Accounts of recent events, holidays and rides

IRELAND May – June 2006

Following our very successful cycle-touring trip to Holland last year, we decided to arrange another holiday this year. I persuaded the others that we should go to Ireland.

Four of us, Stephen, Ellen, Helen & Steve, met up in Holyhead on Saturday 20th, ready to take the Ferry to Dublin the following day. The plan was to dock about lunchtime and ride the 30 miles to our first campsite. The voyage across the Irish Sea was a bit stormy, and when we arrived outside the port of Dun Laoghaire we were told that the ‘Bow Thrusters’ were broken and we could not enter the harbour until the wind dropped. Six hours later, after a free lunch and many renderings of ‘The Fields of Athenry’ from the supporters of the successful Munster Rugby Team returning home, we got off the ferry at 5:45 pm, to a rain sodden Dublin, just after the Tourist Information Office had closed.

We managed to make our way through Dublin to the western outskirts and, thanks to Ellen’s thorough research, Stephens map reading and a compass, found a campsite with all amenities including hot showers and a Tumble Dryer!

The next day dawned, wet, with the wind still coming from the west. We miss judged the distance, and were still 20 miles from the Ballykeeran Campsite, north of Athlone, at 5pm in the afternoon. Outside the Tesco Store, looking for a cup of tea, we fell into conversation with a Mrs Patricia Brady. Her husband was a local GP, but more importantly a cyclist, and was currently with the Tour of Ireland as the medical support. She took us home for tea and then invited us to stay the night. This was the night that the temperature dropped to 5% F, so the invitation was gratefully accepted. We were able to dry the tents in her garden, and set off the next morning, already approximately 40 miles behind schedule, in the dry.

We rode westward. Dry stonewalls replaced hedgerows, and there were several stone quarries. The terrain was more undulating and small hills made of intrusions or deposits of much harder rock (the rock being quarried) gave some lift to the landscape. We rode through Athlone, Ballinasloe and Athenry against a head wind and /or crosswind reaching Galway for lunch on Thursday. We then rode along the North shore of Galway Bay to Spiddle, where we found the campsite still being developed and prepared for the new season, at least there was an undercover area where we could prepare the food and cook away from the midges. We changed our mind about staying a second night here and moved on the next day. Our route took us passed the ferry to the Aran Islands. We parked our luggage with the men in the ticket office and took the bikes across to Inishmore. The island had run out of fish, so we had burger and chips for lunch before taking the only road that runs across the Island.

The landscape is very barren, made up of layered limestone, with no trees. I was half hoping to see little old ladies in traditional costume, sitting outside their cottages, knitting Aran Sweaters. The population seemed depleted and although some of the cottages were still standing, were abandoned and crumbling. New homes had been built alongside these cottages, looking bland and soulless. There were Aran sweaters for sale in the Souvenir Shops but no indication where they were made! Nevertheless, the Island had a certain charm and once we were away from Kilronon we had it more or less to ourselves.

It was raining when we retrieved the luggage from the ticket office, and still raining when we discovered that the campsite at Carraroe had closed three years ago! It was now 7:30pm. We knocked on the door of the only B&B in the village. The landlady had had a busy couple of days with guests who were following the Polish cycle team, some of whom were still in the house. She took us in, made up the beds and allowed us to cook our supper in her kitchen, another example of wonderful Irish hospitality.

Saturday 27th It was not raining when we left Carraroe. We turned north and enjoyed a virtual tail wind until turning west when the riding became harder. We were now in Connemara, a barren landscape with rocks, mountains and lakes, beautiful, but with no cafes or pubs until Clifton, where we booked into a good campsite for two nights. This gave us the opportunity to explore the peninsular to the west of Clifton without luggage. This was the Ireland we had come to see and we were not disappointed. A bonus was that the weather improved. Warm and dry at last.

On Monday we rode from Clifton, heading northeast then north to Westport, through Connemara National Park. It was a fantastic morning with beautiful views mountains and lakes. The further north we went the lusher the scenery became. After lunch we had a hard ride, into a head wind, into Westport. The only Campsite was in the Manor Grounds. Euros 22 per tent per night! Never the less we decided to stay for two nights to have a day to explore the area, or in my case, have a day off the bike.

Wednesday 31st, we rode from Westport to Ballina and another day without rain and very little wind. We headed north along the main N59, and then east onto the minor roads. There was very little traffic. The scenery and the terrain were undulating. We stopped for a picnic lunch at a spectacular viewpoint at Lough Cullin. Bees buzzing, cuckoos calling, fish jumping. After lunch we cycled between the lakes and headed north to Ballina. This proved to be the best campsite so far. Situated a couple of miles north of the town, in the woods. It had excellent facilities, including a covered BBQ area, with a swallow feeding its young in the roof immediately above us. We decided to stay here for two nights, and on Thursday headed north, through quiet lanes to Killala, and on to Downpatrick Head, via Rathlackan. There were beautiful views across Lackan Bay to Inishcrone and possibly Donegal from the headland. I left Stephen and Ellen, who turned up to the view point, and was blown down to Ballycastle to replenish my caffeine levels, which were seriously flagging, before heading back to the camp site. Ellen and Stephen made the best of the day by exploring the next peninsular before returning.

Friday morning was warm and sunny. We had a lazy start to an easy day. We took our time over making breakfast and breaking camp before riding the two miles into Ballina for coffee, well, we were on holiday, and I think it was well deserved. After coffee we followed the cost road, on the east side of Killala Bay, to Inishcrone.

Annette, a friend and former colleague, had settled here some years ago, we found her busy in her Laundrette and arranged to meet later. The campsite was virtually on the beech. We pitched the tents on the other side of the sand dunes before tucking into a large portion of fish and chips for lunch, probably not deserved, but never mind. Inishcrone is s a small town expanding very quickly. It is dependent on the tourist and fishing industries. Like the rest of Ireland, it is enjoying the fruits of European subsidies. There were a large number of new houses most of which were empty. We learned that the Government policy was to allow the rich to claim tax relief when investing in property. We resisted the temptation of a seaweed bath, a local speciality, as the weather was too nice to be inside and spent the rest of the afternoon sitting by the bay, paddling in the Atlantic and watching the children play. Annette came by with her mother, who was visiting from Oxford, and one of her daughters. They invited the four of us to supper and we enjoyed a very pleasant, sociable evening among her friends and family. They were persuaded to give us a rendering of ‘The Fields of Athenry’.

Saturday 3rd. Inishcrone to Sligo, Our route took us around the coast road between the sea and the Ox Mountains. I felt I was realising a fantasy. I had visited this area five years earlier, by car with Annette, and thought then it was ideal cycling country, if like me you enjoy the quiet country roads and undulating hills. Glorious weather. We headed for the Beach Bar, Aughris Head, for coffee, which had been recommended by our hosts last night. This bar was off the beaten track but obviously popular with the locals, always a good sign. It was almost lunchtime, so we decided to pass an hour on the beech and wait until one o’clock. This proved to be a good decision as I had the best meal of the holiday, fresh fish chowder! We continued round the west side of Sligo Bay and into the confusion of roads south of the town. Stephen managed to negotiate the way into the town without using the motorway. Sligo was heaving. It was a public holiday weekend and there was a music festival on at the Race Course.

Our first port of call was the Railway Station to buy tickets for Dublin in the morning. Despite being assured that there would be no problem putting bikes on the train when we enquired in Westport, the ticket officer in Sligo refused to accept them as it was a commuter train (a bank holiday Sunday!) The bus station was a bit more promising but not able to guarantee they could take the bikes. We were approximately 130 miles and 48 hours from Dun Laoghaire. We discussed the options and decided to take a chance. Our next port of call was the Tourist Information Office, which had just closed. The next stop was our designated campsite, which had an apartment block on it. We headed for plan B, the campsite at Rosses Point, 5 miles north west of the town. The site was very busy with families and holidaymakers but they managed to squeeze us in. We pitched the tents in a quiet corner overlooking Aughris Head where we had had lunch. Stephen and Ellen did the noble task of going back to town to buy food for supper then coming back to cook it.

Up early on Sunday morning to cycle back into Sligo and arrived in plenty of time. The bus driver was happy to take us, and the bikes, and we stored them ourselves, securing them to our own satisfaction. We arrived in Dublin around lunchtime and found a café near the River Liffey. The others went to check out the Shanklin campsite at the Tourist Information Office while I took care of the bikes. The office closed as they approached it! Ellen was keen to spend the last day in the Wicklow Mountains, before catching the ferry on Monday evening. We decided to head south, passed Dun Laoghaire, along the coast road towards the campsite. The road was narrow and undulating. The traffic was scary. The Dubliners were out in their hundreds, enjoying a hot public holiday. Ellen had the presence of mind to ask in a shop the location of the campsite before descending a very steep hill. Guess what! It closed three years ago. We admitted defeat and went back to the Ferry Port. They transferred our passage. No problem, no charge and we caught the 9:30 pm Ferry back to Holyhead, sprinted to the campsite where we had started and pitched the tents around midnight in the dark.