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family · Saturday 1 August 2026 · 10:00am 
Coolcarragh Reservoir - Family Nature Walks
At Coolcarragh Reservoir · Kilrush, Athy, Co. Kildare
At Coolcarragh Reservoir · Kilrush, Athy, Co. Kildare
A free family walk around Coolcarragh Reservoir, organised by Kildare County Council, is the kind of summer outing that costs nothing and gives you a genuine morning out in the open air. The reservoir sits near Kilrush, a quiet rural townland south of Athy, and the paths that loop around it suit families with younger children well - no serious elevation, no specialist kit required, just a good stretch of leg and a chance to slow down and look at the water.
The walking trails at Coolcarragh Reservoir follow the edge of the water through open farmland and light scrub, giving you shifting views across the reservoir as you go. Because it is a water body in a low-lying county, the birding is reliable even in August - expect grey herons standing motionless at the margins, moorhens cutting across the shallows, and swallows hunting low over the surface in the warmer months. Dragonflies and damselflies appear in good numbers around reservoirs like this in high summer, which tends to fascinate children who are old enough to crouch and look. The trails vary in length, so you can cut the walk short if younger legs start to tire without having to retrace your steps the whole way back. The setting is genuinely peaceful - this is not a managed visitor attraction with a car park café, it is a working reservoir in the Kildare countryside, and the quiet is part of the appeal.
Athy is about an hour south-west of Dublin city, well served by the M9/N9 corridor - leave the motorway at Athy and follow signs south towards Kilrush. The reservoir is in a rural area, so a car is the practical way to get there. Athy town itself is on the Dublin Heuston to Waterford rail line, and the town is walkable from the station, but Coolcarragh Reservoir is a few kilometres further out and there is no regular local bus connection to the site, so plan accordingly. Free car parking is available at the trailhead.
Athy is a market town on the River Barrow with a long history - the Dominican church, the heritage centre, and the Barrow towpath walk in the town centre are all worth an hour of your time before or after the reservoir. There is more to see in Athy and across Co. Kildare.
Heading to Coolcarragh Reservoir in Athy? Kildare has plenty more to see. Read the Athy area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.