In 2020 I thru-hiked across Ireland coast to coast. From Dublin to Cork along the E8 Long Distance Trail Route.
I wild camped every night in my Zpacks Altaplex tent.
The trail was 650km/400 miles and took around a month to complete.
The E8 Long Distance Trail is part of a trail that stretches from Dursey Island in Cork all the way to Istanbul in Turkey.
I didn’t go that far, I just completed the Irish section 🙂
Ireland Wild Camping Map
This google map (and the video above) run through everywhere I camped on trail.
Direct link to wild camping google map.
The green circles are everywhere I wild camped.
The yellow circles are places I didn’t personally wild camp at but could recommend your could camp there.
The blue circles are places where I stayed in a hotel or hostel etc.
If you found this helpful, consider buying me a coffee 🙂 This helps fund my future hikes.
Wild Camping Laws In Ireland
The actual wild camping laws are quite restrictive in Ireland but I was able to wild camp the whole trail without any major issues.
As a general rule of thumb, out of sight, out of mind.
The trails run through plenty of forests and that is where I camped 90% of the time.
You can certainly camp in other areas but you’re increasing the likelihood of someone coming along giving you hassle but even that would be rare.
In my opinion, in Ireland there is the law and the actual reality. Most people don’t care if they can tell you’re just camping for the night after a day of hiking.
The laws are more so in place to stop large groups of people bush drinking really.
Tips On Finding Wild Camping Spots in Ireland
Coillte is the Irish Forestry Service. It manages 100s of forests all across Ireland.
In my opinion, these forests are the best spots to wild camp in.
One because they are secluded and you don’t have to worry about private or farm land. These spots are almost always ideal camping.
Two, the staff I met along the trail were all very friendly and some even suggested spots I could camp in.
I’d recommend not camping on or near any established trails and walking off trail as much as possible to find a spot to camp.
I hope this useful. If you have any questions, comment below.
And if you want to follow my hikes and get more gear tips & tricks then make sure you check out my YouTube channel.
For more info and tips on hiking in Ireland, check out the playlist I put together: Literally Everything You Need To Know To Hike In Ireland
If you have any wildcamping spots throughout Ireland you’d like to add to this map, let me know over at @hikertimes or email me.