Ireland and Wales?

[Wandrin]

In less than 2 weeks time I'm off to Ireland via Preston, Liverpool, Runcorn, Chester and Holyhead.

Arriving in Dublin and along the Grand Canal to attend a family function 3 days later. This will be an ideal opportunity to recharge the electronic gizmos and wash clothes ( They may insist I wash too! )

The following night should see me on the west coast near Doolin for the Solstice, I've then got 5 days to get to Rosslare for a B&B before the early morning ferry to Fishguard and from there across Wales and back to Manchester.

The Doolin to Rosslare stage is as yet completely unplanned as are the three and a half days for the Welsh stage.

I think it's doable, unsupported wild camping, carrying about 14kg on a boingy bike with no lockout but with road tyres, 50 mile per day seems reasonable and achievable and not a flat out dash, well, apart from the Welsh stage but I'm figuring I'll be running light by then and with the prevailing wind behind me...

Any ideas for a good route for Ireland? Tentatively thinking Limerick, Charleville, Cappoquin, Waterford though this was based on a detail free map I've since lost the link to! So no idea if this was N roads or back roads.

Ideas for what to do about that bloody big hill in the middle of Wales also appreciated!

 

[classic33]

http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,591271,743300,0,10
Any particular reason for wanting to go through Limerick(I presume you mean City)?
What about the West Coast of Clare to the East Coast of Clare, Via Ennis, Bodyke, Tuamgraney, Coastal Road to Killaloe/Ballina. Onto the N7 and out onto the far side of Limerick, onto the N24.

The roads near Holyhead will be busy, and within the port itself, the short water crossing will be the point to watch for. Stop and they don't like it.

 

[Wandrin]

No reason at all, it was just sort of in line between there and there!

That does look like a very nice route indeed! Flat across to Lough Derg and then down the shore and shadow the M7 down to N24, I think I will, thank you.

I had planned to to do the Angelsey section at a relaxed pace, get to Bangor the night before and then pootle down that morning. Will look for a less direct route. Thank you again

 

[classic33]

No reason at all, it was just sort of in line between there and there!

That does look like a very nice route indeed! Flat across to Lough Derg and then down the shore and shadow the M7 down to N24, I think I will, thank you.

I had planned to to do the Angelsey section at a relaxed pace, get to Bangor the night before and then pootle down that morning. Will look for a less direct route. Thank you again

Its flat enough that way to Limerick, despite the guides saying a steep climb out of Tuamgraney. Out on the N7, I turned left and headed for Dublin.

Holyhead, its just the weight of traffic as you approach the port.

 

[Ootini]

No reason at all, it was just sort of in line between there and there!

That does look like a very nice route indeed! Flat across to Lough Derg and then down the shore and shadow the M7 down to N24, I think I will, thank you.

I had planned to to do the Angelsey section at a relaxed pace, get to Bangor the night before and then pootle down that morning. Will look for a less direct route. Thank you again

If you're going for a less direct route from Bangor to Holyhead, I'd suggest cross the Menai Strait on the Menai Bridge (not the Britannia Bridge), then head South West toward Brynsiencyn, Dwyran and on to Newborough, then North West up through Maltraeth, Aberfraw, Rhosneigr, Valley, Trearddur bay and in to Holyhead that way.

 

[Wandrin]

Thanks, that looks like a nice route for the morning and just the perfect distance at my usual 9mph.

I was out on Sunday and did 90 miles with 20Kg, further and heavier than I plan for this trip and was pleased to see I came in around that pace over the day. With no suffering and just the usual tired legs the next day, fingers crossed, I think that means I'm match fit. Have now started packing, it's truly shocking how quickly those panniers fill up though and I'm nowhere near finished.

Thank you for the route, from the north coast of Wales onto the south coast of Angelsey, ta!

 

[Cringles]

Hope the weather is good for you. We've had sunshine since Monday, set to change on Saturday gain. Bring a raincoat :P

 

[Wandrin]

Hmm! And it's set to be pelting down on Sunday when I leave, sure will make getting out the door a bit of a challenge, to leave the warm and dry of the house to travel through the downpour for 6-8 hours before looking for somewhere to set the tent for the night.

The maps arrived today, 1:250K, usefully they have latitude and longitude on them so I'll be able to pinpoint myself should things go really wrong with the map reading and compass.... I have GPS on my phone but not the battery life to use it all the time, it's there as a fallback. The maps also have the third class roads on them, guessing equivalent to the UK's B roads, so while they don't show the detailed routes suggested here http://www.journeyplanner.transportforireland.ie/ (The UK *needs* something like this) I'm quite sure that I'll find some quiet roads. I'm not expecting to be in a rush anytime, so if it takes a bit longer due to over detouring I'm not fussed, and besides, who knows what gems might be found along the way.

Hoping the weather is good, will make all the difference between a holiday and a challenge, but I'm up for either

 

[classic33]

Hmm! And it's set to be pelting down on Sunday when I leave, sure will make getting out the door a bit of a challenge, to leave the warm and dry of the house to travel through the downpour for 6-8 hours before looking for somewhere to set the tent for the night.

The maps arrived today, 1:250K, usefully they have latitude and longitude on them so I'll be able to pinpoint myself should things go really wrong with the map reading and compass.... I have GPS on my phone but not the battery life to use it all the time, it's there as a fallback. The maps also have the third class roads on them, guessing equivalent to the UK's B roads, so while they don't show the detailed routes suggested here http://www.journeyplanner.transportforireland.ie/ (The UK *needs* something like this) I'm quite sure that I'll find some quiet roads. I'm not expecting to be in a rush anytime, so if it takes a bit longer due to over detouring I'm not fussed, and besides, who knows what little gems might be found along the way.

Hoping the weather is good, will make all the difference between a holiday and a challenge, but I'm up for either

Are the third class roads "L" roads, marked in yellow? And is that scale correct!
County Clare, Coast To Coast, at 1:200000

 

[classic33]

Road along Clare's East Coast. The junction to the right is where the Tour Of Ireland comes back onto the main road. "R" being a Regional (secondary) Road.

 

[classic33]

Worth a read, if you are considering wild camping in Ireland. I'm aware of some of the issues of land ownership there, and seen the consequences when its gone wrong, for the camper. Both good & bad.
http://irishbackwoods.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/wild-camping-in-ireland.html

 

[Wandrin]

Are the third class roads "L" roads, marked in yellow? And is that scale correct!
County Clare, Coast To Coast, at 1:200000
View attachment 91537

Yes, marked in yellow. It shows almost as many as on that map, the few that are missing are shown as stubs whereas on your map they join at both ends. Using the same key as for Northern Ireland they would be "Minor Routes, more than 4m tarred".

The maps are the Holiday Ireland series, http://shop.osi.ie/Shop/Products/StockedItemsWH03/PID-41002(StockedItems).aspx

 

[classic33]

Also marked in yellow, The Old Bog Road! Bodyke at the bend to Ogonnelloe. Not quite 4 metres and no tar. On the plus side it is a Strava section! 10 MPH in a tractor would be good going.

 

[classic33]

Anyways Enjoy the ride.

 

[Wandrin]

Worth a read, if you are considering wild camping in Ireland. I'm aware of some of the issues of land ownership there, and seen the consequences when its gone wrong, for the camper. Both good & bad.
http://irishbackwoods.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/wild-camping-in-ireland.html

Thanks for this, have always tended to stay away from public areas as they tend to be too ... public, one exception was around the edge of the town football ground in Kinlochleven during the Glasgow Fair many years back when there was a small village of tents, the owners all walking the West Highland Way Good manners and common sense seem to be the key to wild camping, stick to the edges of any field and keep a tidy camp. Being solo with a small tent tends to mean things are quiet anyway, the amount of noise is proportional to the square of the number of people or so I was once told!