Ireland Tour Tips

@West Cork Paul

 

Waterproofs!

 

Head West and get on the Wild Atlantic Way.
Oh and pack waterproofs.

 

Here to help Bezza I know all the ‘must do’ roads and plenty to avoid, oh and I have accomodation as well

there’s lots of info here

www.swi500.ie

But let me know how long you’re here for and any rough plans you have and I can advise accordingly.

 

I guess you’re coming over as part of an organised tour but if I can offer any assistance or advice please just ask

BTW, waterproofs are no longer obligatory thanks to climate change. It’s raining today here in the SW but that’s the first time in 4 weeks, after which it’s back to another fine dry high pressure system

 

Let me know when and where you’re heading and I’ll be monitoring the weather. Seriously, it’s changed in the 10 years I’ve been here and I need to smash this myth it always rains here.

Ive already proved to someone, I don’t think it’s @Carr01 bit it’s pertinent to him, it rains more in Manchester than here

 

Hello West Cork Paul,
I’m in the planning for a week long trip in September. Blank canvas so any suggestions at all be appreciated. Will be starting off in the North from Belfast
Cheers

 

The coastal road up towards Giant’s Causeway is excellent

 

County Antrim has wonderful roads and views, weather permitting
(soz Paul!)
Get over to Donegal and head south on the WAW

 

As you're starting in belfast then the Causeway Coast around to Derry is a must to start with.

From Derry you can go into Donegal and Muff and then around the Inishowen Peninsula (the Inishowen 100).

Let me know how you intend to return, will it be from Belfast again?, and I'll come up with more suggestions.


ps, use the @ before the user's name and the user gets a notification

 

Hello @West Cork Paul . Sorry for delay getting back to you ,but has taken a while to confirm dates and time off work. Ferry booked now for 4th Sept and returning on 14th. So far I have booked accom and route anti clockwise as far as roughly Sligo , which takes us up to the evening of the 9th.
Not covering huge distances each day as missus is on the back and she is happiest around the 150 miles mark a day.
Question posed to you is , what suggestions would you have to get down as far as Galway or so and then being back in Belfast for evening of the 13th based on leaving Sligo area on morning of 10th.
Our long term plan is to return next year and do similar time scale ,but covering south.
Appreciate any advice you have with limited scope we have really time wise . Cheers

 

How can you tell?

 

I went to Belmullet (beautiful west coast) and it was fucken roasting!! I was told before I went that it doesn’t stop raining… Almost got sun stroke! I was there working for 10 days and it was glorious…. How’s your luck….

 

My luck consists of mostly shockingly shite bad luck normally !

 

Here follows the full suggested route from Sligo Town to Galway, I leave it to you to decide where to stay for the evening, depending on how much ground you want to cover each day although I have made suggestions around the 150 mile/240km mark. Incidentally, for anyone else reading this, once on the small rural roads of the west of Ireland 250km/day is about as far as you want to be covering. Your average speed will only be 60kmh/37mph which doesn’t include stops to admire the scenery, take photos, get stuck behind a herd of cows, or learn about the history of the place you’ve just stopped at.

From Sligo Head to Strandhill on the R297 then stay on that road around the coast back to the N59 but do also visit Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery.

Once on the N59 head for Ballina but turn off to the right for Aughris Head and the Beach Bar which is a quaint old fashioned thatched cottage operating as a bar & restaurant right on the beach.



From Aughris take the coast road R297 via Easky, Enniscrone to Ballina.

From Ballina take the R314 coast road to Belmullet where you pick up the R313 out to Blacksod at the very tip of Belmullet Head. You have to retrace your steps to Belmullet and you may want to spend the night of the 10th in that area.

From Belmullet take the R313 to Bangor Erris then pick up the N59 again, through Ballycroy National Park to Mallarany (Mulranny in some maps). If the weathers clear go into Mallarany and admire the view across Clew Bay to Croagh Patrick (a mountain which St Patrick allegedly made a pilgrimage up).



Now head west to Achill Island, head all the way out to Keem Bay, then on the return do the rest of the figure of 8 roads that serves Achill (it will become apparent when you look at a map).



Back to Mallarany, pick up the N59 again and follow it through Newport to Westport. A short day but Westport is a good place to stop for the night, a beautiful town, Westport House is worth a visit, and lots of pubs & restaurants & shops.

From Westport take the R335 to Louisburgh and stay on the R335 (it’s a left turn outside Louisburgh which is really easy to miss) across the moors and through the DooLough Valley. Stop at the Famine Memorial to read about the hundreds that perished in this eerie valley as they trekked south to Delphi to get food during the ‘famine’ years.




Stay on the R335 until it reaches Killary Harbour, a fjord, admire Aasleagh Falls, maybe even see salmon leaping, rejoin the N59 through Leenaune and into Connemara National Park. Visit Kylemore Abbey.



Continue on the N59 towards Clifden BUT just north of Clifden is a turning to the right marked Sky Road, take it and follow the loop around in a clockwise direction Neil it rejoins the N59, keep on the Upper Sky Road.

Then onto Clifden.

Now you have 2 choices depending on time,

1. either stay on the N59 to Galway, or
2. Take the longer coast road by either turning right onto the R340 at Glynsk or turning right a bit further onto the R336 at Maam Cross. Be aware though that either of those roads take a lot longer to cover than you might think but they’re worth it.

From Galway, it’s longer than your desired 150 miles but it’s really best to do Galway to Belfast in one hop. The fastest way via M’Way. Compared to the roads you’ve been on and the scenery you’ve seen you’ll want to get across the country asap. If you want to avoid the M’Way take the N roads to Athlone, Cavan, Monaghan, Armagh, Portadown, Belfast.




Ps. Some POIs around Sligo you should take in are
- Mullaghmore (where the IRA blew up Lord Mountbatten and others) the road around Mullaghmore Head is short but stunning.
- Gleniff Horseshoe - absolutely stunning ride
- Glencar Waterfall and The Devil’s Chimney, 2 waterfalls that run off the mountains that form the Gleniff Horseshoe, the later having a strange phenomena, when the wind’s in the right direction, of flowing up the mountain.

 

Not been on here for a while, so sorry if already covered. Post above looks good. I recently did this as a ride out from Galway (great place to stay, music, pubs, food) which is about 4 hours riding time. The road past Lough Inagh is really good, which is unusual for Ireland - wonderful country, beautiful to visit, lovely scenery, but roads can be a bit naff.



Also, if going on through Belfast, the Glens of Antrim highly recommended.