Mizen To Malin

[classic33]

Mizen to Malin

The end in sight!​

From Enniskillen you ride north across small hills and countryside that grows ever more scenic.

You pass the Grianan of Aileach above Derry City and have a climb in the centre of the Inishowen Peninsula that gets you off the main road before the last leg to Malin Head.

This is day five of our Mizen to Malin route. The five days are Mizen Head to Macroom, Macroom to Limerick, Limerick to Athlone, Athlone to Enniskillen and Enniskillen to Malin Head. It’s a very direct route, one of the shortest possible, combining R roads with quieter backroads.

Attractions

Enniskillen Castle is over 600 years old.
Devenish Island is one of the finest monastic settlement sites in the country.
Grianan of Aileach is a group of historic monuments on a hill overlooking Derry City.
Five Fingers strand is a beautiful beach in a spectacular location.
Knockamany Bens Viewpoint is a highlight of the trip.

The accepted northern tip of the island, Malin Head is the end of the popular and varying Mizen to Malin cycle route.

 

[Yellow Fang]

I have cycled Mizen Head to Malin Head. My advice is don't assume the traffic is light over there, especially down the west side of the island. The main roads can be pretty busy. The roads through the middle of the country don't seem as busy. I have relatives in County Cavan, and the road from Dublin to Cavan never seems particularly busy. I never found the countryside around Cavan particularly pretty. Ireland is an odd country in that all the hilly bits seem to be around the edges. Also, don't be clever like me and think about cutting a corner off your journey by catching the ferry to the Arran Islands. I got stuck on craggy island for most of the day, and was very, very grumpy about it. It is better to cycle through Northern Ireland than try to cycle around it via Donegal, because the traffic is horrendous. There was still a slight edge to N. Ireland when I cycled through it a few years ago, but not much. Malin Head was pretty, once I had got past the town of Malin. Up to that point, I was irritated by the number of plastic bottles that had been thrown on the side of the road.

 

[classic33]

@Yellow Fang, stuck on the same small island that Mad Doug calls home.
No wonder you wanted off.

 

[Yellow Fang]

Yes, everyone else was enjoying themselves. I just waited on the quay and glowered. Then I cycled half a mile up one end of craggy island before it became impassable, then I cycled half a mile to the other end. Then I pootled around the village. Then I went back to the quay and glowered some more. Eventually the ferry arrived, but I had to forego cycling through a bit of County Mayo, which I had hoped to do.