Anyone know of any good places to ride in Ireland? I was thinking specifically round the Cork area but am open to any suggestions??

No, not yet. Too new to this country. But I know a really good Chinese take-away 😉

Didn't they restrict MTBing when/where recently?

Always keen for chinese! where is it?

see Jan 10 MBR, Ireland visit.

centres were – Derroura, Ballyhoura (poss nearest one to Cork), Ballinastoe

Try this link http://www.coillteoutdoors.ie/?id=52&trail_type=2&x=31&y=15

There are a couple of trail centres more Limerick way which are meant to be awesome. There is an article in this months MBR.

Personally i mainly rode Ballinastoe in Wicklow which was short but has a real mixture of technical fast singletrack along with some nice xc. I also rode Derroura in Galway but it didn't suit my riding style.

Hope this helps. It's strange coming back to the UK where there are so many more riding options from trail centres to proper XC

Thanks guys that's a big help, looks like there's some promising options. Much appreciated.

Strand Street, Skerries. Near the best-staffed cafe in the village (Seasons), 100 paces from the beach and free parking. King prawns with salt and chilli highly recommended (only 7.50 Euro for a properly sized portion). Open from 5.30 p.m. IIRC (I'm there after 6 so the kitchen is up and running 100%). Yummy!

That's got to be one mighty fine chineese to make it worth the drive from Cork to Skerries!!!!

Ballyhoura is the nearest trail centre I know of, couple of mates have ridden it & seems to get good reports, few different options on length & technicality I think

But there is bound to be a stack of good riding round Kerry mountains and Magillicuddys Reeks, plenty of landscape for it. Try Irish Downhill forum for more local knowledge

Cheers hairy chested, i'll have to give it a try when i'm in the area

Thanks again guys very helpful, and as always much appreciated

Thought I'd read it somewhere:

Note

Better to go elsewhere…

Thanks b r. seems a shame

I don't live in the Cork area & haven't ridden there so can't comment on the trails there. On the other hand someone mentioned above the Macgillycuddy Reeks in Co. Kerry (Co. Corks neighbour) and the scenery there is spectacular and there's bound to be some great riding there. Not the sanitised trail centre rubbish but "proper" riding (ie: dig the OS map out and use lots of the ironically named "Common" sense). Basically because the population tends to be more sparse down Cork direction/the South, MTB'ing is less popular and the trails less well known and developed. Ballyhoura trail centre is near the Co. Cork/ Co. Limerick border and offers the usual way marked trails. It's OK and you won't have to worry about navigation, etc. Showers, bike wash etc. too.

Also mentioned was the Ballinastoe trail centre in Co. Wicklow. This is a good 4 hour drive from Cork. Pretty much on my doorstep, I dont rate this very highly and wouldn't drive all the way to ride it – we normally use it for a midweek night ride. HOWEVER – if you do get to Ballinastoe, by all means do the trail centre track, then venture up over the top of Djouce mountain (on the Wicklow Way walking route that you're not officially allowed cycle on but everyone does – just respect the walkers, give them room and don't give MTB'ers a bad name). From there there's a wealth of trails in Djouce Woods. All unofficial trails built and ridden by the local "Sika deer". (Most of the woods is a commercial plantation and MTB'ing is officially not allowed – just ignore this like everyone else). The best know trails for MTB'ing are to be found around here in this general area of the Wicklow Mountains, extending South into Glendalough and Glenmalure and northwards into the Dublin Mountains. I'd recommend going to http://www.mtbireland.com and joining the forum section and stick up a post with your questions, you might get some Cork locals to reply with some advice, you'll probably get a lot more help though if you're looking for advice for riding in the Wicklow/Dublin region as this is the biggest MTB community. Probably best would be to try to team up with a club for a wekend ride. 2 of the biggest in the area would be http://www.madmtb.com and http://www.epicmtb.com. I'd still start with http://www.mtbireland.com though.

A guy who fixed our fridge a couple of days ago said there was some MTB'ing to be done in Towneyhall, near Drogheda. It looks some 7 miles from me so on Sunday, hungover permitting, I shall ride up to check it out.

Bit of a drag to go all the way to dublin for some trails, MTBireland is great resource but is mainly dubs based too.

Try Cork MTB – good buch of lads, will help you out no end.

http://mbcc.ie/

Or there is another club in Limerick just up the road (mainly students but they do great parties).

http://www.skynet.ie/~mtbclub/

Pretty sure Rob on there has tried to do all the Reeks and stuff (mainly with his gps) but I'm sure I remember him saying that 80% is bog riddled and lots of hike a bike on marginal trails.

If you like things that are a bit less pedal and a bit more body armour get in touch with 021racing.

http://www.021racing.com/home/

Also cork based.

Oh and I think the newset club based in wexford (a bit up the road tbs), Racing 795. Good laughs and all skill levels.

http://racing795.com/

What makes me smile is the perception of distance here in Ireland. It isn't much to drive from London to Wales , Peaks or similar but it's a loooong drive if more than a 100 miles here.
All this info is invaluable, I for one do appreciate it, as it seems I should be able to travel a bit and ride me bike.

Until relatively recently the road network here was awful though – dublin to wexford (70miles) was a 3 hour journey due to having to go through every town on the east coast with massive bottle necks at most of them.

It's a lot better now, but mainly if your in dublin where all roads pretty much lead to and from. Trying to cut across country and your back to B roads.

spent some time around the reeks, not really found any worthwhile mtbing there, also not found any in Co Cork, but keen for advice if it does get opened – up

if you're anywhere near Tinahely then I can suggest a couple of good boozers, I know its on the Wicklow way, let me know if you find much as I pop over there now and then!

The Dying cow by any chance?

There is quite a bit down that way (Mt leinster isn't far away from you either), although a lot of it is used by enduro bikes so best avoided in the wet.

If you are in Cork then definitely Ballyhoura

Or this trail? cliffs of moher!!!

For Cork, the Ballyhoura centre is really easy to get to. Whereabouts will you be – Cork City or somewhere in the County?
My in-laws live just outside the Ballyhoura Park so I can ride to the centre and trails from their house. I was a bit underwhelmed by it the first time but actually quite like it now.

http://www.trailbadger.com/

Good website and reviews by local riders.

@Hairychested, I'd be interested in hearing what's near Drogheda, my mum lives near there, I usually just drive up to the Cooleys, or down to Dublin/Wicklow.

I should be going there tomorrow if the bottle of malt Irish stuff I've bought doesn't kill me tonight. Will report asap.

tracton woods nr Kinsale have some big dirt jumps and a 5 km xc course which is pretty tricky

mbcc trail guide

is helpful for routes, note that going for a ride is referred to as going for a spin when looking at the rest of the site!

The Irish stuff almost killed me but… the riding was great although gentle. Looks very pretty a place that Towneyhall area (towards Oldbridge), I'll be back as and when work\family\hangover permits. No snow at the moment but mud aplenty 😀

LF81 – whereabouts in Cork are you? I moved over to North Kerry just under a year ago. I'd been off the bike for a while before that for other reasons but now I have more time again I've been looking to get out on two wheels again.

I pretty much wrote off riding off road here, but I have been over to Ballyhoura recently and found it to be pretty good.

That's got me a taste of it again so I'm keen to find more places to ride, and riding partners. I'm resigned to the fact that I won't be able to ride out of the door onto footpaths and bridleways like I did in England but I'm itching for some average, normal, cheeky trails.