The Dying Cow pub in Wicklow lodges plans for camping facilities

The owner of the popular Dying Cow pub on the Wicklow Way trail has lodged an ambitious planning application with Wicklow County Council for new camping facilities.

ccording to owner, Eamonn Dolan, “There’s very little accommodation actually on the Wicklow Way. We constantly have people calling into the pub, asking if there’s somewhere to camp or put up a tent along the trail. It was a real no brainer for us to make a camping area ourselves.”

Located between the picturesque villages of Tinahely and Shillelagh, the Dying Cow has been an institution among walkers on the Wicklow Way trail for an age now. Renowned for its traditional music and craic, the popular stop off point is located within two miles of the planned ‘Greenway’ between Shillelagh and Arklow – which Eamonn says will be a real “game changer” for local tourism.

With this huge change in local infrastructure on the horizon, Eamonn Dolan has sought to future proof his business by expanding the pub’s services. At the end of April he lodged plans with Wicklow County Council for the creation of a new camping area adjacent to his business

The Dying Cow’s planning application involves the levelling of the ground adjacent to the pub to create enough space for at least four average sized tents and their occupants, and two self-contained glamping pods’. Eamonn also intends to install showers and other camping amenities.

He describes the pods as something akin to an Air BNB, where people will have all of their facilities in one location. “People will have a comfortable night in the pods, I can tell you that,” he said. “They’ll have everything. Their own kitchenette, a comfy bed. Some people want camping without the hassle. We want to cater to those people too.”

The Dying Cow is located 25km from the end of the 137 km long Wicklow Way, which starts in Marlay Park in Dublin and ends in Clonegal in County Carlow. The trail is notoriously bereft of accommodation, with many walkers resorting to ‘rough camping’ or walking further off the trail, to Tinahely or Shillelagh, to find a camping ground or lodgings.

In an effort to partially fund the project Eamonn has applied for a LEADER Grant, under the Rural and Community Development. As part of that process he must appeal to the public to take part in the consultation, to verify how necessary the proposed facilities are.

“You can access the Google form via our Facebook page, “Eamonn said. “The whole thing is, with the planned Greenway from Shillelagh to Arklow passing so close to us, there is going to be even more demand for camping and accommodation facilities. If the public can help us convey that, we’d really appreciate it.”