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Ireland Route Advice Needed

Old 06-02-16, 10:39 AM
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Ireland Route Advice Needed

If all goes to plan I shall be taking the ferry from Cambeltown, Scotland to Ballycastle, Ulster first week in July as part of a seven week tour.

Legs of Irish journey.

1) Ballycastle to the Cliffs of Moher.

2) Cliffs of Moher to Killarney National Park.

3) Killarney National Park to Cobh.

4) Cobh to Cashel.

5) Cashel to Rosslare (for ferry to Wales).

Google Maps to about 600 miles or maybe 12 days @ an easy 50 miles/day pace. My TX-NY trip I did in 30 days at 65 miles/day.

Any and all advice appreciated.

Mike
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Old 06-02-16, 02:34 PM
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Hi Sharpspin
Don't know about the Northern Ireland side of your trip sorry but I will try to advise you on the other parts. Cliffs of moher to Killarney National Park is a relatively hard leg for the unfit rider.How are your fitness levels? You will have to be prepared for pretty hilly terrain and bad roads. I am under the assumption that you will be stopping on this leg and every leg. You should leave your body rest after certain distances especially on our roads. In ireland you are not allowed to cycle on motorways so you will have to follow the old roads before the motorway was built i.e the 'backroads' as we call them now. I presume you will have the routes planned out before you do it? Are you going through Limerick or are you using the Tarbert ferry? You could follow the Wild Atlantic Way Route from Cliffs of Moher into Tralee and then come off the Wild Atlantic Way and head for Killarney, but this is the longer way but it is scenic. Or you can go through Charleville or a more direct route you can go through Castleisland. Google Maps should be able to direct you before you leave though but there are plenty of websites with routes. The road from Killarney National Park to Cobh is pretty treacherous at points especially the stretch of road after Ballyvourney to Mallow. The road gets very windy and cars can be very dangerous here. Another long way(I know, I love my long ways! ) is to go to Molls Gap out of Killarney and head for Kenmare and then follow the road down through Glengariff, Bantry and Bandon and then to Cobh via Carrigaline and Ringaskiddy. But the most direct route is to go straight from Killarney to Macroom and then to Cork and then Cobh. Even though this route can be more dangerous it is a huge time saver to go this way.

That is about all I know about your journey. Sorry! I am surprised at how much I know for a 16 year old but I am from Ireland so there ya go! Good luck with the cycle though! Be sure to make all the stops you need, eat a lot of good food, drink a tonne of water and make sure you bring the correct gear, raingear what not because Ireland's weather is quite unpredictable, sunny one day and raining the next day

Good Luck,
MadDog1999
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Old 06-02-16, 10:35 PM
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Originally Posted by MadDog1999
Hi Sharpspin
Don't know about the Northern Ireland side of your trip sorry but I will try to advise you on the other parts. Cliffs of moher to Killarney National Park is a relatively hard leg for the unfit rider.How are your fitness levels?
Probably by that time my fitness levels will be better than they were when I left Blackpool 800 miles earlier

Here's what works for me; a 20 tooth granny gear in front and a 36 tooth big sprocket in back. Speed is no object, just keeping the wheels turning is. My target speed on these things is just 10mph (or 16Kph in Irish). Slower is OK too, and I'll gear down as low as I have to.

I am under the assumption that you will be stopping on this leg and every leg. You should leave your body rest after certain distances especially on our roads.
From over here a target pace of 50 miles/day seems modest enough. Basically I will stop whenever tired and camp out in a tent as much as possible.

Cliffs of Moher for the sea birds, Killarney National Park for the sea eagles. I would like to stop in Limerick to see one of the famine mass grave sites I saw on a documentary, and Tralee is where my great uncle joined the Royal Munster Fusiliers in 1915. Cobh is where my grandad lived (I have the address) before he emigrated at age 17 in 1904 to go and work on the Panama Canal. Cashel for the Scully Cross (what remains of it) and then on to Rosslare for the ferry to Wales.

I presume you will have the routes planned out before you do it?
Not at all, beyond generalities.

Are you going through Limerick or are you using the Tarbert ferry? You could follow the Wild Atlantic Way Route from Cliffs of Moher into Tralee etc, etc.....
Thank you for all this info....! I shall get busy with google maps....

Mike
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Old 06-03-16, 02:27 AM
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No problem at all! I think you seem quite ready so! If you have any more questions just ask!
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