Touring in Ireland

[MrsHJ]

Loved it, I think this is a link to our Flickr set below. We flew to Shannon, cycled up through the countryside and a lot along the coast including the fascinating Burren, worked our way out to the Isle of Achill and then over to Knock to fligh home.

https://flic.kr/s/aHsjwqHDvq

[jags]

fantastic photos and love your bike set up but did you camp.
anyway thanks for sharing.

jags.

[MrsHJ]

No camping this time. We do usually but my companions for this trip weren't so keen. We B&B'd this time (I,would guess that wild camping would be OK if you were discrete and have a green tent).

[bikergirl]

Thanks for your post Mrs HJ. Loved your pictures - I'll make sure we've got waterproofs lol. Now that we're on the right side of Christmas and spring is round the corner, I can start thinking about our trip again. Did you use public transport at all (thinking trains)??

[MrsHJ]

Thanks for your post Mrs HJ. Loved your pictures - I'll make sure we've got waterproofs lol. Now that we're on the right side of Christmas and spring is round the corner, I can start thinking about our trip again. Did you use public transport at all (thinking trains)??

No, sorry, bike power only ( but we flew in and out of different airports which made that easy).

[Gearoidmuar]

Ireland has had a common travel area with the UK since before common market membership.
For the British Cycletourist Ireland is well worth visiting at pleasant times of the year. In fact, with the requisite knowledge it's great. I'm from Cork and have toured a helluva lot of Ireland, a helluva lot of Britain, have done Lejog 4 times, have done a load of France, Germany, Spain, some of Italy, Corsica, Sardinia etc.
The negative side is it's as expensive as Britain and it can be wet but you won't be frozen in Summer. Also roads, especially minor ones can be somewhat bumpy so use fatter tyres and cut your mileage a bit.
Positive side. Everyone speaks English, though some local accents can be challenging! Food is good. Same breakfast as in Britain. For the cycletourist a recent development is great. Most petrol station shops have delis which will have anything you could want. They're cheap as well.
A lot of Ireland is very pretty. The coast from Cork around to near Belfast is great. There are loads of quiet inland counties which have some lovely cycling. You can mostly avoid busy main roads.

[Jdsk]

Ireland has had a common travel area with the UK since before common market membership.
For the British Cycletourist Ireland is well worth visiting at pleasant times of the year. In fact, with the requisite knowledge it's great. I'm from Cork and have toured a helluva lot of Ireland, a helluva lot of Britain, have done Lejog 4 times, have done a load of France, Germany, Spain, some of Italy, Corsica, Sardinia etc.
The negative side is it's as expensive as Britain and it can be wet but you won't be frozen in Summer. Also roads, especially minor ones can be somewhat bumpy so use fatter tyres and cut your mileage a bit.
Positive side. Everyone speaks English, though some local accents can be challenging! Food is good. Same breakfast as in Britain. For the cycletourist a recent development is great. Most petrol station shops have delis which will have anything you could want. They're cheap as well.
A lot of Ireland is very pretty. The coast from Cork around to near Belfast is great. There are loads of quiet inland counties which have some lovely cycling. You can mostly avoid busy main roads.

It's been on our list for some time for on-road touring with some camping. But I've been warned about the unsuitability of roads W from Dublin. Any good books or web sites, please?

Thanks

Jonathan

[PhilD28]

It's been on our list for some time for on-road touring with some camping. But I've been warned about the unsuitability of roads W from Dublin. Any good books or web sites, please?

Thanks

Jonathan[/quote]

There are loads of totally suitable roads west from Dublin. I've been touring Ireland for forty years, at times spending several months cycling around, often wild camping on it's western shores. Other than France I can't think of another country with such a great network of quiet minor roads, although it's become far busier in the last 20 years. A wonderful cycling destination.

[Gearoidmuar]

Ireland has had a common travel area with the UK since before common market membership.
For the British Cycletourist Ireland is well worth visiting at pleasant times of the year. In fact, with the requisite knowledge it's great. I'm from Cork and have toured a helluva lot of Ireland, a helluva lot of Britain, have done Lejog 4 times, have done a load of France, Germany, Spain, some of Italy, Corsica, Sardinia etc.
The negative side is it's as expensive as Britain and it can be wet but you won't be frozen in Summer. Also roads, especially minor ones can be somewhat bumpy so use fatter tyres and cut your mileage a bit.
Positive side. Everyone speaks English, though some local accents can be challenging! Food is good. Same breakfast as in Britain. For the cycletourist a recent development is great. Most petrol station shops have delis which will have anything you could want. They're cheap as well.
A lot of Ireland is very pretty. The coast from Cork around to near Belfast is great. There are loads of quiet inland counties which have some lovely cycling. You can mostly avoid busy main roads.

It's been on our list for some time for on-road touring with some camping. But I've been warned about the unsuitability of roads W from Dublin. Any good books or web sites, please?

Thanks

Jonathan

Take the train. You can take bikes on many trains, but not the intercity expresses. I've no experience of cycling west from Dublin, but try Google Maps with the cycling option and see what you come up with. Apart from Wicklow, south of Dublin, which is hard spectacular cycling, The east coast isn't particularly attracive, though Co.Kilkenny, Tipperary and some of Co.Waterford are great.
We are used to it so we don't see Ireland as others do, but some years ago on a cycle I tagged along with a French cyclist who'd been touring the West. I speak French pretty well. Sez I, it's beautiful out West. Non, Msieu, c'est jolie partout. No sir, it's lovely everywhere.
Co.Cork west of Kinsale is great all the way into Co.Kerry and as far as Tarbert where there's a ferry to Clare. All of this is spectacular from Miltown Malbay up along the Burren to Kilcolgan. Bit to Galway is busy, but West of Galway gets specacular again.
The best day's cycling is from Galway to Oughterard to Maam Cross to Leenane, around Killary Harbour to Delphi, then over the Sheffrey Pass to Westport. Oughterard to Maam Cross is a bit busy.
There's a great Greenway from Westport to Achill, with about 1 mile on the road. A bit challenging but wonderful facility. Achill is spectacular....

[pwa]

If I were doing the West I would do it out of season so as to avoid the Shearings coaches and tourist cars that make coastal roads busy at the peak of summer.

(Back to the main topic?)

[Graham]

topic merge

[Jdsk]

Thanks, everybody. Much appreciated. The maps are now on the table.

Athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh

Jonathan

[mjr]

It's been on our list for some time for on-road touring with some camping. But I've been warned about the unsuitability of roads W from Dublin. Any good books or web sites, please?

Are you set on roads? On maps like cyclosm, the Grand Canal Way, Royal Canal Way and Old Rail Trail like good options for getting out to quieter roads well west.

[Jdsk]

Thanks for that. I worded it badly.

Not at all, only good surfaces.

Jonathan

[PaulaT]

It's been on our list for some time for on-road touring with some camping. But I've been warned about the unsuitability of roads W from Dublin. Any good books or web sites, please?

Thanks

Jonathan

I've toured in Ireland four times. Some of the minor roads aren't well maintained but we coped without issue on 35mm tyres. Outside of Dublin and Cork and the main road which joins them, traffic volumes are low compared to most places in England and from my experience motorists are invariably courtious and considerate towards cyclists. Don't let a few bumpy roads and the chance of a bit of rain put you off.