Dublin - Larne

[janetpl]

Anyone cycled this - have found the "maracycle route" - any advice on whether this is the one to take - and how do I get away from the Ferry without ending up on a 3 lane highway?

[jags]

ok i'll give this a bash,if your coming into dublin port you might as well head for the city and see the sights ,after that head north to Swords/balbriggan/drogheda then head on the coast road all the way to castlebelligham from there blackrock to dundalk to newry after that your on your own

jags.

depending on when you arrieve i'll ride with you from drogheda to dundalk nice route along the coast and back roads,i'll even buy you a coffee.

[keithg]

Anyone cycled this -

I have. Did this a few years ago as a circuit of the Irish Sea. The best bits were from Dundalk through Newcastle in NI following the coast to Strangford/Portaferry and a nice scenic rural coastal route to Bangor. Delightful cycling.
I'm afraid I didn't find the Dublin to Dundalk section very interesting but perhaps I just failed to find an interesting route. I just couldn't find a decent coastal road on this section and found it a little dull and lacking quaint villages or decent caffs.
The route out of Dublin was quite "urban" but doable and I pretty much made it up as I went along.
But the northern section was good.

[jags]

the coast route from rush/lusc/skerries is very nice so 3 villages to pass through but very busy roads actually i was there today with the group .
Drogheda to Blackrock 20 miles or so is a lovely route, im from drogheda.you could always take in the sights around Droghea like Newgrange /Dowth and Knoth and Monasterboice graveyard if your into stuff like that,why we even have the Head of a Saint in the local church St oliver plunkett

if the sun is shineing you'll have a blast.


jags.

[janetpl]

Definitely doing some sightseeing - its part of a very leisurely LEJOG so ought to be on that thread but it is slightly off the usual route. Any other good saints you would recommend?

[jags]

When one of the fellclub lads stayed with me few years back he done the Newgrange tour he thought it was fantastic its one of my cycling routes, but you cant get into it without paying for the tour no idea what that costs.google newgange. thers a campsite in the famous rock venue Slane home of lord mountcharles he has a nice castle right beside the campsite
when are you thinking of doing this tour.

[ArMoRothair]

I don't know much of the route - and it has certainly changed a lot since I lived there - but be very careful when leaving Dublin Port; it is very easy to be 'sucked' into the Port Tunnel (and you don't want that) because the slip-road you need is unhelpfully labelled "City Centre". It should more correctly be labelled "All other routes".

http://goo.gl/f3R3vf

I still have family in Dublin and visit regularly. Even knowing this, it is counter-intuitive to turn towards the "City Centre" when I know I'm looking to go the other direction towards north Dublin. Even my sister-in-law, who has lived there her entire life, has been accidentally 'sucked' into the tunnel at this point.

[ArMoRothair]

I'm afraid I didn't find the Dublin to Dundalk section very interesting but perhaps I just failed to find an interesting route. I just couldn't find a decent coastal road

I don't think any of the roads out of Dublin will be interesting. The old airport road, the R132, is horrible: fast traffic, shopping centres and industrial estates. The Malahide Road, R107, is equally grim. The motorway is out of the question. So I would actually turn right, off the East Wall Road at this junction http://goo.gl/2QnlkX and make a long detour around Clontarf, Dollymount, Sutton (new good cycle lane on the coast road), Baldoyle, Portmarnock, Malahide (nice cafes and restaurants). Unfortunately at this point you have to head inland to go around Malahide estuary, turn back out and go through Rush, rejoin the coast road up to Skerries, then Balbriggan.

lacking quaint villages or decent caffs.

Quaint villages are probably long steam-rollered by the suburban progress of Dublin but at least by Portrane and Rush you are surrounded by countryside.

Don't bother with cafés, pubs are where it's at; most pubs will do lunches and all will do tea and coffee (as well as Guinness).

[jags]

your right on that score but remember from the port to say swords is not reall that far 8 to 10 miles at the most then its plain sailing all the way to rush coastal route.
but yes bit of a pain trying to get through all that city stuff .

[janetpl]

Right - Dublin sorted - what's Belfast like for cycling?

[cjs]

What way are you coming through.... If you want to come via Belfast an easy route would be along the towpath of the River Lagan straight into the centre and out the other side on the bike route through to Carrickfergus then just follow the coast round to Larne.

An alternative from the border is to follow the Marathon route up then jump onto the NCR around the East or if you wish, the West of Lough Neagh to nearly Antrim then the back road to Larne .... Antrim > Templepatrick > Parkgate > Doagh > Ballyclare > Ballyeaston then the back road to Millbrook then onto the main line for the last 1 mile to the docks - the dual carriageway has a footpath which is a bike path...

PM me is you want more details, theres some free camp areas around the Lough if you are camping as well as good campsites at Oxford Island near Lurgan and Antrim.

Of course you have the alternative around the east coast via Newcastle & Strangford / Portferry...

PM me for further details and I can send over some GPX from Basecamp or Google Earth...

Enjoy now,,,

[cjs]

Here's a an old post link re leaving Belfast Docks avoiding traffic, http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=58880&p=497050#p497050 - the NCR into the City along the River Lagan continues through the docks to Fortwilliam hence these pics....

By the way the road from Belfast to Carrickfergus is under construction to a dual carriageway from Jordanstown to just before 'carrick - expect heavy hassle for a few miles if you go that way... there after it's clear..

Also the main road from Belfast to Larne from Glengormly onwards is also under construction to become a dual carriageway - again heavy traffic - Antrim, ,,,etc via Ballyclare is fine...

EDIT:

Just as a NI teaser, here's a few pics taken with a W.Showers guest who stayed a while and wanted to see a few sights..

Antrim Round Tower

Dunluce Castle, North Coast

Supper over looking the Giants Causeway

[NUKe]

From Newry to Portadown I'd take the Newry cannal route which then joins you to the Long shore route and then from there follw the Bann to Colraine and then the Northcoast route round to Larne
this site may be of some help
http://www.cycleni.com/

[janetpl]

Huge thanks to everyone
PS - I am really a long distance walker but I must say that this forum is way way more friendly and helpful than the Long Distance Walkers one