It’s a long way to Tipperary but it’s even longer from Slea Head!

It never was going to be easy. Apart from the expedition itself, getting to the start line needed the equivalent of throwing a six to begin a game of snakes and ladders! And so it was with the trip to cycle from the westernmost point in Ireland to the easternmost, from Slea Head in County Kerry to Burr Point in County Down.

In deciding to cycle from west to east we agreed several criteria. Firstly we tried to avoid large cities (Limerick, Athlone etc.) and keep to smaller towns and villages. We would try and cycle on the lighter trafficked roads using the R roads mainly a few N roads where there was no other choice and the unclassified roads where possible. We discovered that the Rough Guide map of Ireland was an excellent choice of map. It has a scale of 1:350,000 which showed all the roads needed, made from waterproof and tear resistant Polyart paper and folded into any shape without difficulty. At the end of the trip the map was perfect despite being soaked, stuffed and treated in a way that maps should not be! Well done Rough Guide.

We also relied upon the accommodation to provide us with the necessary sustenance to keep us going each day and finding a hotel/pub/restaurant each evening to replenish the batteries. On all accounts we succeeded, despite some difficulty in finding suitable accommodation via the Internet. It was for this reason that our trip was broken up into the sections described below. Originally we had thought of completing the trip in five days cycling but this would have meant several days of 80 miles plus in a row. The six days proved to be a wise decision.We also stopped where possible for coffee/sticky buns/sandwiches etc. at appropriate times during each day and carried enough chewy bars, fruit, chocolate and fruit to keep us going when such establishments were hard to find.

As described above, getting to Slea Head caused some difficulty but did not diminish from the trip and getting home from the finish was accomplished by the help of a colleague, Colin Henderson, to whom we are very grateful for his help by carrying us and our cycles to the rail station in Belfast and from Burr Point back home to Lisburn on the final day. If a lift is not possible from the finish point, it is a 17 mile cycle to Bangor where trains depart regularly for Belfast. Be aware that Northern Ireland Railways only permit four bicycles on their trains out side peak hours Monday to Friday.

Day 00 Belfast One of the first problems when living in the northeast part of the island is that you have to travel west BEFORE one travels east.

And so it was that the three cyclers boarded the Enterprise from Belfast to Dublin then the Iranod Eirann train to Farranfore changing at Mallow. Arriving exactly as per the timetable at 15:03 we disembarked (having been helped by the guard to pass our bikes down from the guards van as the platform was too short for all of the train.) The only thing missing from the scene was tumbleweed rolling down the deserted station to achieve the sense of isolation.

After a short delay to check the bikes and visit the clean toilets on the station we set off for Anascaul some twenty-five miles away, just in time for a bit of drizzly rain!

From Farranfore the route heads nearly due west towards Castlemaine, home of the Wild Colonial Boy, and a compulsory stop in Jack Duggan’s Bar for refreshments. From Castlemaine we met the coast on the south of the Dingle Peninsula and took time off to admire the windswept strand at Inch - all 63360 inches of it! From here a cruise around the headland brought us into sight of the South Pole Inn at Anasacaul. 25 miles cycled easily to-day and looking forward to the rest of the trip. The pub is a must for anyone who has the slightest interest in Antarctic expeditions and especially those with admiration for Tom Crean, who was one of the mainstays of the Scott and Shackelton expeditions to the Antarctic of the early 20th Century. The pub is a living memorial to the man and serves excellent creamy pints of Guinness and great food. After booking in to the B and B across the road it was back to the pub for more nourishment and plan the route for the next day. The rain as we left the pub in the evening was a bad omen.

Day 01 Anascaul At 4:00 am it seemed that the rain and wind was in our bedrooms! At 09:00 it was. Gales were blowing in from the Atlantic and the forecast was for thing to get worse!!! Leaving the lodgings after a great breakfast we headed to the graveyard where Tom Crean is buried to pay our respects. At this time the rain had eased and a brightness appeared in the sky. Had the forecast been wrong? Not a bit of it. By the time we were passing through Dingle and Ventry conversation had stopped and Gillian’s goretex boots were filled with water and not letting it out! A ford en-route to Slea Head proved interesting to negotiate and it wouldn’t be for the first time that day.

Slea Head marked the beginning of the way home and Europe. Rick and Alan made a hurried dash to the beach to acquire a bottle of Atlantic Ocean whilst Gillian tried valiantly to find a place to shelter from the gales without much luck.

Day 01 Slea Head W 010 27’ 53.2” Depart at 13 00. We three are the most westerly people in mainland Europe - lets face it who else would be there under these conditions? Now the journey begins in earnest. Back to Dingle via the ford which has risen in waterlevel during the last hour and a welcome break for soup and carrot cake in a cafe on the main street. A debate raged between us about the decision of tackling the Connor Pass over the peninsula. Given the extreme weather at sea level the wise decision to abandon such a trip was made and we pressed on toward Tralee via Anascaul, Camp and Blennerville with it’s magnificent windmill. The fifty miles from Slea Head were miserable. Despite having the wind behind us for most of the time, the driving rain made cycling a misery. We were constantly drenched by passing vehicles and the climb over the peninsula didn’t get rewarded by a fast descent due to road works and a bad surface down on the N86 to the north side of the Dingle peninsula. Arriving at the B and B at Tralee about six p.m. our landlady looked at us in disbelief as we poured gallons of water over her hall carpet, explaining that the “rain to-day was some of the worst we have seen in years”

However all weariness was soon dissolved via a hot shower. A great meal was had in Tralee followed by a bottle of wine to finish off the day of 75 miles of tough cycling - but only 50 count in the west to east trip!

Day 02 Tralee W 09⁰ 42’ 52.22” Shades of ELO - Mr Blue Sky and lots of warm sun to greet us after yesterday. After another great breakfast and singing Happy Birthday to Rick 'Captain' Cook we set off uphill out of Tralee. We had opted to cycle to Ennis via the ferry on the Shannon at Tarbert to avoid the heavy traffic in Limerick. At the top of the hill a glance back showed us the scenery we missed the previous day due to the weather. Passing through the villages of Abbeydorney and Ballylongford we reached Tarbert in time for coffee in the Bridewell, a former prison. A short trip took us to the ferry which was timetabled as departing every hour but seems to be more frequent during the summer months. (fare 4 Euro per cyclist) We had hoped for lunch on the County Clare side of the river but as nowhere was available we fell back on our chewy bars, chocolate etc. and enjoyed the sunshine . Ice creams in Kildysart broke the journey and marked the first 100 miles before pushing on to Ennis along the north side of the river. This is a delightful section but does have a few sharp bumps to test the legs every so often. We arrived into Ennis about 5 ish. Later we were taken to the Old Ground hotel/pub for a meal by a friend and afterwards fell into bed, tired but having enjoyed some 64 miles of warm weather cycling.

Day 03 Ennis W 09⁰ 00’ 27.3”. Thought we were back in Anascaul and yesterday had been a dream! Rain hammering down and the wind had turned round to blow from the EAST. Needless to say breakfast was a quiet affair but very tasty nonetheless. Keeping to the south of the town centre we headed for the road to Scarriff and Portumna in silence. Crossed Hell river on our way to Scarriff where we had coffee and muffins in a roadside coffee shop and felt vaguely human again. On the road again heading for Portumna along the west side of Lough Derg. Lots of quiet, well tended but deserted, (due to the weather,) villages. This would very attractive on fine days. Stopped later in Portumna for lunch in cafe. We noticed, perversely, that whenever we stopped, so did the rain, and once onto the saddles it re-started. We had stopped caring by now and pressed on via the lovely village of Eyrestown with its striking architecture, white chapel and former estate entrances. From here it was a short (wet) hop to Banagher crossing the River Shannon by the Victoria Bridge just downstream of a vast marina. At the B and B we were given accommodation to ourselves separate from the remainder of the place and the bikes locked into a shed for the night. The pub next door provided the customary great meal and drinks and a place to catch up on gossip which was in short supply during 65 miles of cycling

Day 04 Banagher W 07⁰ 59’ 28.8” Landlord says the weather forecast not good for the day, and who were we to argue. Not raining just yet but we opted to don our rain jackets. Leaving Banagher we headed for the flat midlands of Ireland via Clara and Mullingar. Surprise, surprise! After a while the sun began to shine, shadows appeared on the road, the wind was between our shoulder blades and we were bowling along at speeds in the mid to high teens. This is the way to travel. Whilst the flat lands of the peat extraction area made cycling easy, we still managed to miss our turning in Ferbane but did spot a letter box dating back to the time of Edward the Seventh. We stopped for coffee in Clara then on to Horseleap with its sculpture and house covered in some very old but interesting enamel signs. From here we cycled alongside an abandoned railway line and had the fortune to watch a vixen play and feed her cubs totally oblivious to our presence. Moments like that make a trip worthwhile. Rain and wind now forgotten! Arriving at the hamlet of Ballinea, close to Foxes! shop where we discovered that we could follow the towpath of the Royal Canal to Mullingar. The path is not surfaced and is narrow in places but it is cyclable and we had to ensure that we kept to the south side of the canal as the path on the north side runs out before it reaches the town. After a great lunch in one of Mullingar’s trendy restaurants we kept heading northeast to cross the N4 and on towards Virginia. The road we chose (R394) became busy with fast moving traffic so we diverted across country to Collinstown and Dromone. This route took us past the beautiful lakes of Lene and Bane then onto a ridge which offered great views of Oldcastle and Virginia in the distance. Soon we were crossing the River Boyne as it ran out of Lough Ramor and arrived soon at our B and B after almost 70 miles in glorious sunshine. The magnificent Lisduff House is run by two of the nicest people cyclists could wish to meet. Not only was the accommodation great they organised a taxi for us and booked a table on the hotel in Virginia where once again we enjoyed some great pints and great food.

Day 05 Lisduff W 07⁰ 01’ 49.0 All had a bit of a lie in 'cos it was Sunday. Bright blue skies and warm sunshine at 09:30 am. Promise of a good day. Set of at 10:00 ish heading to Carrickmacross. Soon after came across the only mistake (for our trip) on the map. We subsequently lost time around Moynalty but eventually reached Kingscourt for coffee just as the hotel was opening for the day. A decidedly dodgy descent from the town lead us to Carrickmacross where we bought supplies for an alfresco lunch. This was devoured in the tranquil surroundings of the village of Inishkeen in the heart of poet Patrick Kavanagh’s country. On the road again we made a break for the border via the hamlets of Killen and Kilcurry with their magnificent chapels dominating the crossroads. Crossing the border between two forested steeply sloping hills we arrived at Drumintee then turned towards Jonesborough to avoid the busy Forkill and Dundalk to Newry roads. Another fast descent brought us into Newry city centre but it was matched by an equally horrid ascent on the Rathfriland road to our lodgings. Whilst the journey this day was only 55 miles approx Gillian was suffering from a slight cold (probably caused by wearing water filled boots - see earlier) and didn't really enjoy the food and drink served up in the Canal Court Hotel later. Taking a taxi back she was soon tucked up into bed with a couple of paracetamols! Rick and Alan had to sweat it out, writing the daily log up in the hotel over a few pints before WALKING back to the B and B!

Day 06 Newry W 06⁰ 19’ 30.2 The big push, both physically and metaphorically. After our final breakfast of our trip we mounted up and continued our climbing out of Newry to Mayobridge then enjoyed a great downhill section into Hilltown. The Mourne mountains were at their finest in the morning sunshine and the major peaks easily identifiable as we cycled past Tollymore forest, through the village of Maghera to Dundrum where we stopped for coffee in the recently opened Mourne Seafood Bar. Leaving Dundrum we followed the Dundrum Coastal Path which allowed us to bypass Clough and a busy stretch of the A2. We cycled through Ballykinlar, Killough and on and on to Coney Island, with sun beaming down and the wind on our backs, to Ardglass. Wouldn't it be great if it was like this all the time? After lunch in the Skippers caff we continued on the coast road to Strangford and the ferry to Portaferry. The regular crossings (just turn up, there will be one along shortly) cost £1:30 single £1:80 return and take approx 10 minutes to cross the very tidal mouth of Strangford Lough. From Portaferry a short climb took us out onto the road to Portavogie and Ballyhalbert - our final destination. The A2 which we were following bypasses Portavogie and soon we caught sight of our finish. A sign at the south end of the village proudly points to "BURR POINT - THE MOST EASTERLY POINT IN NORTHERN IRELAND" It also happens to be the most easterly point on the island of Ireland!

Ballyhalbert W 05⁰ 26’ 05.4 We duly arrived at 17:30 after some 57 miles and afterwards ceremoniously emptied the bottle of Atlantic Ocean into the Irish Sea. Photographs were taken and a bottle of Champagne opened to celebrate the occasion before loading our trusty steeds and our weary bodies into a friend’s car and heading back to Portaferry for a final meal and drinks.

Some Statistics:

Start point Beach close to Slea Head, Co Kerry, Ireland W 010⁰ 27’ 53.2”

Finish Point Burr Point, County down, Northern Ireland, W 005⁰ 26’ 05.4

Day one mileage 50 miles (Slea Head to Tralee)

Day two mileage 64 miles (Tralee to Ennis)

Day three mileage 65 miles (Ennis to Banagher)

Day four mileage 70 miles (Banagher to Lisduff)

Day five mileage 55 miles (Lisduff to Newry)

Day six mileage 57 miles (Newry to Burr Point)

Total mileage 361 miles

Distance cycled to get to start point 50 miles (Farranfore – Annascaul – Slea Head)

Total distance cycled 411 miles

GPS Distance from Slea Head to Burr Point 265 miles