climbing.

Where does St Kevin's Way start and finish?

Most people start from Hollywood in County Wicklow (though Valleymount is an alternative start point) and finish at the monastic settlement at Glendalough. Walking Hollywood to Glendalough follows the traditional pilgrimage direction and ends somewhere with better facilities and transport options.

Ireland's Ancient Trails

St Kevin's Way: A 30-Kilometre Route That Includes Old Paving, Not Vertical Drama

St Kevin's Way runs approximately 30 kilometres from Hollywood or Valleymount to Glendalough, incorporating old trackways and sections of paving. Claims of rock staircases carved in exactly three vertical places aren't supported, but the route still shows where pilgrims chose effort over ease—even if the steepest sections were never quite as theatrical as the stories suggest.

31 October 20267 min read