ON THE BOG

 After waiting around in Limerick for three days for Decathlon to replace a simple broken freewheel I had had enough by the Wednesday. I had enjoyed the town of Limerick and the Bunratty attractions and had the van oil and filter changed so was keen to get going again. The garage had refused to use my oil and filter even though they couldn't get the semi synthetic I wanted putting in but it shouldn't do any harm and will be changed again at the end of the year before my winter travels. Whilst hanging about I came up with a third option for Decathlon which that morning they agreed to - basically I upgraded to the same bike but with Shimano Deore gearing, air filled forks and a few other tweaks. I got 15% off the shop price and a full refund on the initial purchase and felt that was a fair deal all round with me paying the balance of about £100. They had been insisting that the bike would have to go off to Dublin for a specialist repair as the replacement wheel was fouling the brake pads and out of true - all developments since it had been in their possession. Anyway I left happy with the deal and drove across to the more or less mid point of the Grand Canal, one of two which link Dublin and the Shannon and parked up at Daingean alongside the tow and cycle path. I set out to test the new wheels and just did a ten mile loop around local lanes on a hot sunny evening before enjoying a pint outside the local pub. The follwing day a 64 mile out and back west along the canal took me to Shannon Harbour via Tullamore where the well stocked if pricey Blakey's Cycle shop supplied and fitted a new bottle and cage. 

 

 

That evening a local guy, Cahel, stopped for a chat about the van and my lifestyle and very kindly insisted on giving me his number should I need any assistance whilst over here - much appreciated. An easier day took me east to Edenderry passing a curious lift bridge that allowed the canal and a narrow gauge railway once used for peat extraction to cross each other. A friendly cafe at the top of town provided hot coffee and a decent sausage roll before I returned to the van pleased that the replacement bike seemed to have been well set up and was as comfy as the other.  With time to spare I returned west a couple of miles to follow a spur off the main canal up to the village of Kilbeggan - well worth doing as the canal dug by the villagers who wanted to be part of the action is now largely filled in but the old harbour and associated warehouse buildings are well worth a look. The following morning after picking up the rubbish left by some youths after their Friday night junk food extravaganza I headed down to the Slieve Boom Mountains where two mountain bike trailheads were beckoning. Ballyoughter deep in the woods looked like the perfect place to spend a night or two with a large level carpark and no facilities other than the boards detailing the choice of routes. I tackled the blue route to test the bike's ability off road and suitably reassured did the red run after lunch as the clouds cleared. The trails were superbly designed and built offering miles of free flowing descents with generally well graded ascents on the forest tracks. Various people turned up for after work rides but by late evening there was just myself and one other van for the night. 

 

 

Sunday dawned bright and sunny and as other riders arrived I set off to repeat part of the previous day's blue route and then take the link lane over to the Offally trails at Kinnitty. These provided yet more hugely enjoyable miles with coffee and a cake at the hut in the grounds of Kinnitty Castle - a 4* hotel that was hosting a meeting of motorcyclists. Returning across to Laois I then picked up the previous day's red trail for a final hour of exhileration to cap off one of the best day's off road riding in recent times. Another quiet night followed a few hours sunbathing before I headed north enjoying extensive views from the high road above the bogs of central Ireland and pulled in at Thomastown on the Royal Canal opposite a pub and restaurant. I rode east the following day as far as Enfield, no not that one, and returned to the van disappointed to find that the pub was shut until Thursday. However I had plenty of good food in stock and enjoyed some IPlayer catch up as it seems that not only does Three not charge their EU Roaming fee in Ireland but they also allow the full unlimited data package I pay for - yet another Brexit quirk.

There was information on the Famine Trail describing how over 1600 people, mostly children, had walked all the way to Dublin to escape starvation and poverty, a bronze cast of a pair of child's shoes added a note of deep poignancy.

 

The following day I rode west to Mullingar with its huge cathedral and had the usual faff sourcing up to date information on Campingaz outlets, eventually finding Outdoor Sports on the small industrial estate out beyond the station. Obviously I wasn't carrying the two empties but reserved two to exchange the following day at the exhorbitant price of 55 euros each. Not the shop's fault as that is the going rate over here and around the £40-£45 mark in the UK - basically a rip off and hard to justify by the owners of Campingaz. Mainland Europe is half that price and I was getting the same size cylinders exchanged for one euro in Morocco so to date my average gas cost has been under a pound a day since leaving in December. If we do use campsites in the next few weeks any EHU at a fiver will be cheaper than gas as a cylinder lasts 7-10 days and once back in the UK I will switch over to FloGas. Using the genny would also be an option in any thoroughly remote locations so there are plenty of options. Incidentally the EcoFlow battery pack has been very useful on those days when the sun has hidden away taking some of the load off the LB and soon charging up as I move around so medium term I might install a 1600w Delta model that could then effectively provide hook up for the van out in the sticks.....

As I returned to the van the heavens opened for the last half hour - my first true soaking in years so after I had loaded up the bike and put the cover on I was grateful for the Eber's heat and a long hot shower. Returning for the gas bottles the next day I also called at an Aldi for supplies and was soon engaged in a conversation with a Spanish guy living over here who was really taken by the van and wanted to know all the ins and outs of van life - Eduardo again kindly offered me the chance to fill up with water as he lived nearby but I had no need as the tank lasts about a week when flying solo.

A short drive to the car park at Streamstown Station placed me mid way along the Old Rail Trail that links Mullingar and Athlone. There is a good clean loo block and water available even though the cafe was closed and there were no signs banning overnight parking so I tucked away in a corner before setting off to Athlone passing through Moate which had another lovely old station. Athlone Abbey alonside the Shannon was impressive and I returned along the same route admiring the carved limestone sculptures, some incorporating buddhist type prayer wheels and reading the boards that explained the formation of the surroundings bog land interspersed with higher eskers. Back at the Streamstown station a volunteer was planting up flower beds and confirmed that staying would be fine and I enjoyed a quiet evening with just one fellow cyclist also stopping to admire the van and very surprised to find it was 22 years old. Remarkably he had been in Mauritania in January as well but had been with a friend and hired a local driver and 4x4 to get down to the Gambia and Senegal - he had heard of the ore train but not actually ridden it - I am very tempted to return in a year or two and try to get further this time - lack of working ATMs and ready cash being the main cause of my stalled attempt this time.

 

Thursday was, after some 250 miles of riding over the last week, a day off with my destination a small campsite at Ballinderry near Lough Derg with a laundry stop on the way. En route I spent an absorbing couple of hours at the remarkable holy site of Clonmacnoise with its two round towers, ruined cathedral and numerous temples. Safely on display in the museum were two of the original and finely decorated crosses - well worth a visit.

 The well maintained campsite had mostly statics with a level grassed area for vans etc. so I arrived after lunch and rang Sean the owner who said to get set up and he would call by later. There was almost no one around so I filled up with water and connected to power as I wanted to give everything a good charge, clean the shower area and generally get ready for Mandy's arrival down at Shannon airport tonight. I got all the laundry dry, swept out, washed out the fridge, checked the various screws and bolts on both bikes, pumped up the tyres, checked the van tyre pressures and wheel bolts and gave the engine bay a wipe round. Following the sandstorms of the Western Sahara it really needs a good blow out with an air gun as there is fine sand in many of the nooks and crannies and then perhaps a deep clean with steam.

Sean has yet to make an appearance so I have dealt with the loo, loaded the bikes, strapped down the cover and completed this update. I am in no hurry to leave as it's only a ninety minute journey with the flight not due in until 10pm. We will stay at Bunratty once more as it's only 15 minutes from the airport - I am in danger of becoming an attraction having already stayed 3 nights.

We will then take our time following the coast clockwise round to Larne from where we will get the ferry across to Scotland with my only commitment a possible farm sit near Brecon in late July.

A few pics here as per usual..

COUNTY CLARE REVISITED AFTER FORTY YEARS....

The short drive to Tarbert put me at the back of the queue for the ferry across the Shannon and although I didn't get on the first one a second arrived within twenty minutes. 

We were soon over to Killimer where I turned East and spent a lovely afternoon and evening on the quayside at Kildysart where the village provide a toilet block accessible by keycode if you ring the number on the door. A charge of 5 euros per night seemed very reasonable and it was a very peaceful place to spend time as the tide came in and out, the odd local taking a fishing boat out and later one other van arriving. I walked up to the village shop and then back via various lanes before another undisturbed evening. Moving on the following day after servicing the van domestics for the first time in a fortnight I rolled in to Labasheeda after deciding that a spot at the end of a dead end lane looking out to the ferry crossing was too near to a house. Two friendly fisheries inspectors (one from Huddersfield) were having lunch and talked about the declining salmon stocks as well as the year round resident dolphin pod numbering about a hundred or so - possibly a link!

 So Labasheeda provided another quiet night on the quay - I walked to the end of the village where an old RC church had been converted in to a community hall and stood alongside a lovely old National School building. At half six I went for a pint in the pub which threw me at first as I entered the front door to find myself in a small shop, however another door led to the bar at the back with the landlord flitting between the two via a curtain. Two pints of Guinness at 5 euro a pop went down well but I did wonder at the impact on the family finances of my fellow drinker who had downed three whilst his young daughter was more or less ignored.

A friendly couple also stayed the night - he was French and his English wife had dual nationality so they were untroubled by the Brexit 90 and had been in Andalucia since October. Fresh water was available so I filled up before heading over to Kilrush and then out along the Loop peninsula to Loop lighthouse which stood in magnificent isolation on the cliff tops.

After a walk along the cliffs and a view of the deep chasm over to Dermot and Grania's rock I joined the next lighthouse tour for a fascinating presentation covering the history of the light, life for the keepers and the background to recent automation. The 45 and Eire lettering in stones on the ground adjacent to the lighthouse were to warn WW2 Luftwaffe aircraft that they were passing over neutral Ireland on their way to bomb the NW of England - apparently word would be passed on to the air defences that danger was imminent and local weather forecasts were even used to alter the timings of the D Day landings as weather here tends to be a precursor of that further east a day or two later.

A superb spot above the Cliffs of Kilee made for a memorable night - the huge rock shelving was washed by powerful waves but was safely accesible at low tide and revealed some remarkable geology. I removed two party balloons stuck in crevices - people should think twice before releasing these as most will end up littering the countryside, as well as some fishermen's litter - mostly line which is easily disposed of with a match. 

The seaside of resort at Kilkee lacked much in the way of a supermarket so I nipped across to Kilrush for an Aldi and fuel noting that my mpg was down slightly - this being attributable to the use of the heater during last week's poor weather rather than an engine issue. At White Strand Beach near Doonbeg I squeezed in to the small carpark at the end of a dead end road, again grateful for having a relatively compact vehicle and was impressed by three local ladies who turned up for a swim in what looked to be a fairly chilly sea. A walk round the headland passed a set of steps that drop down to a ledge where people swim from and then further round I met two local characters who wanted my opinion on the health of their elderly dog for some reason. I also met a scuba diver who asked me to help him in to his bulky drysuit before after donning fins and mask he disappeared in to the choppy steel blue waters. Back at the park up a VW Grand California was parked up - it was a rental and the young couple seemed a bit overawed by the beast - I had looked round one last year in Hungary and thought them to be a complicated vehicle with a number of deficiencies. Another large van rolled in alongside later on - again a rental - and he distinguished himself by starting his engine at 5am the following morning. After forty minutes I opened my curtains and made my displeasure known at which point he switched off only to be off again at 7am - basically thoughtless....

Along at Doonbeg one of Mr Trump's golf emporiums occupies a section of the coastline but I was headed further north near Liscannor where a farm provides parking for a walk to the Cliffs of Moher and overnighting plus parking in a small quarry for 10 euros - a good deal. 

Thanks to my early awakening I was there at 9 so had plenty of time to walk up to Moher Tower on Hag's Head, the southern point of the magnificent Cliffs of Moher. On a hot day I walked north to the main access to the Cliffs and what a change since my last visit in the early 80's. Access to the huge ledge is no longer permitted, the gravel track down from the road is now tarmac and the rough ground once providing the carpark has become coach parking alongside a large visitor centre - fortunately mostly underground and in fairness very sensitively done. However there were already twenty or more coaches and across the road a few hundred cars so the place was, as expected, very busy. Steps and walkways sanitised the whole experience and reallly the only way to get a true sense of the way we had seen it all those years ago was to take the 4D Ledge experience which was a convincing CGI bird's eye view of the Cliffs complete with winds and spray. As I'd walked up I avoided the 12 euro entrance fee but a quick calculation of that times the visitor numbers produced a staggering number. I noticed that a bus ran up to Doolin so decided to catch that and then have a good ten mile walk back south to the van. A lass from Auckland was on her OE using public transport and hoped to carry on to France, Germany and Poland before returning home for Christmas - good company whilst we waited for the bus to arrive. In Doolin I enjoyed Eggs Benedict on a flatbread before walking through the village which I vaguely recognised from our visits to cave in the area. The entrance to Doolin cave was still hidden in a hawthorn thicket behind a picket fence and the through trip would presumably still emerge a couple of km away at Fisherstreet towards the harbour. I picked up the coast path enjoying clear views across to the Arran Islands on a hot and sunny afternoon, passed quickly through the even greater throng's milling around O'Briens Tower  and arrived back at the van by late afternoon to enjoy a couple of hours in the sun. 

A quiet night suited me very well and I left on the Saturday morning to head east inland and look at riding some of the towpaths on both the Grand and Royal Canals in the heart of Ireland. A short walk out to a triple walled hill fort was followed by the remarkable cluster of buildings at Kilmacduagh near Gort with a ruined cathedral, monastery and abbott's house alongside one of the remarkable defensive round towers. 

I checked out the aire at the marina in Portumna but it was far too busy and similarly at nearby Banagher the hot weather had brought out the crowds. However round at Meelick things were much quieter and I decided a night there alongside the Shannon would do very well. I had wrongly assumed that the Hymany Way was already a cycle path but in fact it is only a walking route and numerous signs in the area seemed to indicate local opposition to the upgrade for no very obvious reason. Having got the bike off and togged up this was a bit disappointing but as I then discovered my freewheel had packed up cycling was out of the question anyway. I Googled local bike shops but none were open on a Sunday but then found to my surprise that Decathlon had opened only their second branch in Ireland in Limerick less than an hour away. I gave them a call, explained that they were bikes bought in Spain only a few weeks previously and they said it would be no problem to drop by for a solution next day. Thus I walked down to the huge weir with its long walkway across to the locks and watched as a hire boat came through and local lads launched themselves in to the turbulence as the paddle gates were opened. Others were enjoying the fishing and I walked round the lanes to a large church noting more anti greenway signs along the way.

A few local youths sat in cars on Saturday night but didn't stay long and the following morning I picked up the entirely predictable Red Bull cans and McDonalds rubbish before heading out on quiet roads to Limerick. Steve the mechanic was busy but happy to try and have a look altough as he was already hard at work on other bikes and also dealing with sales I said I'd leave it with him for the day and having checked there were no time limits on the retail park's parking walked in to Limerick itself. Here I thoroughly enjoyed a few hours exploring the impressive King John's Castle on the banks of the Shannon and learned of its long history of sieges and batttles before a pint and a seafood pie in an adjacent pub.

Walking though the town on the newish riverside terracing and paths was lovely and I returned to the shop around 5 for an update. Steve said that the freewheel had failed and he would be fitting a new one but doubted it would be ready that day so to help out I said I would leave it with them as I could then drive over to Bunratty Castle and Folk Village where I coud park up overnight and visit the following day. En route I checked out an independent VW garage as the van oil and filter are due a change within the next 1000 miles and then pulled in to Bunratty after hours to park up in a quiet corner on a sunny evening.

As forecast heavy rain arrived in the early hours but as much of the Folk Museum involves visiting the collection of historic buildings that didn't really matter and it was soon easing off anyway. Much like St Fagans in Wales the buildings were very well presented with friendly and informative staff a huge improvement on AV screens and audio guides. 

I visited the range of farmhouses, fishermen's huts, watermills and a church as well as a recreated village street reminiscent of Beamish in the NE of England. Bunratty Castle was also very impressive and I managed to see most of the site before the crowds arrived. Thus on an afternoon of sunshine and showers I have brought things up to date here and with luck the bike will be ready when I go in to Limerick after 5 - the garage is closing down soon so is too busy finishing off other jobs so I'll wait until Galway early next week where there seems to be a number of options.

Long story short, more details in the next post : after a trying few days Decathlon Limerick have pulled a rabbit out of a hat and I have a new higher spec bike, discounted and the original purchase price refunded so huge thank you to Josias, Oscar, Steve and the other staff for a satisfactory resolution....

 A few more pics here   

Irish Times

 It was only half an hour  to the ferry terminal as I passed through Bilbao on a quiet Sunday morning and joined the queue of mainly trucks and campers. At Passport Control I made sure mine was stamped out, not done for the Irish and other Europeans leaving but essential for me to quantify the duration of my stay at a later date although my stay in Ireland itself doesn't count as it is a subject to a special arrangement with Britain : another ludicrous aspect of the Brexit fiasco.

 

 

Boarding was straight forward enough and once the pilot had jumped across we were away on a sunny morning with a clear sky and flat seas. It was my second journey on the gas fuelled Galicia and the ship was perhaps only half full so I found a tuck away in the sun on the top deck and watched as the coastline receded with the snow covered tops of the Picos visible away to the west.

I had decided not to bother with the Commodore Lounge pass as it is now £90 and had also opted for a reclining seat for the one night of this crossing. The former decision was a good one but on the second choice suffice to say it will be a decent cabin in future - the recliners don't very far, are very uncomfortable and the door to the area was noisy and banged with people coming and going all night. I ate well in the restaurant, watched the sun set and was up early next morning as we rounded Land's End giving a quick phone connection to a UK network before a final few hours put us in Rosslare after several sightings of porpoise in the Irish Sea.

 

Disembarking was delayed by two new Range Rovers requiring a jump start, presumably their alarms had been going off during the crossing so I admired a large Mercedes 4x4 van that looked very capable and had the Raptor paint I am considering using for my fibreglass roof.

It felt very odd driving on the left and I only drove for less than an hour to a park up above a beach at Ballyhealy, grateful that my smaller van could reverse in to a space between the dunes that got me out of the very strong winds. The Saltee Islands lay a couple of miles offshore and I walked along the beach to houses south of Kilmore that were threatened by coastal erosion so remedial engineering was underway.

Ballyhealy Castle stood behind a large cast iron gate and is on the Norman Way which passes through the area and before long I was back at the van surprised to see three local lads braving the crashing waves.

 

 

 

 

Anyway it was a peaceful night but on a grey wet morning I drove round to Kilmore Quay and parked at the Community Centre which has a decent cafe and motorhome service point where I topped up the fresh water. After a look round the small harbour I enjoyed a hot chocolate at the cafe before following the coast west and turning down on to the Hook Peninsula which culminated in the impressive Hook lighthouse, the oldest in the world dating back to mediaeval times. As the skies had cleared I booked on the tour which was well worth it - starting at the coastguard lookout before heading up the 188 steps to just below the light and out on to the terrace for wonderful views in all directions. The guide was very well informed and entertaining and clearly relished his job. Passing the imposing Loftus Hall, reputed to be haunted and now being redeveloped as a hotel I arrived at the imposing remains of Dunbrody Abbey before returning the few miles to Ballyhack for the short ferry ride over to Passage East and skirting round Waterford to arrive west of the town at a quiet carpark giving access to the Waterford GreenWay cycle path. I rode east in to town and then explored the centre before returning for a peaceful night.

 

Wednesday dawned bright, sunny and fresh so I was soon away to follow the GreenWay some 30 miles out to Dungarvan on the route of the old Mallow/Waterford Line. The Waterford and Suir Heritage train still runs on a regauged track alongside the path and there are plans for it to eventually reach back to Waterford and the GreenWay to be extended out to Mallow once more. Anyway for now it is a superb experience with a perfect surface passing through glorious countryside, opening out to extensive coastal views and depositing you bang in the middle of Dungarvan, an attractive coastal town. I checked out the aire for the following night and then decided to return along the Copper Coast route after having a good snack lunch at the Caboose cafe on the trail.

 

This added a few extra miles and some hills but was an excellent decision as the quiet road took me to beautiful bays such as  Stradbally and Kilmurrin Cove. The old copper mine at Tankardstown was reminiscent of the equally impressive mine buildings in North Cornwall and after reaching Annestown with its lovely beach I turned inland to Dunhill and returned to the GreenWay as it followed the Suir back to the parking where I enjoyed a remarkable sunset after sixty rewarding miles.

Thursday dawned as forecast - wet, cold and windy so not much fun for a French couple sleeping in their estate car, yet again I was thankful for the warmth and comfort of my set up. The aire at Dungarvan was near the town centre, had water and waste facilities and required 10 euros a night in the parking meter. I didn't need any of the services but felt it was a good thing to support the initiative so parked up on a foul day with the heater on. As things lifted after lunch I walked in to enjoy the small but interesting local museum and picked up some shopping before heading back. 

A grey, cold but mainly dry Friday (Morocco  is now a fading memory) saw me parking up at the large Tesco's on the edge of Cashel and walking in to visit the impressive Rock of Cashel standing proudly above the town. Again I opted for the guided tour and Patrick gave us an entertaining and irreverent commentary on the history of the overlapping castle and cathedral ruins. 

 

We also visited the beautifully preserved chapel with its Norman stonework before I returned to the van and drove over to the Mitchelstown Caves. Having expected an over developed touristy set up I almost missed the small car park opposite an old house with just a small sign. I knocked at the window and Abi appeared but said they weren't insured to only take one visitor so I said I would wait and have lunch in the van and see if anyone turned up. Fortunately a young family over from Canada eventually appeared so before long we were all walking up to the locked gate in a small limestone quarry where over a century ago the farmer had lost his crowbar down a gap, removed some rocks and began the exploration of this surprisingly extensive system. It was to their credit that the caverns, passages and formations had been only minimally disturbed to improve access and we all enjoyed it very much - potholers can reach the more distant passages and there is a second layer of caverns and passageways some 20 metres below the public area.

 

I hoofed it along to the Ballyhoura Mountain Bike Centre in the eponymous woods and mountains to find another low key place with parking at 5 euros and no signs banning overnight parking. There was a shower and toilet block but the bike rental was shut as it was now after 5 so I asked a couple of local riders about the various trail options and decided to do the longest blue route as apparently much of the 50k long red route is overgrown. Thus I enjoyed a couple of hours following the forest roads linked by well designed flowing single track with no one around and just a few wild goats for company. Back at the carpark by dusk there was no one else about so I showered early in the van and hit the sack after an energetic few days.

I woke early after a sound night's sleep so was soon away and before long arrived at Abbeyfeale which sits on the Limerick Greenway. The carpark behind the Railway Inn also houses a bike hire centre and the owner had some useful advice on the available options and also said people often overnighted which was good news. I set off west following the old Limerick to Kerry line out as far as Listowel before taking quiet back roads out to Ballybunion on the coast, a low key beach resort with an apparently world renowned golf course. On my return I stopped at the pitch 'n putt which had a cafe and was a very pleasant and welcoming place to take a breather and did an excellent cheese and ham toastie. I was back early enough to walk in to town and enjoy some of the traditional Irish music and dancing that has been a feature of this Bank Holiday weekend in Abbeyfeale for thirty years. Using a curtain sided trailer as a stage the band entertained a small crowd despite a few local bogans cruising by in their pimped rides with ludicrous exhaust systems.

 

Today has been warm and sunny after a misty start so I rode the rest of the LG east out to Newcastle West and Rathkeale where nowhere was open for even a coffee, fortunately I had apples and water and on the return the excellent Platform 22 cafe near the Ballymuragh viewpoint was open for business. Again the trail was well maintained with a smooth tarmac surface, good gates and signage and some stunning views over to the coast and way in the distance the mountains of the Killarney National Park.

A warm evening has given me time to do this catch up - tomorrow's plan is the Tarbert ferry across the Shannon in to County Clare and the first campsite of the trip for a service stop. I may even take an EHU, my second in four months away but as the panel has been doing its job all day today I doubt I'll really need it.

Anyway a few pics here and an update in a week or so............