CIR1901: Around the Emerald Isle!

Day 10: Waterford to Dun Laoghaire (Dublin) Our last day takes us back north towards Dublin, but not without taking in some of the many excellent roads to be found here. Unfortunately the weather has turned overnight and we are greeted with rain and dark skies. As we stop for coffee the rain stops as well and we enjoy the beautifully verdant fields and forests on the way to Glendalough, the ancient monastic settlement over 1500 years old. From here we tackle the last few miles through Wicklow Mountains National Park and into Dublin, where we end our exploration of the Emerald Isle with a few (it may have been a few more...) well-deserved pints of the black stuff. Thank you Ireland, it was a blast! Day 9: Killarney to Waterford Day 8: Killarney, rest day Our second rest day of the tour and the weather has changed. What was clear blue skies is now dark, forbidding clouds and with them strong winds and rain.  Even so, we hop on our bikes and head into the stunning Gap of Dunloe for some of the twistiest roads of the tour. The rain has kept almost all other traffic away so we have the roads almost to ourselves as we ride over the gap and into the Black Valley. From here it's just a few miles to the village of Sneem, where we enjoy some excellent coffee and pie. Unfortunately the weather has not improved so we are forced to concede defeat and return to Killarney.  We enjoy a relaxing afternoon of exploring the town before meeting up for dinner in one of the many excellent restaurants Killarney has to offer. All in all a successful day. Day 7: Galway to Killarney Good bye Galway, hello Killarney! We leave the bustling city behind and head south towards the Burrens, one of the most picturesque parts of the Irish coast. Along the way we stop at the Cliffs of Moher and take in the epic views of the Atlantic ocean breaking against the sheer rock of the cliffs.  After lunch in the beautiful market town of Kilrush we board the ferry over the river Shannon and then enjoy the lazy twists and turns of Irish country lanes south towards Killarney.  Day 6: Rest day in Galway  Our first rest day of the tour, but it's no excuse to stay in bed! We are here to ride so ride we shall.  We head towards the Connemara coast and after a relaxing coffee break at beautiful Kylemore Abbey we head out onto the Sky Road, a narrow single lane ring road offering unparalleled views of the Atlantic coast. A quick lunch to refuel and we jump back onto the bikes, eager for even more twisties as we crisscross the rugged Connemara landscape on our way back to Galway.  Day 5: Ballina to Galway It's a glorious day as we head back towards the coast and onto the Wild Atlantic Way.  Our first stop at Downpatrick Head is almost deserted apart from a few seabirds and the remnants of an old church built by St. Patrick. Next we hesf south, the roads a mix of narrow single lanes and wide open sweepers. After lunch we stop at Croagh Patrick and pay our respects at the famine memorial. Next we ride on some of the best roads so far as we pass through Cong and the make our way to Galway.  Day 4: Letterkenny to Ballina Our fourth day of the tour takes us out onto the Wild Atlantic Way! Stretching all along Irelands West Coast, this route offers some of the best riding to be found on the isalnd and we will take full advantage of all it has to offer. We start off at Horn Head, a remote spit of land with stunning views of the craggy coastline, then swing south on beautifully curvy roads towards the Sliabh Liagh cliffs which tower almost 2.000 ft above the sea. Along the way we stop for a traditional Edelweiss picnic, high up in the valleys of rural Donegal, including a birthday surprise for Arik. Happy Birthday! Day 3: Belfast to Letterkenny Day 2: Dublin to Belfast  Day two and it's time to hit the road. We make our way around Dublin and head west towards Trim, hoe to Trim castle, made famous due to it's apppearance in the move "Braveheart". From here it's time for a relaxing ride through the rolling hills towards the coast, interrupted only by lunch at a classic Irish pub, before tackling the switchbacks of the Mourne mountains. From here it's just a few miles towards Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland and our stop for the night. Day 1: Welcome to Dublin What to do Dublin while you wait for your motorcycle? Go explore, of course! While TG Marc spends the day preparing everyhting for our tour we head off into Dublin to see some of the fascinating sights!.