Featured Touring Ireland Tour (3rd Time Lucky)

Do it Sandi, you only live once!

 

Day 5 seen us travelling from Cliften to Donegal with a little dip into Northern Ireland. Not many pictures today.
The roads out of Cliften were top class! We didn't see much rain but it was a bit of a damp day, still fun though, even if the pace was a little slower. We did however have a great blast up the side of Lough Erne in the north! There is such a wide variety of different landscapes in this country. A good section of our route was on massive bleek boggy areas. Not much to see but very interesting landscape all the same.
Good craic in Donegal, its a lovely town

 

Day 6 the damp theme continued. The forecast was good and it started off not bad, roads were mostly dry as we zig-zagged through county Donegal

Our luck ran out as we got further north and near the coast, we were met with some quite persistent rain. It seemed to clear every time we strayed away from the coast and we even got a few areas of dry roads again.

Then we got another ferry to take us across Lough Foyle and back into northern Ireland.
We done a bit of the NW200 course and the coast road to our hotel in Ballintoy. The coast road up here is amazing, made for biking! We even overshot the hotel (on purpose) as we were enjoying the roads and they were dry, its was turning into a lovely evening!
This was the view over to Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge

We had a clear view of Scotland from here too, its only about 12 miles to Campbeltown at the nearest point.

 

Day 7, only a short 70 mile blast down the most excellent coast road to Larne where we said goodbye to @Sprinter. Then a quick jaunt to Belfast to bid farewell to @Dougie D and Lou. Ken and myself now had a lot of time to kill until his ferry that night. We headed out of belfast back up to the UGP course since he missed that bit at the start of the week. We then headed down some of my favourite back roads towards Newcastle and the Mourne mountains, view from windy gap.
Newcastle main street, we enjoyed a box of doughnuts and coffee

Then up through the Mournes and Spelga dam. Not sure if the sheep were sending out messages or they just liked gravy...

We started heading back up towards Belfast at this point where we said goodbye. Tour over. I didn't even unpack the bike, went straight to my bed, totally nackerd! It was a very enjoyable trip. Thank you lads for the excellent company! I can't wait to do it agian

 

Thanks for sharing your wonderful photos and interesting stories with us!!!

 

Thank you.

 

Thank you.
Absolutely loved Ireland, clean, friendly, prosperous. A great holiday destination, especially on a bike.

 

Fantastic travel log, thanks for sharing it

 

Thanks for taking the time time to post your amazing trip.
Enjoyed reading it.
Makes me want to go to Ireland.

 

Cheers guys, great pix and tour write up you know you’re enjoying yourselves when pix become second, even when that beautiful

 

Just finished reading the rest of this Ireland ride report from Day 5 on. Thanks for even more stunning photos and interesting narration. I just showed this thread to Mr. Sandi and I think he's jones-ing (again) to plan a trip to Ireland. Thanks again, @andyc1, @Dougie D, and @Sprinter! BTW, I was wondering, are your riding buddies, Lou and Ken, forum members?

 

Yeah they were but they don't take any interest in forums these days.
Start leaving little hints around the house, a clover here, a shillelagh there. Tell him you seen leprechauns in the garden etc.

 

Fantastic thread, and some amazing photos. Thanks so much for posting!

 

So many memories for me in your ride report Andy.. it looks like you had a great time, thanks for sharing some amazing pictures

 

I commented to the lads a few times that it was even better than I remembered it the last time @Dougie D and I went! Stunning place! Roads can be a bit bumpy in places but generally they are good, very good. The scenery is absolutely beautiful, and the towns and villages are like nowhere else in the UK, and the people are friendly. Maybe its time you planned another trip eh?

 

It is Germany next year for me Andy, so who knows maybe I could get another Ireland trip in the next couple of years.

 

Oh I’m jealous!! The pics are so stunning and make it look like a dream adventure to the working person. It’s time I dumped my paid hobby and joined you lot!!

 

It wouldn’t look out of place on the front of the Rocket!

 

Great idea @Sandi T you will really enjoy it.

Try to avoid the rainy season which is the 20th July to the 5th July…

 

The rain tends to be a bit warmer during dry season