The Boyne Valley Camino way finding signage has been officially launched. The markers take the form of a scallop shell, the same as the Camino de Santiago and can be seen on marker posts, benches and corners of buildings all along the 25KM loop walk. During Covid the Boyne Valley Walking group had the idea to investigate creating a long distance walk in South Louth / East Meath. The group discovered that people from the North East of Ireland set sail from the port of Droghedato take on the Camino in Spain during medieval times. They sailed to La Coruňain northern Spain and journeyed 75km to Santiago de Compostela. Out of that research a the 25km Boyne Valley Camino was developed which, along with the 75km from La Coruna, now forms the 100km required for Celtic Camino.
Boyne Valley Walking then secured funding to make the Boyne Valley Camino a permanent, long distance, way-marked trail. With great support from the Camino Society Ireland, local artists, businesses, local authorities, local representatives, local suppliers, our OPW friends at Mellifont and Oldbridge,our Coillte pals at Townley Hall, the village of Tullyallen and others, this is becoming a reality. We secured funding through the Outdoor RecreationI nfrastructure Scheme (ORIS) from the Department of Rural and Community Development and Louth County Council.
The markers were officially announced recently in a morning launch in the newly opened Nelly’s Drogheda, one of the businesses that has supported the investigations of the Boyne Valley Walking group. Over 60 people attended the launch, many of them completing the Camino afterwards and being the first to see the official waymarking signage.
The Boyne Camino 25km route is now marked by over 60 signs. Wall plaques on West St, Bollards with shells and arrows along the route, wooden finger posts in Townley Hall Woods and three trailhead boards along the route .
This should ensure that the route is easy for the local community and visitors to enjoy.
The Boyne Valley Camino celebrates Drogheda and our surroundings, it highlights the nature, beauty, architecture, landscape and layers of history on our doorstep. Congrats to the Boyne Valley Camino group
