Ireland, it is often said, is shaped like a saucer, with hills round the rim and a flat plain in the centre. As a generalisation this is true, but there are enough hills to make it worth while for the walker to visit the Central Plain.

Right in the middle are the Slieve Bloom Mountains. The wooded valleys are the most interesting parts of the Slieve Blooms, and you can visit them all by following the waymarked Slieve Bloom Way (70 Kilometres ). There are other hills to break up the plain. Towards Limerick are Keeper Hill, the Slieve Felim, and Silvermines Mountain (no silver there now!) which offer pleasant walking among unfrequented hills and valleys. (The area is served by the Slieve Felim Way).

Overlooking the lakes and fields of Counties Leitrim and Roscommon are the Curlew and Bricklieve Mountains, and further north between County Cavan and Northern Ireland is the great mass of Cuilcagh. These counties are well served by Waymarked Ways - the Cavan Way, the Leitrim Way and the Minters' Way and Heritage Train.