One week in Ireland - Galway

Galway is the Republic's third city, sitting on the west coast, full of students and rain. It's the gateway to Connemara, a remote area of scenic beauty - where The Quiet Man was filmed (Cong, Co. Mayo). Historic towns like fortified Athenry and traditional Spiddal. The beautiful Aran Islands, one of the Gaeltacht regions, where they still speak the Irish tongue in daily life.

In Galway city itself, the museum is well worth a visit, and just wander around the surrounds as well - the Spanish Arch, the Long Walk. See the swans in the mouth of the river Corrib. Follow the river back up to the cathedral and the university.

Out to the north-west is Augnanure Castle for the history buffs, or the Great Western Way for the walkers. Or if you fancy a stroll along the promenade, then Salthill is the place for you. If you're feeling brave you could even take a dip at Blackrock!

For me, Galway's pubs are the city's primary attraction. From trad sessions in the Crane, to gigs in the Róisín Dubh. The area around Dominick Street is full of great pubs, any hour of the day. For a slightly more touristy vibe, stick to Shop Street and Quay St - the King's Head, Tigh Neachtain, the Quays, Tig Cóilí, Taafes, Freeney's... there's plenty of possibilities.

One week in Ireland - The Burren

1 day. Ideal to pass through over an extended afternoon, from Kerry to Galway perhaps.

The Burren is one of Ireland's more unique spots. A limestone landscape, it's still home to a wide range of wildlife. It also contains Poulnabrone dolmen, the Ailwee Caves and the spectacular Cliffs of Moher. If you're in Ireland in September, the village of Lisdoonvarna is host to the Matchmakers Festival. Nearby Kilfenora has a fine collection of high crosses.



For any Father Ted fans, there's plenty to see and do. Many of the series' outdoor filming took place in and around the village Kilfenora, and Father Ted's house isn't too far off either. Fanore (Fán Óir) is where the caravan park from 'Hell' is located. The river beside the Falls hotel in Ennistymon is the setting for the video to 'My Lovely Horse'. In Kilfenora itself is Vaughan's pub ('Are you right there, Father Ted?'), the row of houses from which Pat Mustard emerges without his trousers, and where Dougal delivers milk to women in the nip. The roundabout from the same episode is a prop, but was located outside Linnane's pub (which does the best Guinness in all Ireland!).



If you're leaving the Burren to head to Galway, make sure to stop at Dunguaire castle just after Kinvara.

One week in Ireland - Kerry

Kerry is possibly my favourite place in the country. My grandfather on my mother's side is from Kerry, so I might be biased, and nearly every time I go, it rains. Ferociously. But even when it rains, Kerry's still beautiful. It's got it all - mountains, lakes, beautiful beaches, lots of great towns, history, pubs, craic. It's probably why I end up heading there once or twice a year.

It's easily reachable from Cork, less than ninety minutes drive to Killarney. Kerry is split into two peninsulas - Dingle (Daingean in Irish) and Iveragh. The Iveragh is home to the Ring of Kerry, a picturesque drive that follows the coast through country towns and mountain passes.

Kerry: 1-3 days
Killarney's a good base, though Kenmare has also been recommended to me. There's also Killorglin, home to the famous Puck Fair, held every August.
Killarney's a bit of a bigger, touristy town, lots of pubs, but with easy access to the beautiful National Park. This contains the famous lakes, Ladies' View, Ross Castle, and offers fantastic views of the mountains.



On the Ring of Kerry, all the coaches go around anti-clockwise, so I reckon it's nicer to go in the opposite direction. You'll pass through Moll's Gap, Sneem, Castle Cove, Caherdaniel, and Waterville. From here you can make a diversion out to Portmagee and the Skellig ring. Every morning the boats leave for Skellig Michael, a monastery built on a rock of an island in the Atlantic. Sailings are weather-dependent, so if you can, give yourself a couple of mornings in the area to increase your chances of making it out. There's also a bird sanctuary, and seals if you're lucky.



Continuing around the ring, you'll come through Caherciveen, birthplace of Daniel O'Connell, an Irishman who campaigned for civil rights for Catholics in the 19th century. He's often referred to as the Emancipator. Caherciveen is a another town that's a nice overnight stop. It has a nice museum in an old police barracks, and some old ring forts nearby (Cahergal), and a castle (Ballycarbery). Say hello to Philip in the Shebeen pub if you like. If you're there in August, the town holds a festival over the bank holiday weekend.



After Cahirciveen you'll pass some nice beaches, then through Killorglin, to return to Killarney.

Another possibility on the Iveragh peninsula is to climb Carrauntoohil, Ireland's highest mountain at just over 1,000m high. If you're an experienced hill walker, it shouldn't be much trouble for you, just be wary of using the severely eroded Devil's Ladder route. The Brother O'Shea route is a little longer, but less dangerous. If you're not very confident, I can recommend Outdoors Ireland for a guide.



Further north is the Dingle peninsula. Dingle is a wonderful little town, full of artisan shops, pubs with real character, restaurants that serve tonnes of delicious, fresh fish, and where they still speak the native Irish tongue. It's also home to Fungi the dolphin. You can head out in a yacht or a kayak to try catch a glimpse of him if you like.

In the area is Mount Brandon, upon which is an ancient pilgrimage route. It's very accessible, as long as you take it at your own pace and have the proper gear.



You can also try visit the Blaskets for a picnic, or take a surf lesson on Inch Strand.

One week in Ireland - Cork

Cork is Ireland's largest county, and the second largest city in the Republic. It often promotes itself as 'the real capital'. Similarly to Dublin, it's got great nightlife, with a good selection of pubs and clubs.

Cork city: 1-2 days
Your main landmark in Cork will be the St Patrick's Street/Grand Parade, the main shopping street. The bus tour is a good way to get acquainted with the city, or if you fancy a walking tour (and Cork is pretty compact), try Walk Cork. I did one of their tours before, and found it excellent.

• St Fin Barre's Cathedral
• Cork city gaol
• Cork public museum
• Fitzgerald Park
• CIT campus
• The Mardyke

For a proper old school pub, try the Castle Inn. Ask for the snug if you've got a small group of six or seven, and they'll let you in if nobody else is there. Other pubs in Cork that I've sampled and liked (though this is by no means a comprehensive list)

• The Oval
• Fionnbarra - great food, decent beer garden
• Sober Lane
• An Bróg
• Fred Zeppelins - rock bar, though they wouldn't play NIN for us one night. Instead they played Billy Joel

Outside of Cork is Blarney Castle, where you can kiss the famous Blarney stone, and get the gift of the gab. And possibly a disease or two.

One week in Ireland - Tipperary

There's two sites in Tipperary that I think are worth a visit for every visitor, one more so than the other, but if you've got time, squeeze them both in. If you're driving from Dublin to Cork (or vice versa of course), you'll pass right by them, only a small detour.

Tipperary: 1 day

• The Rock of Cashel

An acropolis-type site, the Rock can be seen from miles around. It's been a while since I last visited, but you could easily spend a couple of hours looking around. Buildings include a round tower, a cathedral, a chapel, and plenty of high crosses.

• Cahir Castle

I'm not sure why this castle sticks in my mind so much. It's probably been about ten years, but I remember it as a very well preserved site, with great information. Probably ideal for a lunch stop, and a quick look around.

One week in Ireland - Dublin

So a few people have asked me to suggest an itinerary for a week in Ireland. Everyone has different tastes obviously, but these few posts should give you a starting point at least, and if you're looking for something different, let me know!

Dublin: 1-3 days
There are tonnes of historical buildings and museums to see in Dublin, and it's a completely walkable city. A great way to get your bearings and a quick history lesson is to take a DUKW tour. Only one or two sites are a more than 30mins walk out, and you can get the Luas tram to those.

• Trinity College
• Christchurch Cathedral
• St Patrick's Cathedral
• Dublin Castle and gardens
• National Museum, Kildare St
• Natural History Museum (Dead Zoo)
• National Library
• National Gallery (all of the above four are really close to each other)
• St Michan's Mummies - check the opening hours first
• GPO - at the centre of the 1916 rebellion
• Kilmainham Gaol
• Stephen's Green, Merrion Square - two green areas in the middle of the city
• Collins Barracks - part of the National Museum
• Guinness Storehouse - worth it just for the views at the top
• Jameson Distillery

There are also several great pubs, depending on what you're looking for. A lot of the below are what you might call 'old man pubs', but ones like the Foggy Dew and O'Donoghue's would have music playing.

• Brazen Head, Lower Bridge St - oldest site of a pub in Ireland
• The Cobblestone, King St North - great for a music session
• Mulligan's, Poolbeg St
• Long Stone, Townsend St
• Messrs Maguire, Burgh Quay - micro-brewery
• Doyle's, College Green - student bar, great on a Thursday night
• Foggy Dew, Dame St
• Stag's Head, Dame Court
• Long Hall, George's St
• McDaids - off Grafton St
• Davy Byrne's - off Grafton St
• O'Donoghue's, Suffolk St - the lesser known O'Donoghue's, but my regular spot
• The Church, Mary St - not my favourite spot, but worth it for the architecture
• Bankers, Dame St - again, not a regular pub, but worth a look-see
• Whelan's, Camden St - great late night venue

If you have a car and fancy a trip out of the city, destinations to the south in the Dublin Hills include the Hell Fire Club (below, it's got an amazing view of the city on a good day), or to Johnnie Fox's pub, which is a little touristy, but good craic when it's busy.



Further afield is Glendalough (below), a gorgeous valley of two lakes, a monastery, an old mining site, and hours of marked walks. Many of which you can do without hiking boots.

Dingle

It took a day and a night for me to fall in love with the Dingle peninsula. They followed two nights and a day, but I know Tuesday - from morning 'til night - was the turning point.

A leisurely drive with wonderful company, that aimed only to see some stone age monuments and the coastline, became a pilgrimage. We stalked some basking sharks around the Slea Head drive. The sharks lured us in, and we took the bait for ninety minutes at one point, gazing at their sleek forms as they fed at the bottom of the sea cliffs.

Delicious hake for dinner, followed by the pub, and a brief liaison with a lovely girl - all combined to create a most magnificent day.

But there is something in the very air of Dingle that pleases the soul. An infectious bliss. The abundance of cafes. Pubs with character (and snugs). The sea breeze carrying the cries of Fungie... okay, that's mostly my imagination.

Though it's full of tourists and day-trippers, the town retains a reserved air - calm, enduring, unflappable. With my current position on the Iveragh peninsula, I cannot help but draw comparisons to traffic-choked, noisy, expensive Killarney. I suppose the Ring of Kerry offers better value to tourists with limited time.

Portmagee is reminiscent of Dingle town though - quietly observing the coming and going of fisherman, visitors and locals. People the years particular houses were built, so little has it been expanded.

The Epic Cycle

7.20am (ish) It's bloody raining. Wow, did I choose the right day to cycle from one side of the country to the other. The first stretch to Loughrea is quite desolate and windy - there's a south-easterly wind, and the road to Loughrea is directly against it. Already I'm thinking I might turn back, stay in Galway one more night and then try again tomorrow.

9.30 Loughrea - the sky is a uniform shade of dirty grey. It starts bucketing down for about 20mins, and I end up soaked to the skin. Well, I have a rainjacket, so I'm okay up top, but my shorts and socks are saturated.
Need to wee. Consider weeing my pants. Decide not to. I don't want to smell of wee, and I probably won't get lunch if I do. What do professional cyclists do?

10am I try to change gears, but can't. The gears are too slippy, and my hands are wet and numb. I have a kind of Legoman-like claw grip.

10.30 Kilreekil - red van beeps at me for not cycling in the flooded bit of the hard shoulder, as he overtakes me at speed around a bend. Kilreekil being the scene of several fatal accidents over the past few years.

11am Aughrim - I consider booking into the hostel I did last year, decide to keep going. I think about stopping to check out the interpretative centre that I missed last year, decide I don't have time.

11.20 Ballinasloe - stop to grab some soup to warm up, same place I got my lunch last year! Change my socks and dry my boots under the hand drier in the toilets. 

12.40 Pass an Emo garage. Ponder catchy advertising slogans. Decided "Switch to Emo and watch your petrol bill cut itself" was best one.

1pm Cross over the Shannon, stop to admire the view. Notice a missed call from Jason. Turns out he passed me a little while ago.
Need to wee again. Consider weeing into the Shannon. Decide not to.

1.45 Stop the far side of Athlone. I undo the dressing on my ankle (I think it's strained), and let it breathe a bit. I take a swig of water, which tastes immensely of Galway. It's an acquired taste really. I'm pretty sure this particular bottle has no cryptosporidium.

2.45 Moate - stop for tea, really starting to feel the strain of cycling for seven hours or so. The next stretch to Kilbeggan is quite tough - it's only about 15k, but takes me about an hour.

4.20 Kilbeggan to Kinnegad is even worse. 30k of desolate dual carriageway. I'm not even sure if cyclists are even allowed, but it's only a national road. There are a couple of beeps. I take most of them to mean "crazy bastard", seeing as how they come from cars the far side of the road. Plenty of hard shoulder room anyway, so it's only the slip roads I really have to be careful on.
Need to wee. Consider going at side of the road. Decide not to. Too many cars about - I'll just hold it in.

6pm I reach Kinnegad, where the batteries on my GPS gizmo cut out. I pick some more up on the way to Enfield. The M4 takes over the dual carriageway, so it's back to the slightly windier national roads again.

7.20pm I arrive in Enfield, with hardly any strength left in my legs. My knees are screaming. I take a breather by the bus stop, where I can smell the Chinese restaurant... hoghmmm...

9.05pm I pause in Leixlip to put on my lights. It's starting to get dark, and I don't want to take any chances.
Still need to wee. Consider weeing in the bushes beside the canal. Decide not to. Too many joggers about.

9.10pm I cross the county boundary - huzzah! I follow the Leixlip road down onto the Lucan bypass, where there are roadworks aplenty. This means no hard shoulder, and with trucks passing inches from my ear, I got off the bypass and headed south, figuring I'll run into something I recognise.

9.30pm Realise I really don't know where I am. West Dublin is a maze of suburbs I've never heard of - Ronanstown, Adamstown and Foxborough. I know I haven't crossed the M50 yet. I check in at home, and Daddy tells me to head east. Eventually I see a sign for Clondalkin, somewhere I actually know. Then, a little further on, a sign for Tallaght, which is where I don't live.
Really need to wee. Consider weeing at side of road. Decide not to. Too many houses - I'll just hold it in.

10pm Discover I'm cycling down the Belgard Road, and therefore know how to get home - wooo!

10.25pm Get home, have lemsip and toasted ham and cheese sandwich. Reckon I've caught a cold with cycling in the wet, not to mention my own sweat. yay!
Still really need to wee. I wee.

Some thoughts... I've seen more roadkill in the one day than I have in the entire rest of my life put together. I think it was probably the first time I've seen a weasel in real life. Not to mention countless birds, a couple of cats, a fox and several small rodents.
Secondly, to those feckers who beep/shout at cyclists. Screw you guys, I have as much right to be here as you do!
Also, people in the country are much nicer and generally say hello as you pass. Makes you feel human again! :)
Lastly, a big shout out to those who put me up in Galway - danke schon and go raibh maith agat! To those of you who offered, there's always a bed for you in my house! Or at least a bit of floor. Likewise to those who texted while I was pedalling - much love!

Galway-Dublin Cycle

Day One - 21/05/2007

Started on Monday morning - loaded all my stuff for moving into the back of the parents' automobile, grabbed a puncture repair kit at the bike shop, checked my email one last time, then headed for Athenry at about 12 noon. I'd been cycling about half an hour when I hit a rusty bent nail that tore through my tube, and it took four patches to cover all the holes.

Once that was fixed, I cycled on to Athenry to check out some of the medieval remains - church, castle, town gate and an old Dominican Priory. There was a group of Germans in medieval garb wandering around the church grounds, which was odd, but it was all part of their tour apparently. Castle was nicely restored, if a little bare, and the priory was locked, with the key with a local nearby. I could've spent a few more hours trying to find the town wall, but after the delay of the puncture I wanted to keep moving.

On to Loughrea so - I followed what apparently was a direct route, but took me through Craughwell instead, adding a couple of extra miles to my journey. In Loughrea I stopped for a sandwich and a cup of tea with Brendan, an old friend, who took me down to the shores of Lough Rea and showed me what used to be crannógs, once upon a time. There's also a nice cathedral there - St Brendan's, did I mention Brendan is the patron saint of Loughrea? :)

From Loughrea I followed the N6 to Aughrim, site of the eponymous battle of 1691, where I was staying the night in a hostel. I arrived about 7pm, had a look around the village after checking in, but everywhere was closed, apart of course from the three pubs. I did find an interpretive centre, which I resolved to visit the next morning, and the remains of a church and accompanying graveyard, which was still in use. Quite a pleasant village though.

I ended up sharing a room with a Dutch lad called Martin - we talked over a cup of tea about the election and cycling. We exchanged a couple of stories and advice on where to visit, but I was fast asleep in bed by 10pm. I had been blessed with the weather by the way - absolutely gorgeous sun. I was totally unprepared for this though, so my arms and my right leg especially ended up quite burnt. I covered about 42 miles / 67km.


Day Two - 22/05/2007

I was awake at about 6am the next morning, but because the centre didn't open 'til 10am, there was no point in going anywhere. Then the centre didn't open. Nobody around at 10.15am, so I decided instead to pay a visit to a site a little north of Aughrim that I'd read about in a local directory in the hostel: Kilconnell, site of a Franciscan Friary that had fallen into ruin after the Battle of Aughrim.

Getting there was a little difficult, but luckily I made the right guesses, and the Friary was quite a site. I thought it was locked at first, but there was a little stile at the far end, and quite a bit of it is intact, including a majestic vaulted tower, a couple of very ornate tombs, and parts of the cloisters.

After that, I went to Ballinasloe where I got some aftersun (it was pretty overcast so I didn't bother with sun cream) and some sandwiches for lunch later. Then south to Shannonbridge - the nearest crossing point, where I encountered some unexpected artillery fortifications, built to guard against an invasion by Napoleon after the 1798 rising. From there I headed east to Clonmacnoise, which I'd long wanted to visit. On the way, I passed a well by the roadside, presumably dedicated to St Ciarán.

I took lunch in a field next to the monastery, surrounded by a castle, cows, the Shannon, and a large group of American students. Then I wandered into the monastery - very much a place of quiet awe. Two round towers, seven 'temples', a Cathedral, three high crosses, and numerous graves. About 500m east is the Nuns' Church, and I realised on the walk that there's a easy way of sneaking into Clonmacnoise if you *really* didn't want to pay.

From Clonmacnoise my next real destination was Kilbeggan, to get to Mullingar. The journey there through the backroads of Offaly was probably the closest I was to being lost, because there were periods where I wasn't too sure where I was or what direction I was heading in, but I knew just to keep going until I got somewhere where I could get my bearings. The boglands were a surprisingly spectacular sight - just acres of brown peat, with several ridges running through them, the railway on top of one. I also found St Manchan's Well - he's the patron saint of Leamanaghan.

I was aiming for a place called Togher, which was along the direct path to Kilbeggan, but instead I passed through Ballinahown, so I turned south. I arrived in Doon, not Togher, and decided to head east. There was no sign of Togher for quite some time, and it was only when Ballycumber appeared that I knew I was ok. I'm convinced Togher and Doon are the same place, it's about the only explanation! (Apart from the altogether more sensible one that they're merely very close together.) I cycled on through Clara, reaching Kilbeggan and the beautiful scene made by the Brosna beside Locke's Distillery.

To get to Mullingar I had to use the N52, and perhaps it was because of the late hour of the day and my low energy levels, but it seemed to be the most desolate wasteland of a road - no scenery, just tarmac and traffic cones. Lough Ennell is to your left somewhere, but you never get so much as a glimpse. Suffice to say, the twin towers of the Cathedral of Christ the King were a welcome sight at about 8pm.

I gave my good friend Conor a ring, and he fed me dinner and ice cream - kudos to him for the bed also. (",) The weather wasn't quite as nice as day one, but that was nice considering the sunburn. That night it was excruciating at times, and it was difficult to stand at times, so I kept slathering on the after-sun stuff. I covered about 66 miles / 106km. I had expected to only do about 50miles, so obviously my detour through the back of Offaly was longer than anticipated!


Day Three - 23/05/2007

From Mullingar, my plan was to follow the Royal Canal all the way to Dublin. Started off well at about 9.30am, through the path was just grass at times, which can get tiresome when cycling. I was managing well for a while, until the fences started. See, the Royal Canal is a public way, as are the banks either side. However, the farmers whose land backs up on to the canal obviously feel that in some way the banks are theirs, because they block it off with fences. They do put in pedestrian gates, but they're of the type that bikes won't get through, and 80% of the time the larger gates are locked. So every five minutes or so I had to stop, get off the bike, lift it over the fence, then get back on and start again. For cyclists, this breaks any momentum you build up, and when your arms and legs are burnt (and you have no upper body strength anyway :P) lifting my not-ultralight bike is no fun.

So just before Enfield, having being thwarted by a herd of cows, I decided to take to the road again, following the N4 through Kilcock and Maynooth to Leixlip, where I got back on the canal again. This time there were no fences, apart from the occasional one at a road crossing. The locks were also more frequent, especially as one got closer to the city centre. I passed three junkies at a lock in Castleknock, and one of them was only wearing a g-string. :O Thank heavens I only saw him from behind, I can't bear to think the psychological effect of seeing the front would've been! But apart from that, the locks made for nice scenery, especially those with the lock-keeper's cottage still in use.

When I got within the Dublin county line, the path had narrowed considerably, with trees blocking out the light overhead, and the canal like a stagnant ditch 15-20 feet below. I became quite energised at this point, flying along the path trying to avoid the roots and stones - like biking in Wicklow or something, there were no signs of the city. I passed over the M50, and got to Drumcondra by about 5pm. Having stopped for breaks for only about an hour overall, it'd been quite a physically exhausting day. However, I was only in my granny's, and I reckoned not cycling all the way to my actual home would've been cheating in some way, so I hopped on the rothar again and got to my bed within the hour. Day three - 60 miles / 96km, making a total of about 168 miles / 270km. *phew*