The Sheep's Head Way is a shining example of how tourism can complement the community, John Ahern tells Arminta Wallace

The walk

"The walk I've chosen is part of the Sheep's Head Way in West Cork," says John Ahern of South West Walks Ireland, who has been taking people on guided walks all over Ireland for more than 15 years. "You start about four miles west of the village of Kilcrohane, on the southern side of the peninsula, which sticks out into the Atlantic, with Bantry Bay on one side of you and Dunmanus Bay on the other. Park your car in Letter West and you'll see the trail marker directing you off the main road to your right. You climb to 232 metres, to one of the signal towers built around 1800 by the British in the event of Napoleonic invasion.

"From there you descend to a car park, where there's a wonderful cafe manned by local women - a good example of how the tourism people are working together with local farmers to bring visitors into the area. On a wet day recently I had a walking group there, and the women in the café helped to dry out people's clothes - and put a drop of something in the tea to bring the roses back into their cheeks.

"At the end of the peninsula there's a remote lighthouse. From there, you're looking north to Bere Island and south to the Mizen.

"Then you turn on to the northern shore - a lovely, lovely walk along a cliff, with wonderful views.

"At a place called Cahergael you turn right, taking what's called the Black Gate Path. This brings you over a ridge of about 200 metres and back to where you started. The whole walk is about 16 kilometres, and takes four or four and a half hours, though you can shorten it.

"It's a beautiful walk - the hillside, the views, the landscape have to be seen to be believed. But what I like most is the attitude of the people. It's one of those places in Ireland where co-operation between tourism and the local community is working very well."

The Sheep's Head Way is an 88-kilometre trail which loops around the Sheep's Head Peninsula in west Cork. Information and maps are available locally, or from 027-61052.

www.southwestwalksireland.com

How did you get into walking?

I stumbled into this business. I met a woman who was a walker.

How regularly do you walk?

These days I guide one tour a month, which would be 40 or 50km. I'm also a member of three mountaineering clubs and I go walking in the wintertime - but that's a different kind of walking. It's functional: going from point A to point B.

What's the longest walk you've ever done?

In a day? 20 km.

The most magical walk you've ever done? There's a walk on the Antrim Coastal glens from Larne to a place called Cairnlough, looking across the Irish Sea at the Mull of Kintyre. Beautiful, beautiful countryside. I think that's the one.

And the most miserable?

The most miserable walk I did was a couple of Wednesdays ago. We were on the western end of Bere Island: we'd just had our lunch, got up to walk, and the skies opened.

As well as that the wind blew hailstones. I had a group of 10, including two Irish people. But they were all as happy as Larry.

We came down and went into the pub and had 10 hot whiskeys.