"We're going to Donegal October half term"..........."why don't you go on ahead on your bike"........ I wasn't dreaming. My wife, mother to our two children was saying this as casually as she might ask how we should have eggs for breakfast..... Jaw scraped off the floor I rapidly made plans to take the Honda from Holyhead to Dublin. I'd then take the direct route to Galway, overnight and then the newly signed 'Wild Atlantic Way' to Donegal where I'd meet the family. The day before I was due to sail the Honda I'd planned to ride on broke down. Total failure, FI light wouldn't go out. I ended up abandoning it in a restaurant car park a mile from home and spending several hours retrieving my 848 which had been detailed prior to anticipated sale. Once I'd done the 30 mile round trip to its dry store resting place I then had to reconfigure my luggage choices .....I had jeans, pumps, a hat, 2 t shirts and a few days smalls. The next day I sat in the ferry queue in torrential rain waiting to board the fast cat. When I arrived in Dublin I was still soggy. My passage to Galway was........ Swift..... I'll leave it at that. Not incriminating. After a great night in Salthill drinking Irish craft beers I hit the coast road........ ...... ......wow. I stopped for lunch in Newport, ate pan fried crab claws and seafood chowder...... Wow. The rest is indescribable beauty much like that of the far north west highlands of Scotland. Highly recommended. There's more to blabber on about but words can not describe. 'Tarmac porn' comes close.
In reality much of the Wild Atlantic Way is tight and nadgery. I followed it from Galway to Clifden then picked up the N59 all the way to Ballina. It's in great condition! From Ballina I did an hour on the coast route to see a plane in a field, a tip off from my host the previous evening (his tip for where to eat out was spot on - sea bass with king prawns and pesto mash at Dillon's Lodge), where a local undertaker is creating a quirky glamping site: From there I followed N15/ N13 and N56 up to Dunfanaghy. Leaving there I approached a camera van overtaking a line of slow traffic with the throttle fully open in third... ....Heading back south I went through Glenveagh National Park (a bit like Glencoe but smaller) before doing a mixture of the Wild Atlantic Way and N56 towards my destination. I did 3 days riding in all. Day 1 was a bit bland. Day 3 would have better (N3 from end to end) if it hadn't been 4 degrees and foggy for the first 2 hours, it was 16 degrees by noon, felt like a warm bath after sitting in what I'd liken to a wet, windy fridge. By 'eck it were worth it for the day in the west coast.
Ireland's a superb place,only done the north when i was over for the ulster GP must go back, got to go back. the people where superb.
Yes absolutely Finm.... They've got hospitality down to a fine art. Everyone stopping to chat. Notably, lots and lots of petrol stations which I'd been a bit concerned about before going.
Agreed, the west coast of Ireland's wild Atlantic way is hardly used. I took my campervan over earlier this year for a short trip from Sligo to Galway, the weather was indifferent but the scenery and sea food were great. Did you get to see the cliffs of mother? Or Lord Mountbatten's gaff at mullaghmore Glad you enjoyed the trip.
yip noticed that, petrol stations in the strangest of wee places. we where camping in bushmills for the week. when the shopkeepers noticed we where on bikes they offered to run our supplies (whiskey and steak) up to the site. yip superb. everyone was friendly.
I missed a lot of landmarks as had to keep moving. Visited an amazing beach near Ardara with the family with big caves in metamorphic quartzite. Im back twice next year for a wedding and holiday. Plan to squeeze some more touring in and got my eye on some adventure climbing on sea stacks which sounds bonkers but fun, done sea cliffs but never had to paddle out in a dinghy! Adventure Climbing Training, Ireland
it is a fantastic run,, did all round ireland ( most easterly point, southerly , westerly and northerly ) couple of years ago , in car with g/f .( 4 days !! ) i would certainly suggest / reccomend that the southerly loop is not missed out,, frm Cork down round Baltimore , Dingle etc and on up Gallway ,Donnegal,, all fantastic,, tho we did prefer the SW .
