Any tips on riding in Ireland? We have routes and accommodation pretty well sorted. Gloucestershire to Hollyhead via Snowdonia, ferry to first night in Dublin. Dublin to Kells for the road races and overnight nearby. Kells to Westport, staying there for two nights with Connemara loop. Westport to Listowel for two nights, Ring of Kerry loop Listowel to Wexford for last night. Rosslare to Fishguard and then mid Wales (Elan Valley) to home in Gloucestershire. Anything in particular we should be aware of, apart from it's likely to be raining a fair bit... Bike security, policing etc?
Pack fog lights for Connor Pass, full blue skies either side but the pass itself fogbound. Hardly rained in May last year it was great weather, hopefully you'll have the same. I started in Schull and worked my way up from there. Great rides and people. Didn't see a Garda in the Month I was there working or weekend rides. I rode like a twat mostly, other than when my guide was with me for the one day. The Wild Atlantic Way is a great route along with some of the cycling routes but they are a bit sketchy if you're riding a more touring biased bike gravel grass and moss. I just locked my bike with a D1000 when I stayed in B&B on the West coast. In the back of my van during the week as I was closer to Dublin/Limerick/Cork for work based activities.
Dublin is not the safest city to leave your bike unattended, don’t park it in plain sight, garage it if you can. Andy
From Westport and if you have the time and inclination Croagh Patrick is a relatively easy climb with fantastic views over Clew Bay. South of Galway towards the coast you’ll find the Cliffs of Moher and dramatic views, access through the Burren national park The Wild Atlantic Way is fabulous and sticks to the coast as a result progress can be slow. Have a good un
Sounds great. Limited space, walking boots won't be included, let alone the time. Would love to do this area, at a slower pace, another time with my partner though.
Sounds good though will save that one for another time. Our itinerary for day #1 is the road races at Kells. It's a biking trip first and foremost and I doubt my travelling companions would be willing to forego that. Tried to include the Connor Pass as suggested by @DucatiScud but getting kick-back from the newbie to our group. He favours lower milage days and is resistant to my suggested alteration from 160 to 175 miles... Cramping my mojo a little. He's joined us in 2023 and 2025 and it's been the same story, uni mate of my best mate who is part of the trio. Think I might be touring alone next year or taking my partner if I can persuade her to tour again after our Corsica trip in 2022.
It's always a compromise when taking a group, some like to stop often for coffee or photos others like to crack on. If I'm leading I do what I can to accommodate their wishes. I tell them to come on past and let me know if they want to stop (good luck with that ).
You don’t have to be joined at the hip. I regularly tour in Spain and France with a group of friends and everyone gets the sat nav routes for each day, several weeks in advance. If one or two of the group want to gripe about a particular day, they are encouraged to make their own way to that night’s stop. It actually makes for a better holiday for those that prefer not to be progressive or get too technical when fully loaded so a day off as it were, gives the others in the group a chance to relive their hooligan years On past trips, it’s actually preempted and prevented friction (which you can expect from a group of old men ) Andy
@Bumpkin on your Listowel days head out to the Connor pass, on the north side of the Dingke peninsula, then do the Slea Head from Dingle and back into Dingle then head to Castlemain via Inch beach, then head for Killarney, turn off at Beaufort and go over the Gap of Dunloe to Molls Gap then head back into Killarney via the N71 through the national park then from Killarney back to Listowel. Don’t bother doing the Ring of Kerry, it’s designed for coach tours. When you leave Listowel for Wexford, go straight to Killarney via Tralee, Milltown and then Killarney. Take the N71 back through the Killarney NP to Kenmare via Moll’s Gap (I know you’re retracing part of the route of the day before but it’s beautiful) then stay on the N71 to Glengarriff, Bantry, take the R591 through Durrus to Toormore then the R592 to Schull then on to Ballydehob then pick up the N71 again to Skibbereen and up to Cork where you join the N40 southern ring road to avoid Cork City then the N25 to Rosslare. You probably won’t have time on that day but there’s loads of rides around the Beara, Sheeps Head and Mizen Penisulas, if you want suggestions for those adding in just ask. Have a great trip.
There's a Coffee stop on the Gap of Dunloe near a bridge, the field behind belongs to the farmer who mans the Coffee trailer. You need to buy a Coffee from him to enter the field to see that section of the stream, he owns the field and his family have owned the land for a very long time Irish famine and before he claimed. Be before 11:00 I seem to recall as on the Gap there are horse and trap rides after that time. They were just heading up from the bottom when I'd finished it. Molls Gap is a really good proper twisty section of road, great if you get it to yourself with nothing on it as I had. Seems a shame your third rider wants reduced riding distances, I always maybe try and cover too much as it's not likely I will get much chance to repeat trips like I had last year following The Wild Atlantic way.
I hear you both @Hugo Magnus and @Android853sp. Yes, Andy, we did that last year in the Dolomites. After lunch, where he had a beer every day , he tended to head to base. We'd continue the route. Will be the same in Ireland. The issue is on the transit days where we're not staying at the same location. We'll see. But as said I think next year I'll do a solo trip or just a easier tour with Janie on the pillion. Thanks for further suggestions @West Cork Paul and @DucatiScud, will look into that over the weekend. Time is limited, just one circular day at Connemara and another at Listowel. Will have to come back another time. Want to make the best of both. Have the feeling that the last full day there will be a bit dull, Cork to Wexford, or am I mistaken?
If you're able this was a lively town for an overnight nearish to the gap, it's where I stayed the night before. https://www.kenmare.ie/
