An Extended ireland End to End

[Gordon P]

Following the Manchester to Morecambe FNRttC in early August, treating it as a Prologue, I took the ferry from Heysham to Douglas, IoM and on to Belfast. I then spent 2 weeks riding to Malin Head, the End to End south to Mizen Head, and back via Cork and Waterford to Rosslare for the ferry to Fishguard and the train to London.

My route is at https://ridewithgps.com//trips/18435551 Approx 1470 km, including the FNRttC, excluding the ferry, with a lot of climbing, often quite steep. Some rough road surfaces. But superb landscapes, lots of history, people talk to you!
Some photos at https://bit.ly/2zeQZcB

 

[Ajax Bay]

Route link is https://ridewithgps.com//trips/18435551

 

[classic33]

Google sign in required for either

 

[velovoice]

Following the Manchester to Morecambe FNRttC in early August, treating it as a Prologue, I took the ferry from Heysham to Douglas, IoM and on to Belfast. I then spent 2 weeks riding to Malin Head, the End to End south to Mizen Head, and back via Cork and Waterford to Rosslare for the ferry to Fishguard and the train to London.

My route is at https://ridewithgps.com/trips/18435551 Approx 1470 km, including the FNRttC, excluding the ferry, with a lot of climbing, often quite steep. Some rough road surfaces. But superb landscapes, lots of history, people talk to you!
Some photos at https://bit.ly/2zeQZcB

Amazing! Many places I love and would like to go back to someday with a bike.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Google sign in required for either

Use the link I gave for his route. The OP could amend his original post to insert the correct RwGPS link. Photos behind Google sign in, I regret.

 

[Gordon P]

The OP could amend his original post

Done, I think

Photos behind Google sign in, I regret

+1. I mourn for Picasa which worked so much better. I've tried Flikr and can't get on with that either.....

 

[Sixmile]

You passed within about 3 miles of my house. I see you went out of Belfast via Ligoniel climb, the toughest way out of town!

Did the last part of your route include the new Dungarvan to Waterford greenway?

 

[Gordon P]

Ligoniel climb

Yes it was certainly tough and it was raining hard at the time - as it turned out a thankfully rare event during the two weeks - but I was fresh and raring to go! and pleased with myself when the road flattened out.
And I did indeed use the new Greenway. I was tired by the time I got to Cork and the day to Waterford was about 130km - ridiculously long for that stage of the tour. I shifted my plan off the back hilly roads with shite surfaces and used some busier highways with broad hardshoulders but was still mightily pleased with the Greenway's flat smooth surface!

 

[robing]

I did this ride in 2014 but in the opposite direction! I got the ferry from Fishguard to Rosslare. From there my route to Mizen Head looked identical to yours, but I took a more coastal route to Galway via Tralee and the ferry across the Shannon.Then my route to Malin Head looks similar to yours. After that I took the ferry across the top to Coleraine, and then cycled the Antrim coast all the way round to Belfast. I then got the ferry to Birkenhead.

It was a great trip, as you say the people talk to you! I visited the Father Ted house in Co Clare. The weather for the first half of the trip was pretty lousy, but it was sunny and hot for the second half. There's a write up on my blog page.

 

[classic33]

I did this ride in 2014 but in the opposite direction! I got the ferry from Fishguard to Rosslare. From there my route to Mizen Head looked identical to yours, but I took a more coastal route to Galway via Tralee and the ferry across the Shannon.Then my route to Malin Head looks similar to yours. After that I took the ferry across the top to Coleraine, and then cycled the Antrim coast all the way round to Belfast. I then got the ferry to Birkenhead.

It was a great trip, as you say the people talk to you! I visited the Father Ted house in Co Clare. The weather for the first half of the trip was pretty lousy, but it was sunny and hot for the second half. There's a write up on my blog page.

I think I may know the "strange boy on a weird reclining bike" who followed you. Or to use his reasoning, "you were just in front of him".

 

[BalkanExpress]

Following the Manchester to Morecambe FNRttC in early August, treating it as a Prologue, I took the ferry from Heysham to Douglas, IoM and on to Belfast. I then spent 2 weeks riding to Malin Head, the End to End south to Mizen Head, and back via Cork and Waterford to Rosslare for the ferry to Fishguard and the train to London.

My route is at https://ridewithgps.com//trips/18435551 Approx 1470 km, including the FNRttC, excluding the ferry, with a lot of climbing, often quite steep. Some rough road surfaces. But superb landscapes, lots of history, people talk to you!
Some photos at https://bit.ly/2zeQZcB

Gordon, looks like a splendid trip. You passed within about 200 yards of my mother in law’s house in Cork and I may even have been there at the time!

 

[Gordon P]

Oh my goodness @BalkanExpress that would have been an awesome hands-across-the-sea moment!
Good to see you the other night. Hope transport worked out well.

 

[BalkanExpress]

Oh my goodness @BalkanExpress that would have been an awesome hands-across-the-sea moment!
Good to see you the other night. Hope transport worked out well.

Yes, transport all good including @hatler on the train.

I see you went through Botherbue, you will remember when I dropped out of the tour last September die to a funeral, well that’s where it took place.

On a happier note I see you have left lots of Cork to see for your next trip

 

[Gordon P]

Botherbue

There's a coincidence! indeed there is a lot more to see

 

[classic33]

You took a dangerous road out of Spancillhill I noticed. Even the locals are wary of it.