Ireland – Less Car, More Life

Cycling rail trails in Ireland, including the new Limerick Greenway.

Rich doing the loaded touring bike slalom on the Limerick Greenway.

Our bike tour in Ireland followed a good bit of the signed EuroVelo 1 route, and in his planning Rich had seen a greenway shown as running from Listowel to Rathkeale, also part of EuroVelo 1. Ah, what a perfect way to end our tour, greenway for a day and a half towards Limerick, from where we would take the train to Dublin. However, a small snag.

Nothing like seeing the fresh pavement of a greenway you cannot ride.

Work on the section from Listowel to Abbeyfeale is ongoing. We stood outside a construction fence separating us from the start of the path in Listowel, pondering in our bike tourer way if we could slip around the fence and poach the trail, when a super nice worker turned off his digger, got out, and came over to explain to us where the closest spot was where we could access the completed section of greenway. After a lovely chat, we followed his directions and started riding on fresh new greenway.

Left is a construction fence, right is wonderful butter smooth pavement all the way to Rathkeale.

Rich heads to an overpass under cloudy skies.

A lot of things about this path, which is a former a railway line, were very impressive. The crossings for farm lands were handled quite well, we thought. Gates for the farmer to close off the trail to the cattle, side gates for trail users to use if the big gates were in use, and a fresh concrete pad across the trail – whether for delineation or cattle ease I don’t know – but quite nice.

Crossing cows added for scale, and to delight the tourists!

I like the code of respect, rather than a list of rules.

Signage was very well done. Both information sharing and history telling signs. We stopped to read every single sign about the history of the railway. Always read the information boards!

The railway was originally built primarily to move dairy products, and with so much cattle land and creameries on the route, it was a busy line.

Details and history of the old Devon Road station.

We were impressed with the number of picnic tables and benches along the route as well. Given how much it rains in Ireland it would be nice to have some covered tables and benches, but perhaps that will be added in the future.

Picnic tables and bike racks abound. A stretch of original forest adds to the charm of this section of path.

This old station building has been turned into an adorable dwelling.

Buildings restored, but not repurposed…yet?

Riding the greenway from Abbeyfeald to Newcastle West, where we spent the night, was such a joy. The butter smooth pavement, the views, and seeing quite a few cyclists, dog walkers, and runners, all happily enjoying the new trail. We do notice that Ireland suffers from a lack of hiking and walking trails. Unlike England, Wales, and Scotland with their extensive public foot path networks and hiking trails, Ireland’s beautiful countryside is mostly off limits to public walking. We read up on the laws, it’s an ongoing issue and under discussion, but the right to roam and cross farmlands is not enshrined in Ireland. So, anywhere with walking paths is a draw, be it a former grand estate now a public park, Belvedere Gardens near Mullingar, or the Clara Bog boardwalk near Birr, which specifically said it wasn’t an exercise path but people were using it as such, jogging laps, and this old rail line. So many people are out enjoying it. Sadly, it seems many have to drive to find a place to walk, which in a country with not a huge population isn’t a parking issue, yet, but it did make us think about how we as tourists on bikes, could visit Ireland without bikes and actually get enough exercise? The opportunities to hike were limited and involved routes that were on the road quite a bit, like the Wicklow Way, some of which we cycled.

Next stop Newcastle West, our weather luck held out and the rain held off.

Off again the next morning towards Rathkeale, the current end of the greenway.

Dramatic skies as Rich heads under another lovely stone overpass.

The views were delightful. And still enjoying that velvety pavement.

Nearing the end of the greenway. And sensing the beginning of fall.

We were back on roads for about 40k to get to Limerick, but we crossed the old rail line and wondered what the future holds for extending the greenway towards Limerick.

Ireland is doing great work with converting and updating old rail lines into multi use paths. In addition to the Limerick greenway we rode the Mullingar to Athlone Greenway.

Rails still in place for a dramatic effect- Athlone Mullingar greenway.

And, after a night in Cork where we arrived by train, we rode the Blackrock Greenway out of the city. It was also recently updated and upgraded, with wide smooth pathways making for a stress free ride with plenty of room for all users. Ireland is setting a high standard for mixed use pathways.

The engineer reading about the bridge. Plenty of room to pull over and read the sign board.

Very impressed with the updated crossings and entrances/exits to the path.

On the Passage West greenway near Horsehead. And another fascinating info board.

The Clara Bog boardwalk. It hadn’t rained much for a few weeks so the bog was a bit dry. No puddles.

We’re back in the UK now, and riding leisurely from London to Brighton. We rode several footpaths and bridle ways today and agreed that we missed that option in Ireland. We also missed the small lanes of Ireland while cycling on busy roads here. If we are ever asked to create a perfect country from the point of view of auto adverse cyclists, it will certainly include Irelands small lanes, greenways, and considerate drivers. And Germany’s covered picnic tables near impressive cycle routes. And the Netherlands’ amazing cycle ways connecting every town and city. And Sweden’s cycle centric design and laws and attentive drivers. Oh, Belgium’s amazing fast track of bicycle infrastructure too. Denmark’s embrace of the bicycle for everyday transport and their bakeries. The list goes on. We miss what we don’t have while appreciating what we do have.

The happy travelers walking the Clara Bog boardwalk.

The Ups and Downs of Southwest Ireland

We had a wonderful two weeks house sitting in Mt. Temple, a hilly part of the Irish Midlands. It was a chance to really slow down our pace, listen to the sounds of rural Ireland, and best of all, cook all of our meals for two weeks!

A long decent into Bantry with clear skies towards the Beara peninsula!

There was even a nice gas BBQ grill, so we took advantage of the excellent locally sourced meats and summer produce, and tried to replenish our diets from the challenges of constant eating out.

One of our two house sit cats in Mt. Temple, checking in on dinner status

We really wanted to minimize train transfers, so I planned two nice days of touring from Mt. temple by heading southeast towards the charming village of Birr and then onto a train connection that would take us directly on to the City of Cork.

Excuse me sheep, but we have a train to catch!

It can be challenging to make an afternoon connection when touring, as the further you are cycling, the harder it is to time the arrival. Wind, hills, dirt, cobbles, or dogs can all slow your progress. So we generally allow plenty of time, especially when you have one of the few bike reservation spaces and the next train is in 3 hours!

Tea and a chocolate croissant help Cheryl to pass the waiting time at Ballybrophy Station

Local (L) roads can be nicely paved and two lanes, or overgrown double track with rocks and mud…no way to know from most maps!

We arrived in Cork in early evening and found Ireland’s second city to be a bit of a work in progress with respect to bike infrastructure. The city is a working port city and downtown doesn’t overwhelm with charm, but the lively restaurant and pub scenes compensate, as well as some interesting hilly nooks and valleys to explore on the north bank of the River Lee. But it’s a good jumping off point for exploring the Southwest of Ireland and we couldn’t wait to set out the next morning in the cool coastal air.

Loading up outside our hotel in Cork….nope, we’re not getting in that tour bus

We were pleasantly by some new bike lanes leaving Cork…as almost all the bike and path mapping is out of date, especially Google.

We took a longer scenic way to Kinsale, to take in two nice sections of rail-trail/greenway along the sinuous coast that opens up towards the Celtic Sea from Cork Harbor. Cruising along the salty coast separated from traffic on flat paths was a joy. However, we then turned to the SW, where headwinds and hills started to make their mark and let us know that traversing County Cork by loaded bike would be hard work, but also reward with sublime views and lush valleys.

The Carrigaline Greenway towards Crosshaven, so nice to enjoy the views without traffic

Our reward for the push across the hills and winds of the Cork Coast was the sublimely peaceful and picturesque Glandore

Since the prevailing winds are from the Southwest, we knew that we likely had two days of head wind ahead of us. And we did, but you are often buffered by vegetation along the small roads, so the winds are often mitigated (or unnoticeable when headed up a 10% grade!)

The Drombeg Stone Circle on the way to Glandore…worth the detour for a great chat with a French traveler originally from Mauritius (who took our picture)

Kinsale is a picturesque town set at the head of a beautiful harbor, so we decided to take an extra day there and relax as it was our 25th Wedding Anniversary. And to be honest, there really aren’t any places that I would have rather been than cycle touring with my amazing wife across the friendly and stunning landscape of Southwest Ireland.

We jumped on this lovely new stretch of separated path to get off a busy road only to have it dead end with no gap in the guardrail. Bike facilites, signs, and maps are all a work in progress here.

This is what we worked towards for many years, it does feel wonderful every day to realize that we are living our dream. And doing it while we still have some oomph in our legs. In the future, we won’t be shy about employing e-bikes to extend our years of cycle touring. It’s just such an amazing way to see the countryside and experience a place.

Yes Cheryl, we are headed OVER the mountains via Healy Pass.

But Cheryl was ready with secret emergency provisions.

Perfect pavement, reasonable grades, and a palette of colors made Healy Pass one of the highlights of the area.

Enjoying some snacks on the far side of Healy Pass, and now looking toward County Kerry

Cheryl contemplating the descent. She cruised up the pass and I think may even now be enjoying the hills!

But like everything, cycle touring and Ireland has its ups, and downs. One of the downs for us has been cycling into a bit of car and truck mayhem in most Irish cities and villages, especially as traffic really peaks here in the mid afternoon.

Late summer carmageddon in Killarney…getting around towns by bike is not easy yet in most places…but they are working on it a bit, with some new bike lanes and paths.

Logically for original settlement needs, villages are almost always on a river or at the head of an inlet or protected harbor. Add hilly glacial geography to the mix, and you have every road generally meeting in one spot…across one bridge….just where the village and sights are as well. Kinsale especially suffers from this.

Cheryl looking down toward Bantry and the Beara Peninsula after another climb from Kinsale.

It’s also true that 90% of the lodging is along main roads as this is where the commercial development has been, so a number of B&Bs and hotels we’ve stayed at have been impacted by traffic noise. A fact of life, but especially disappointing to deal with when you are traveling only by bike and train.

With views like this, the minor annoyances of Ireland are soon forgotten

We could opt for more country lodging, but then dinner is often an issue, since cycling miles into a town in the evening is not really fun (or safe feeling) after being out on the bikes all day. Not to mention we like to stroll about the towns and explore a bit each evening.

The local roads are quiet, but rarely flat!

Sometimes you have to improvise for a lunch spot…this was the edge of a farm road on a ridge, but with some views across the valley.

Of course, this phenomenon is not unique to Ireland, but it’s especially noticeable on bikes, and since there is generally not too much traffic elsewhere. But luckily, there just aren’t a lot of people in Ireland (6M), so the scale of the issues are small and manageable. This has been the biggest surprise in Ireland…despite a deep history, it’s modern, educated, and forward looking, and still living in a bit of a golden age of prosperity and development.

Pubs and Trad music sooth the soul at the end of a long day pedaling (or even a short day!)

So after a relaxing few days in Kinsale, we happily set out on our bikes and meandered north to Bantry, Glengariff, and finally over Healy pass to Killarney National Park. The weather was lovely and the views constantly stimulating, so the miles just click by, even when heading up the many long and steep hills.

The happy travelers enjoying a day off the bikes in Killarney National Park

Plus, we always looked forward to finding a new pub each night to enjoy a fresh pint in a friendly atmosphere. Ireland really is a nice place to tour, and we’re going to miss it when we get back on the ferry to the UK next week. Happy September and happy travels!

What caught my attention cycling in Ireland? Stone walls and stone bridges.

Rich riding across the bridge over the River Nore at Inistioge.

I do love a bridge. Good thing my wonderful civil engineer husband does too. Or, as he might say, good thing my amazing, strong, and adaptable wife also likes bridges. The photos in this post highlight yet again the way bike touring helps you enjoy the countryside. Slow enough to enjoy things, but fast enough that you can cover some ground.

Green’s Bridge in Kilkenny, also over the River Nore.

Holdenstown Lower, on the Wicklow Way. No idea what the name of the creek is.

It can be a bit tricky to get the photos I want of the bridges. If the road doesn’t have a curve before the bridge you don’t get a good view of the stone arch or arches. Climbing down into the fields is usually quite impossible – brambles and nettles make sure of that. Rich got the photo above with a little climbing and a long reach.

Slievenamough Plain. Now that is just a lovely little bridge. I stopped just in time to catch Rich riding across.

My long suffering husband also has to deal with turning around to realize I’m not in sight anymore. Stopped for a photo, saw a cat, or had a mechanical? Thankfully, usually the first two.

View from the Glenmalure Lodge. Fan of big puffy clouds? Yes, me too.

Next on my list of favorite things in Ireland is stone walls. Even on a climb so steep that I can barely start pedaling my loaded bike again, I’ll still stop to get a shot over a stone wall. Or two shots.

So many shades of green against a grey sky. This is the climb out of the Glenmalure Lodge valley. I think there is a stone wall buried under the ferns.

Just a few meters up the road, the same view, but this time with heather and foxgloves. And the same challenge to start pedaling up the mountain again.

Flower in the crannied wall,
I pluck you out of the crannies,
I hold you here, root and all, in my hand,
Little flower-but if I could understand
What you are, root and all, all in all,
I should know what God and man is. Alfred Lord Tennyson

I’m glad I looked that poem up, I thought it was Robert Frost. That poem has been running through my head every time I see a stone wall and a flower. Which, riding in Ireland in August, is frequently.

Glendalough. Ferns, crannied wall, and sheep.

Annemoe. Stone wall and two curious cows.

Roundwood. Daisies taller than the wall.

Near the Nun’s Church at Clonmacnoise Monastic site.

Mount Temple. On a walk back from the pub. The variation of the stone walls really catches my attention in these photos. All different styles.

We have two more weeks of bike touring in Ireland, our two week Housesit is wrapping up. We’re heading to the west coast, very much looking forward to seeing what that’s like. My other fascination is with the traditional Irish cottages. I haven’t managed to get any good photos though- so fingers crossed for that!

The happy travelers enjoying a walk on the Clara Bog boardwalk.

How is Ireland for cycling? Fantastic!

Our first full day in Ireland, a few miles outside of Wexford.

We were not sure what to expect, bike touring in Ireland. Our ride from Rosslare Harbor, where the ferry docks, to Wexford, was not super encouraging. Large road with fast traffic, N Road, although a decent paved paved shoulder, or back roads with very choppy asphalt, L Roads. Hmmm…neither of those hit our sweet spot for cycling. There are also R Roads which vary in accommodations for cyclists.

Hanging whiskey bottles at The Sky and the Ground pub – enthusiastically recommended to us by two young women at another pub.

Thankfully that first ride lied. Not only are the Irish super friendly when it comes to pub culture- we were singing along with the guitar player in our very first pub – but we’re finding the drivers to be very respectful and careful of cyclists.

A typical L road, enough room for passing, no center stripe, cool green canopy.

Of course, when we say that to Irish cyclists we get a look that says “really?”. Maybe our obvious cycle tourist gear screams “We don’t live here. We’re rubber necking and will likely stop at every lovely view.” Perhaps that gets you an extra measure of consideration.

Lunch in a field with a view, on our way to New Ross.

Hey guess what? July and August are busy travel months. Through all our working years we never traveled in August and only once in July, to bike in Quebec. So this peak season stuff is different for us. The planner was working hard to find us suitable bike touring accommodations: Somewhere safe to store the bikes. Not too far from town or dinner opportunities. With breakfast starting hopefully at 7 or 7:30. And not a lovely but possibly cloying BnB. Some folks are BnB folks. Some aren’t. We fall in the middle leaning towards not.

Our BnB outside New Ross was thankfully walking distance to a farm to table restaurant, Mannion’s Pub. A pint of recovery beverage.

The lovely town of Inistioge, on the River Nore. Heading towards Kilkenny.

A notable photo in that I’m ahead of Rich! On a hill! (He had a mechanical.) Another good example of an L road.

We were winging it a bit, not sure of how far we would ride each day, and Rich was booking as far ahead as two days, as little ahead as that morning. We ended up staying two different places in Kilkenny since we hit it on a long Bank Holiday weekend, so both Saturday and Sunday nights were busy. Bank Holiday weekend equals busy and pricey.

A much appreciated bench in Thomastown. It’s not as easy to find picnic lunch spots in Ireland as some other countries where we’ve cycled (hello Sweden), but when we do they tend to be beautiful.

Moving from one hotel to the next in Kilkenny, castle in the background and still on the River Nore.

Wandering around Kilkenny on our rest day.

Next was a night in Carlow, one of those towns we love since it’s not a usual tourist stop and we had a fantastic chat with a hotel owner who had immigrated with his family from Ireland to SF when he was a child, and came back to Ireland in his 30s. The close connections between Ireland and the US are still heartwarming, even considering the tough conditions that sent people in search of a better life for their families. Hearing from someone who came back to Ireland was fascinating.

Grey but fairly dry. Green vistas on our way to Carlow.

I love these lanes with grass growing in the center. This signals a quiet lane to me.

Hello goats. Why yes, we are fascinating.

Picnic tip – Churchyards. We stopped at a lot in Denmark and now here in Ireland. Always either a bench or a green spot to sit and relax. Pictured is our second Turkish towel/picnic blanket/temporary window shade. I lost the green one in Denmark and bought a replacement in Bristol.

Heading in to Carlow on the River Barrow. Always nice to find some off road trails.

Another Churchyard picnic heading from Carlow to Glenmalure.

Looking quite confident considering the climb that is coming up.

How Rich looks climbing the Wicklow mountains, he loves loves loves climbing.

Versus how I look on long climbs. Hot, tired, and thinking about what my reward will be be for this.

Before he broke the news we had another climb the next day.

Showered, fed, and saying – why yes, I can start right up the mountain tomorrow.

The lovely Glenmalure Lodge is in a valley. So yes, you get on your bike and turn right up to the next climb. Again, the car drivers are considerate and the views are stunning. However, it was humid and still and the flies were finding me very interesting. That kept me climbing, and the promise of a break at a cafe in Laragh.

Rich having a break while he waited for me.

The promised break. Tea, coffee, and scones.

Now we were heading to Dublin. Well, Dún Laoghaire actually. The previous comments about travel in August proved very true in Dublin. Busy and pricey. Dún Laoghaire is a short train ride from downtown Dublin and a lovely relaxed place.

Loads of berries, not all ripe yet but enough for a post scone snack.

Signage along the Wicklow Way. We saw quite a few hikers in this stretch.

I love switching cities on my Citymapper app. If you’re not familiar with Citymapper, download it now. Best transit app available.

Dublin. We had a great day walking around and intend to come back again. Maybe not in August.

Packed up to head to the train station. Our firm dates for Ireland have been a two week house and pet sit through Trustedhousesitters. So off to Dublin Heuston train station we go.

After our two week rural idyll we’ll head back out on our bikes for another two weeks before we return to Dublin for a few days and to catch another ferry (love the ferries!) to Holyhead in the UK. I have more photos of Ireland to share. I really do stop at every scenic spot and every cute animal. Until then – happy pedaling!