Walking home

Walking home was a 240km walk from my apartment in Dublin city centre, to my mother's home in South Tipperary. The walk took 6 days along canals, trails, and country roads.

Day 1: Home, Dublin city centre - Sallins, Kildare.
Day 2: Sallins, Kildare - Monasterevin, Kildare (via Robertstown).
Day 3: Monasterevin, Kildare - Carlow Town, Carlow.
Day 4: Carlow town - Kilkenny city, Kilkenny.
Day 5: Kilkenny city - Cloneen, South Tipperary.
Day 6: Cloneen, South Tipperary - Home, South Tipperary.

The idea for this walk came about in my final semester of college. The year before I had spent more of the year living abroad than in Ireland, and had walked 1,100km through France and Spain with my boyfriend Carl. While spending so much time away, I had thought a lot about Ireland and the idea of home. So many people we met were in love with our country and culture. And so when it became time to make new photographic work, walking seemed like a natural option.

I didn't leave with a specific outcome in mind, and the images I made were definitely not what I expected. This walk was quiet and long. It was an escape from the city.

I stayed in B&B's and hostels along the way. Not bringing a tent hugely cut down on the size of my bag. Which means I hiked with one extra pair of pants, one extra top, and change of socks and underwear, a book and notebook, my camera, a charger for my phone and camera, and a few snacks.

My route planning was fairly simple - I followed the grand canal out of Dublin, creating a map that looked like I was bunnyhopping south-wards, until I reached Carlow. From here, I ended up following Google Maps - which on the first day brought me along a closed road, over a mountain and down into Kilkenny. The intensity of the road walking changed the feel and tempo of the walk - for a start, there were no hills or traffic while following the canal.

Below is a selection of the photographs I made over the six days.