Six days in Ireland.

[Dodgy69]

Today is packing day, just a tank bag and TOP BOX. Will be leaving home Sunday 6.30am and heading to Holyhead for 10.45 ferry. Then Dublin to Waterford for first night.

GS has been washed, pressures checked and ready to roll. I've given up looking at weather apps, no point, but hopefully we'll get some brightness. I hope I haven't stretched the days riding too much, not quite sure. We're using the slow road's and 200 miles can be a long day.

All essentials will be packed , breakfast bars, wipes, water, anti petrol bomb spray, etc.

Looking forward to it. Nowt like a good bike trip.

[Pirahna]

You might actually get a rain free week. Enjoy.

[Dodgy69]

Steady run to Holyhead, ferry to Dublin all good. Exiting Dublin southbound bloody nightmare. Without satnav your fcuked.

Into the Wicklow mountains the scenery was ace, bit cloudy to begin with but brightened up. Sally gap was a place with lovely views.

Heading for Waterford and sticking to the back roads took us through some lovely villages with plenty of drinking houses, so we stopped at one in Aughrim.

Got to Waterford at 6.15, had enough by then. Crackin town with live bands ' under the roof ' outdoor seating and bars everywhere. Bnb tonight, nice enough.

[Cousin Jack]

Enjoy Ireland, did it last year and some fantastic roads and scenery.

[Pirahna]

Steady run to Holyhead, ferry to Dublin all good. Exiting Dublin southbound bloody nightmare. Without satnav your fcuked.

If you used the M50 have you paid the toll? This isn't the toll booth leaving the port, this is for the main motorway ring road.

https://www.eflow.ie

[Dodgy69]

No motorways used... Kenmare tonight, fantastic days riding, highlight being the Healy pass, superb.

Kenmare seems a lovely vibrant place, plenty of nice bars. Food later.

[Cousin Jack]

Next stop, the Ring of Kerry? If you want to avoid the crowds try to find Molls Gap and the Black Valley.

NB. The roads are basically goat tracks, but do-able.

[Dodgy69]

Wet first thing today but it was the ring from Kenmare and a fantastic road it is. I carried on and went to Dingle and the Connor pass, again fantastic.

My mate whose new to riding was struggling so after the ring he headed straight yo hotel in Limerick. Blessing in disguise tbh, coz he a bit slow and doesn't overtake very confidently and he holding me up. Yes, the scenery is nice but I can stop to look at that, but the roads to be entertaining needed a bit more pace, out to Dingle and the pass was lovely on my own.

We're both sat in the Woodfield hotel bar now and a very nice place it is. Arse resting time.

[Bustaspoke]

We did some of the WAW a couple of years back & you seem to be doing a very similar route.
Kenmare & the surrounding area was my favourite part.From Dingle we did the Slea head road in the morning before going up to Galway.
Here's a view on the Slea Head road



I plan on going back

[trophydan]

Steady run to Holyhead, ferry to Dublin all good. Exiting Dublin southbound bloody nightmare. Without satnav your fcuked.

If you used the M50 have you paid the toll? This isn't the toll booth leaving the port, this is for the main motorway ring road.

https://www.eflow.ie

The M50 is free for bikes

[Dodgy69]

Only one thing to remember from today...N59. Equally as good a rode as I have ever ridden. From Galway to Ballina. It's a long day but its got mountains, lakes and fantastic sweeping corners with little traffic.

My mate's struggling so went straight from Limerick hotel to Ballina hotel. So I've been on my own all day and just aswel. Over 200 miles of paradise.

Took a few pic's but tbh, I just kept riding.



asus keyboard problem

test key

[Dodgy69]

Another great day in hot Irish sunshine.

Made our way north to Donegal, then my mate headed towards Latterkenny, I went west, then up a little mountain road to Ardara. Rejoined the N56 for a bit then sat nav took me into the mountains, superb.

The road brought me back to Letterkenny and on towards NW 200 territory. 200 miles again of glorious riding.

[mboy]

Did 9 days in Ireland back in 2022, averaged around 200 miles per day, did quite a bit of the WAW... I absolutely love it over there, some of the best roads I have ever ridden!

My only advice having caught lots of ferries to and from Ireland over the last few years (mainly for work) would be to sack off Dublin as a port, and to go over from Fishguard (absolutely epic ride down to there through mid Wales!) or Pembroke Dock to Rosslare and ideally come back on the overnight ferry from Belfast to Liverpool Birkenhead... Dublin port really is a bastard to get into and out of, central Dublin is a great city but the greater metropolitan area is a bit of a hell hole to negotiate (especially on a bike), and most of the best riding in Ireland is on or near the West Coast, so cutting out as much in the east maximises the value of the trip IMO...

[Bustaspoke]

My only advice having caught lots of ferries to and from Ireland over the last few years (mainly for work) would be to sack off Dublin as a port,

I agree with you,we went Holyhead-Dublin & returned the same route,Won't choose that route next time!

[Cousin Jack]

Went via Dublin last year. Getting out, going north, was easy. Straight out of the port and on the Mway. Coming back from the south east, via the city centre, was a total nightmare. The traffic system with bus, cycle and normal traffic lanes is a royal upfcuk.

[Dodgy69]

Day of 2 half's today. From Portrush we popped down to Joeys place , then up to Ballycastle for the coast road A2.. Great road and in this weather we were spoilt.

Stopped at Waterfoot for drinks and a sea breeze. We followed the coast to Carrickfergus, then Belfast and the delightful Premier Inn, Lisburn.

Met a nice chap who rode with us to Carrickfergus and said we'd be better of getting a cab to Hillsborough, 3 miles down the rode, so that's the plan.

Getting through Belfast was a nightmare. An accident had brought us to a stand still. My mate won't filter, boxes, so we were stuck. but eventually we made it. Cracking week had, fantastic weather, roads and a few dark ones.

[Dodgy69]

Almost forgot....

[Tricky]

Nice thread Paul , sounds like a great trip- I know NI fairly well, but aside from a fly in and out weekend in Dublin have never seen any of the rest of the south, so my current plan for Isabella's next birthday trip ( is always a trip somewhere on a bike by her choice) is pretty much what you've just done, or just the north at the minimum as it's a place I know and love, and she's never seen - if we ( well I ) can time it to co-incide with a road race, even better

[Noggin]

NW200 is freaking awesome but possibly more likely to be dodgy on weather given it's May - although, it's Ireland, so it could P down or be a heatwave at any time of the year LOL

[Dodgy69]

On the ferry home.