Wild Atlantic Way

Time for the 2024 tour with riding/cycling/drinking and all things life related buddy Paul! 

After the success of the Snowdonia 360 last year, we had decided to try a longer tour exploring the South Western corner of Ireland. Fortuitously, my new house is but a stone's throw (well, half an hour) from Holyhead with it's regular ferry service to Dublin. I always love taking in a ferry journey on the bike - it adds a certain excitement to the adventure. 

Bikes were packed and tucked up ready for an early start the following morning to catch the 9am ferry.

Day 1: Noel’s Party Pad to Holyhead; ferry to Dublin, then an afternoon ride down to the south. Stayed at Blackstairs Eco-Centre in Blackstairs Mountains.

 

Total miles 96

Day 2 / Friday: we have travelled down to the South West and actually joined the Wild Atlantic Way, which gives an initial impression of stunning scenery. The roads have been stupendous - lots of lovely twisty bits and hairpins, apart from a bit of boring motorway around Cork.

Total miles 163.

Camping just outside Rosscarbery tonight.

Day 3:Astounding Ireland! Today I had by far the best day’s motorcycling in my 46 + years on 2 wheels 🤩

Sublime scenery and perfect roads.

Day 4: Ring of Kerry today. A bit overcast and drizzly so we probably didn’t see it at its best, but good all the same.

Both knackered after 4/5 days riding, so glad to pull up and set up camp for the night just outside Killarney.

Day 5: Tonight’s campsite at Portlaoise. Another cracking day’s riding and we just have a couple of hours ride to the ferry at Dublin in the morning.

Day 6: and before we knew it, we were back in the hurly burly of Dublin. We bedded down in a cafe for a couple of hours before heading down to the ferry for an uneventful journey home. Safely back from 800 miles around Southern Ireland.