A wee spin to the 6 counties and the Free State.

Being a bank holiday weekend the roads were hideously busy throughout the day.

And then via Tesco (of course) back to the hotel where my safe arrival was gratefully received by the owner's rescue dog, Gypsy.

And so to bed as the sun finally shone. A fitting end to a fabulous day.


Not enough people come to Ireland from the mainland and of those who do not nearly enough come to Fermanagh, Donegal and Leitrim. Do it, you won't regret it.

Sunday.
Family duties ticked I headed towards Sligo to pick up where I left off when I last did part of the Wild Atlantic Way.
The ride from Garrison to Sligo, skirting Manorhamilton was stunning particularly the Glencar valley(?) N16 (????). I need to heed my own advice and spend more time riding these roads and checking out the sights.
I also need to be more careful. For some reason my default mode is to ride on the RHS of the road and to go round roundabouts the 'wrong way'. Maybe it's because I was brought in France between the ages of 3 and 5. This isn't normally a problem as there are usually other road users about but twice today I pulled out of a photo stop and headed off on the wrong side of the road. Just after leaving Garrison I must have ridden for 5 miles like this until a car came round the corner towards me and frightened both of us to death. 3 seconds earlier on either part and I'd have been toast.

Not much to say about the WAW from Sligo to Ballina. TBH I thought that part was distinctly average and if you're pushed for time I wouldn't bother with either it or the part from Killybegs to Sligo though Sligo itself is a nice little town with plenty going on.

Hail! Hail!

............

The 2 highlights of this leg of the WAW were a pair of puffs and a dog called Eddie J, soon to be Stevie B I presume.

From Ballina to Belmullet is a different story. The scenery gets properly stunning once you head out this way. Okay, it's not Donegal but it's not bad.
This looked interesting but the lane to it was owned by a farmer who'd made it pretty clear that we could all just F.R.O..

https://www.northmayo.ie/moyne-abbey-one-of-mayos-most-impressive-ecclesiastical-ruins/

I had a few minutes watching this fella slopping around in the mud at Killala Quay. No idea what he was trying to do but myself and a few others were pretty sure he was going to get stuck/fall over/lose at least 1 welly.
It was such a nice spot I had another brew and watched the mullets enjoying the sunshine as well, big beggars they were too.
Edit: The picture of the mullets won't load as the file is too large - I told you they were big beggars.

Killala Quay also holds an interesting part in the '98 uprising.
https://www.libraryireland.com/Atlas/LXXX-French-Landing-Killala-1798.php

Then it was on towards Belmullet.
Again, being a Bank Holiday Sunday with gorgeous weather the beaches were heaving and the roads were gridlocked.

After spotting next year's holiday accommodation it was time for tea at Downpatrick Head and the finest hot dog I've had outside of NYC.

Then onwards into The Gaeltacht. My favourite parts of Ireland. Proper Ireland IMO, though that is based of course on the romantic memories of an old fossil longing for the 'good old days' and someone who's never lived here.

Good write up TG, the family story is particularly interesting. Myself and I few others on here would regularly be through all of the parts you’ve been to plus I work not that far from there - Ballinamallard.

Barry

I got to Belmullet around 6 PM, checked into the hotel as it's on the main road through and decided that as I'd already eaten and the weather forecast for Monday wasn't very good I'd explore the Mullet Peninsula this evening.

Smartbazza said:

Good write up TG, the family story is particularly interesting. Myself and I few others on here would regularly be through all of the parts you’ve been to plus I work not that far from there - Ballinamallard.

Barry

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Thank you Barry. You and the others are very lucky people. I must come to a Swifts game some time, ideally when they play Cliftonville.

Tommy Gunn said:

I got to Belmullet around 6 PM, checked into the hotel as it's on the main road through and decided that as I'd already eaten and the weather forecast for Monday wasn't very good I'd explore the Mullet Peninsula this evening.

Click to expand...

More busy roads and the mountains beyond were looking lovely as the light began to fade.

Monday.
Up a bit later this morning and my 3rd fry up in a row*. No photo as I forgot to take my phone to the breakfast room which is typical as I was dining with a celebrity and his family this morning. I can't prove it so you'll just have to believe me.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Mangan

The weather forecasters weren't wrong and it turned out that yesterday's decision to grab an extra couple of hours on the bike was a good one.
As I left Belmullet it started gently raining.
I decided to put my waterproofs on but as is often the way I needn't have bothered. Not for the usual reason of the sun coming out as soon as you do this, oh no.
I needn't have bothered because gentle rain soon became normal Irish rain. That then became torrential before turning into hours of biblical rain and very strong wind, the likes of which I've never ridden in for any length of time. I'd planned on doing Achill Island today, somewhere I've wanted to see for years and something I've been really looking forward to. I gave it a go but despite wearing quality bike gear and quality wet weather stuff on top of that, a formula that has never let me down, by 2 o'clock I was soaked. My backside was broiling nicely in it's own juices and my athletes feet were poaching well. On top of that the roads were covered in deep standing water, my visor had as much water on the inside as the outside and was steaming up and the thousands of tourists in cars on the island were driving as if the pouring rain was driving snow (not that I blamed them).
So I gave up. I'm not generally a quitter particularly with stuff like this. Not because I'm a brave and hardy soul but because my OCD won't let me. But I was literally riding round just so Icould say I'd done it. Icouldn't see anything and I wasn't enjoying it so I called it a day and headed to Westport and the digs I'd booked for the night, for some respite and to try and dry myself and my bike gear out.
It could have been worse though
I was chatting to an Austrian chap (if I'd realised he was Austrian before we'd started chatting I'd never have engaged with him**) and he was camping as he couldn't find a hotel with any vacancies.
Likewise had I not had to pre book I'd have stayed on Achill and carried on tomorrow.
I was also hoping to get a good look around Westport this evening but the weather is still miserable. At least it's given me chance to bore you all with this lot I suppose.

* No more fry ups, I'm sick of them


**https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2009/oct/01/celtic-rapid-vienna-reunion

Today's pictures, what few I bothered taking.
Interestingly enough I went to school with someone called Roy Carter. But not Roy Bingham.
Edit: 1 picture (the nicest) won't load. It probably can't be bothered either.

I had today's brew and biscuits in a broken bus shelter trying to keep the bike seat dry. A bit different to yesterday's options.