Nordic Fitness Ireland

Nordic Fitness Ireland is a walking and outdoor fitness business based at Dysert O’Dea, near Corofin in County Clare. It was established in 2017 by husband-and-wife team Tony and Joanne Burke, who set out to bring Nordic walking to the county as an activity for both visitors and locals. Both are qualified fitness walking and Nordic walking instructors, having trained through the YMCA, Nordic Walking UK and British Nordic Walking.

Nordic walking uses a pair of poles to turn an ordinary walk into a whole-body workout, and the technique has its roots in off-season training for cross-country skiers. Sessions here cater to a range of abilities, from a two-hour taster in which beginners learn the basics before a short walk to nearby Dysert monastery, through to power hiking in the Burren. Walks typically finish with refreshments in the gardens at Burkedale House.

For those who prefer to leave the poles behind, the “Walks for All” programme offers sociable group walks suited to all levels of fitness, with no experience or equipment required. Over the years the instructors have guided hundreds of walkers, with participants coming from Clare and the surrounding counties.