Anyone else picturing TJ holding court at the bar of a border pub “So lads, ….religion…..”

I know TJ’s not keen on polystyrene head coverings but it’s not a religious fervour!

Posted 5 months ago

Even I am not that daft!!!!

No one ever appeared at the campsite. Im now tucking into bacon rolls and coffee down the road

Posted 5 months ago

Im laying up in Sligo for two nights. Checked into a hotel. I need a rest dsy and getting clothes washed and som supplies bought including a decent map

Posted 5 months ago

a decent map

https://webapps.geohive.ie/mapviewer/index.html

Paper maps

https://store.osi.ie/index.php/paper-products/discovery-and-discoverer.html

Posted 5 months ago

Sounds like a great trip TJ. I was due to do some bike touring in Ireland with a mate this year but he spent his holidays on a trip to the states instead. Priorities!

Posted 5 months ago

I used the 1:200k maps. They show (just) enough detail without needing loads of 1:50k s. I got them from here sligo coincidently, here:

Liber Bookshop
+353 71 914 2219
https://maps.app.goo.gl/CNU21jSHSJraPFZi8

The outdoor shop round yhe corner has plenty of 1:50Ks.

Posted 5 months ago

There is a traditional music festival on this weekend. Sligo is quite some place. I shall have a good explore tomorrow Van Morrison appears obligatory as i have heard him blaring out of several different pubs

Posted 5 months ago

No stwers in sligo?

Posted 5 months ago

Wicklow for me.

Posted 5 months ago

Im totally in the wrong bit then

Posted 5 months ago

There is a traditional music festival on this weekend.

In which case, I would be staying until Monday.
Brilliant stuff. Enjoy the rest.

Posted 5 months ago

North Cork here

Posted 5 months ago

Well if you had arrived a week earlier I was 20 minutes north of you, so its your own fault 🙂 Now back in the Toon 🙁

Posted 5 months ago

There is a traditional music festival on this weekend.

Travelling round the Republic years ago, I fetched up in the arse end of nowhere (like they have a lot of ‘somewhere,’ but anyway) and found myself in a local pub.

After a little while, people started treacling in with instruments. Chap with a bodhran, lass with a fiddle, another bloke with I don’t even know, a lute?

“Oh,” I asked, “is there a band on?” Nope, they were just a bunch of randoms who had happened to rock up to the pub with a descant recorder or a tambourine ‘just in case’. Then they just started jamming together. Tore the roof off, dancing on tables, brilliant night. That, right there, was the craic.

Posted 5 months ago

The model, Knocknarea & Eagles Flying are worth a look in Sligo.

Posted 5 months ago

Ta chaps

I am getting freaked out by folk that keep talking to me. This is no country for an introvert 🙄😀

Posted 5 months ago

I am getting freaked out by folk that keep talking to me

Everybody walking past you
“Howyeh!”

Posted 5 months ago

Arrrgh. Weather is pish so I think its time for a change of plan. Going down down the west coast seems proper daft so I shall head inland and follow the Shannon south. Seems like a better plan

Posted 5 months ago

It’s lovely in Edinburgh 😉😁
No doubt it will be shit in a week’s time, once the school holidays start ☹️

Posted 5 months ago

Thanks!

Posted 5 months ago

Seems like a better plan

Do or do not. There is no better.

😘

Posted 5 months ago

Now you know why it’s called the Emerald Isle !!!

I used to go every summer to visit family and it was rarely sunny (Co. Wicklow/Carlow/Wexford area)

Posted 5 months ago

Oh well. Made it 45 miles south east. I think a good call given the weather not to go thru Mayo and tbe west coast tho its disappointing to miss out but not into a headwind. Bad enough today anyway and it effing pissed it down this morning. Fortunately the hedgerows did give so shelter from the wind but today was tough especially as I have ended up only 50 miles from where I was 3 days ago due to changing my mind on route. Done two sides of a triangle.

Camped up for the night. Its a bit windy

Posted 5 months ago

Sat in my tent eating chocolate and listeningto it flap in the wind.
Typical view today

I think an orchid in which case it is twice the size of the scots ones

Posted 5 months ago

Another day more headwind and rain. Camped up near Athlone. Nice campsite but once again no grub in the pub. Couple of pints tho and i feel squiffy. Watching Gaelic football on telly in pub

Royal canal with orchids

[url=https://postimages.org/]how to upload image online[/url]

Posted 5 months ago

Posted 5 months ago

Hope you enjoyed the Armagh v Galway football match!

Posted 5 months ago

Sat in my tent eating chocolate and listening to it flap in the wind.

I had no idea chocolate flapped.

This really is a voyage of discovery.

Posted 5 months ago

In my life lots of things flap🙄🙃

Posted 5 months ago

You seem a bit fatigued could you not cheat a bit and jump on a train to get to some more interesting bits?

Posted 5 months ago

Where headed next? Sticking with the Shannon? If heading away from it there’s a nice old rail track bike trail to mullingar (my home town)from athlone, can get on to canal trail towards Dublin from there.
Looks ace, hope the locals aren’t talking too much to you 😁

Posted 5 months ago

I am still heading for my pals near bantry roughly following the shannon to limerick tomorrow. I might get him to drive up and get me if tomorrows no better. Im not to tired but 4 days riding into headwind has slowed me. I thought it would take 2 weeks to get to county cork

Posted 5 months ago

Nice one, no harm in giving yourself a break, you’ve covered a lot of miles and probably already seen more of Ireland than I have!
What’s plan after seeing your mates? Not sure if I missed it, Ride back? Or ferry to France?

Posted 5 months ago

After Bantry ride to the ferry to wales and ride across wales and e gland to a north sea ferry to the Netherlands is the plan.

Posted 5 months ago

ferry to wales

Fishguard?

Posted 5 months ago

I think thats the one.

Posted 5 months ago

Well you’re in luck, the weather is set to be drier in a few days, at least here.

Just looking at routes for you now.

Posted 5 months ago

Im not going to be there for a week or two

Posted 5 months ago

@tjagain – when you get to Fishguard, if the weather is good spend a few days in the area and enjoy it. You don’t know when you’ll be down that way again.

This should help:

A week in Fishguard, Pembrokeshire.

Posted 5 months ago

Ta

Posted 5 months ago