On June 4th 2006 Graham (aged 11 at the time) and myself (Steve) took our push-bikes to Ireland for a week's holiday. After discovering the Grand Canal out of Dublin it seemed that cycling across the country was an option. It was real hot, the terrain was flat and therefore we had ideal conditions to achieve such an objective, so we did!
What follows is a description of our five day journey, some pictures and, hopefully, advice for other people wishing to attempt the same. Given the weather it was relatively easy and I would heartily recommend it as an ideal holiday, combining adventure and achievement. Be warned: not all the roads we travelled on were well surfaced and quiet. Irish roads, like any others, can be death traps for cyclists, and so I would like to invite any suggestions for alternative routes to the precise one we took, especially avoiding traffic. Other parts of Ireland are, I am told, sometimes hillier, often quieter. I would describe some sections of our route as "monotonously superb"!
Day 1: Sunday June 4th 2006
Dublin - Tipperstown
Mim (Graham) has just turned 11 and had an extra week off school, so we sailed from Holyhead to Dublin on the Irish Ferries 15:15 boat. The ferry crossing was perfect
Like all port areas (at least commercial ones), Dublin is crap, all oil pipes and containers, but when we got to the city side there was an amazing festival with loads of bands and performers, the first one performing O'Mahoney's Frolics, the second one, like the Temperance Seven on Stilts, who did Staying Alive, That'll be the Day and I will Survive in between some bloke balancing a pint of beer on his head, drinking it through a straw and juggling three scimitars while standing astride his mate
Cycling sucks in Dublin (Until you discover the Tram Routes, the main one is a block or so north of the river). to quote a local, "No one gives a toss about shutting what cycle lanes there are, so my advice to you with the little information I have is, when cycling across town, find the tram routes. Heuston station is the jumping off point for westbound train journeys. By the time we got there at seven in the evening, there was one train left to depart at 9 PM to Limerick and Cork. Looking at the map I saw "The Grand Canal" and was told it was a couple of miles from the station. We found it and used it to get through the biggest council estate in Europe and past several industrial sites. I wouldn't have slept in Dublin, so we pressed on as far as we could. The canal-side track deteriorated until by about ten o'clock we were humping the bikes over rough ground and midges as thick as snow in a blizzard. They were not stingers, but they were bloody annoying!
At Ringwood we left the canal and with dusk coming down tried to find somewhere to sleep. It was only after dark we finally landed at the Ardclough Gaelic Football Club at Tipperstown Co. Kildare for a pint and a sleep by the net shed. We did not fetch a tent with us, the intention being that if the weather was awful we would get Bed & Breakfast. Apart from the odd slug wanting to get into bed with me, we had a peaceful night under the stars.
Distance: 37.51 km
Day 2: Monday June 5th 2006
Tipperstown - Edenderry
Superb days cycling in County Kildare, home of the Curragh and the K Club, during which we have also swam in the canal, seen loads of fish (including Roach, Perch, Tench and a Jack Pike), Graham has been canoeing courtesy of Richard and Robert (it cost us some biscuits), and bagged ourselves a new County right at the end.
Our first few kilometres was absolutely wonderful, as 50 yards from our camp site we rolled down to the canal side and hit a road built (according to legend) by Tony Ryan of Ryan Air fame. throughout the trip we had to make decisions guessing what the tow-path was going to be like, so we took the road into Sallins where we discovered the Irish cafe which is a delicatessen within a shop where they wrap sandwiches etc. and have a coffee machine. On enquiring why we didn't see any moving boats on the canal we were told by a boat owner that nobody wanted to lose their moorings. From Sallins we took the (rough) canal side to Robertstown, which like many villages had several pubs and a shop attached to a bar. After Robertstown we accidentally took the southern branch of the canal and did a five km detour before eventually getting back on the main road to Carberry, where unfortunately we had just missed the All Ireland Peat Cutting Championships, held the Saturday before. The road was busy enough to be a bit scary, but we were rewarded with excellent Bed and Breakfast at the Fishermans Rest in Edenstown, courtesy of Lovely Rita
(7, Father Kearns Street, just on as you enter the town from the East a few hundred yards from the Lidl supermarket; Tel: 046 9731297. Highly Recommended)
Distance: 52.81 km ODO 90.3 km
Day 3: Tuesday June 6th 2006
Edenderry - River Shannon at Banagher
Happy Birthday Mum!
I think I may have died and gone to heaven! I would love to tell you where we ended up, but I should describe the day chronologically so that'll have to wait.
The first 20 km of cycling was fast, but was not so enjoyable as it was on the main road. between Edenderry & Tullamore. Some 15 km from Tullamore at Daingean we turned onto the canal path and boy - (see pictures) - mile upon mile of straight, flat, picturesque, traffic-free cycling. Met a bloke called Cyril who was walking The Grand Canal. Hero
After 36 km we reached Tullamore, The Capital of Offaly, where we had the best smoothies ever just south of our route, followed by shave and siesta down the canal apiece.
The cycling was not quite so good subsequently, either rough canal-side or road, some busy, some not, but we ended up in a place called Banagher. We crossed the River Shannon into Connacht, and I was so glad we didn't get Bed and Breakfast in the village. We slept a few hundred yards from the bridge next to a river as calm as a millpond (apart from the fish jumping). We had a swimming pool (free, in the river) 100 yards away and we slept on the 4th at the pitch and put course - Utopia.
Distance: 79.3 km
ODO 169.6 km (PS don't ask what ODO stands for - it means total distance)
Day 4: Wednesday June 7th 2006
Banagher - Loughrea
Graham has died & gone to Heaven! We woke up in Connacht. We were recommended breakfast from Heidi's in Banagher, so I cycled up for a couple of Breakfast sandwiches which were rubbish for the price. Someone let me know if the breakfasts themselves are better. Of course we played Pitch and Put, therefore took a fairly leisurely start to the day.
The Grand Canal was no more, so the rest of the trip was by road. I guess we kind of took it easy today (Though 50 km is still not bad into a headwind). Loads of quiet roads, still not a hill to remember, just little palace after little palace, green meadows, woods, cows, sheep and horses.
Visited: Eyrecourt, Kiltormer, Kilreekill and ended up at Lough Rea in the town of Loughrea, sleeping in a skate-park and play area by the lake (which is much bigger than Grasmere). Apparently swimming is good in the lake, with the Perch at ease with bathers, but my aquatic activities for the day were confined to building a dam in a stream I don't know the name of. (Great fun nonetheless- you gotta take time out to paddle)
Distance: 55.3 km ODO 222.8 km
Day 5: Thursday June 8th 2006
Loughrea - Galway
Yippedy doo and zing zang spillit
Perfect start, (apart from throwing the camping mats into Lough Rea). Slightly undulating, easterly breeze, we did 24 km without stopping and ended up in Kilcolgan, which, for our purposes, was on the coast.
The rest of the ride into Galway was not so good as it was a busy road. We ended up staying on the edge of the city in B&B. Naturally took a ride into the city itself for a gander. It is intriguing as cities are, but very busy with traffic and still full of continental restaurants, MacDonald's and mobile 'phone shops. The river Corrib and Sea Front are lovely and you can see the Windmills away to the East atop Sieve Aughty, which we first spotted yesterday afternoon
Gallic Football is still a mystery
Distance: 54.1 km ODO 277 km
Day 6: Friday June 9th 2006
Galway / Menlo / Lough Corrib
Moved from the B&B at the edge of town. It was absolutely fine, but just awkward in terms of location (There are a stack of B& B's within 600 yards of the railway station).
We cycled to Menlo and Loch Corrib just a few miles North of Galway City. We were shown round the village of Menlo by Max, the local guide who knows everything there is to know about that corner of the world. It is a most fascinating place, with only about twenty houses, a derelict castle, abandoned boats and a history including two people who left the village to found Menlo Park in California, and best of all a legendary Rowing Eight that in 1929 and 1931 won the all Ireland championships, and only missed out on their hat trick by an act of selfless sportsmanship in 1930. Mr Faherty, the shop owner is actually the son of one of the crew who told us all about the story.
Distance: 30 km / ODO 307 km
Total Distance for trip: 322.81 km
Steve, Tiny & Graham at Holyhead
The Liffey (Ha'penny) Bridge, Dublin
Crazy Band!
Swimming & Canoeing on the Grand Canal
Entering the Queen of Counties at Edenderry
Grand Canal Road Looking East
Grand Canal Road Looking West
Cyril walking the Grand Canal
Bivi Site on the Pitch and Putt course at Banagher
River Shannon at Banagher from Bridge
River Shannon at Banagher from Bivi Site
Dam
Rush Hour, 5 km north of Loughrea
Bivi Site overlooking Lough Rea
A well deserved drink
End of the journey on the Corrib at Galway
