Around Ireland with no waterproofs!!

[Timolgra]

The grumpy man on Dursey is Jim and very grumpy he can be too, did he tell you to "fuck off" he normaly does, he has a house in England where his wife lives....

The tiny group of houses is Clenough where they filmed Colin Farrels first role in "Falling for a Chancer" sorry "Dancer", I reroofed the top house two years ago.
Yes it is a great place to live, but not always easy to make a living. See you next time maybe.

'Jim' probably told me to fuck off, when I spoke to him after he threw his block and tackle up the slip towards me

Someone did mention Falling for a Dancer being filmed there when I asked about the place and was going to look it up, great place to be working on a roof in good weather though. A very special place.

Next time

 

[frosti]

Great set of pictures - you got excellent weather for the trip alright.

 

[Shep]

Great stuff Tim I love Ireland, especially the west coast you did very well to reflect the quality of the place in your photos, well done! Shame about Aiden though! How long has he been that old???

 

[Giles]

.... and why hasn't he sacked his dodgy hairdresser .....

 

[Shep]

.... and why hasn't he sacked his dodgy hairdresser .....

They can't get a lot of work can they?? Cheap though!!

 

[Ian Lynch]

Looks like you had a great time Tim, the scenery is fantastic.
As Rocky Burns says, I'll have to put it on a place to visit too, but how did you book the weather

Lynchy

 

[shay]

Great photos and write up. I had a spin around the healy pass / gap of dungloe in June 2013.

 

[Timolgra]

We'd been riding on all the smaller roads we/I could find when possible but today we need to get up Leenane so follow the coast round round Co. Clare passing by Lahinch where we enjoyed a couple GS do's in the past.

A Tea stop in Doolin, although most wasn't open yet and the 'season's' winding down.

I'd had some fun around here years ago trying to follow the Clare coast from Doolin to Loop head on my old airhead.

But today we follow the great road north around the coast.

Through Galway, stopping in Oughterard for chowder........... and the last piece of rhubarb crumble, hence 2 spoons

We arrive in beautiful Leenane for a fantastic weekend with 50 or 60 top tossers

Hey Giles

 

[Timolgra]

Although I didn't take many photos we had a wonderful weekend in the very best of company.

Went on a brilliant ride around north Connemara at a cracking pace.

Ange has a day off the bike to chill and takes a boat trip along the Lough with Mandy (nice hair Mandy)

They plot to tell everyone they saw dolphins and killer whales on their trip, even getting Russ to point one out

Back at the hotel Ange takes a seaweed bath

Mort and Russ also went for a seaweed bath, they tell me it wasn't shared with Ange but I'm not so sure looking at their faces

Next day goodbyes were said and folk began making their way home

We had planned to leave that day as well but blue skies in Connemara have often eluded me, we decided to stay another night and make the best of the day.

 

[BRD]

Some great photos, looks a lovely place(s)

Glad you are getting some great weather

*adds to list of places to visit "one day"*

 

[Timolgra]

It's long been my opinion that when riding a GS, apart from the weather you can forget the Alps, Pyrenees etc etc with their smooth roads, Ireland offers some of the best GS territory anywhere and nowhere better than Connemara with it's dramatic coast line, mid corner bumps, the whoops and gravel just where you don't want it.

'She' has another day off riding and we cover around 160 miles of mainly back roads and tracks with loads of stops.

Sky Road near Clifden

She waits....

While I take a photo

 

[Timolgra]

It's my birthday and the weather's often good for me to make the best of it.
Today looks promising.

We begin heading north, next stop Donegal, I'm excited as I've never been there before.

Ange and her 'RED ONE'

Overnight in Killybegs then follow the coast as tightly as we can.

Slieve League Cliffs

Not a bad place to be on a day like this

 

[Giles]

.........Went on a brilliant ride around north Connemara at a cracking pace........

You found fourth ???

Nice one ...

 

[Timolgra]

You found fourth ???

Nice one ...

Only 3,500 days of riding up and down the M2 before you retire ...... assuming we still have motorbikes then

 

[Steptoe]

Nice laid back "adventure" Tim and Angie .

Enjoyed the long weekend at Achill a few years ago on a ukgser event, spent a nice afternoon wandering around the place by myself while everyone went screaming off on a ride out.

You mention Angies dad and the hardship, i only had to look in the one small derelict graveyard for a small sign of what the Irish people went through, burial plots for victims of great hunger, my god. We have a lot in our past that's not good.

 

[Bounce]

Some cracking pics there Tim; must put Ireland on the trip list....

 

[DrFarkoff]

I only had to look in the one small derelict graveyard for a small sign of what the Irish people went through, burial plots for victims of great hunger, my god. We have a lot in our past that's not good.

Further to Steppers photos I was intrigued and found the answers

In 1894, the Westport - Newport railway line was extended to Achill Sound. The train station is now a hostel. The train provided a great service to Achill, but it also fulfilled an ancient prophecy. Brian Rua O' Cearbhain had prophesied that 'carts on iron wheels' would carry bodies into Achill on their first and last journey. In 1894, the first train on the Achill railway carried the bodies of victims of the Clew Bay Drowning. This tragedy occurred when a boat overturned in Clew Bay, drowning thirty two young people. They had been going to meet the steamer which would take them to Scotland for potato picking.

The Kirkintilloch Burning Disaster in 1937 fulfilled the second part of the prophecy, when the bodies of ten victims were carried by rail to Achill. These people had died in a fire in a 'bothy'. This term referred to the temporary accommodation provided for those who went to Scotland to pick potatoes. Young people from Achill spent their summers work in Scotland. Nowadays, most of the young people of Achill continue in school until they are 17 or 18, in one of the two post-primary schools and gain employment in modern high tech companies in Ireland and abroad.

 

[Timolgra]

Nice laid back "adventure" Tim and Angie .

Enjoyed the long weekend at Achill a few years ago on a ukgser event, spent a nice afternoon wandering around the place by myself while everyone went screaming off on a ride out.

You mention Angies dad and the hardship, i only had to look in the one small derelict graveyard for a small sign of what the Irish people went through, burial plots for victims of great hunger, my god. We have a lot in our past that's not good.

Yes and those poor souls were just trying to earn money by going to Scotland to work as harvesters.

Then later in 1937 10 young boys from Achill also working as harvesters in Scotland were burnt to death after being locked in their cabin for the night.

There must be countless stories of hardship.

On a brighter note, Ange's Dad, perhaps because he was the oldest, went to a slightly better school when he was a bit older and everyone knew when he was on the way home during winter because they could see the only moving light.

Vic had the first bicycle on Achill with dynamo lights!

He had advanced Alzheimer's when I first met him but could tell he was a real gentle man, so missed out on his stories from that time first hand.
His brother drove us around a couple of years ago pointing out all the places of their youth with accompanying stories, it was a real privilege to hear them all being told with not a hint of bitterness or self pity but with a humour perhaps born instead of it.

 

[earthmover]

Rubbish write up of what looks like a lousy trip Tim.
Mark

 

[Timolgra]

Rubbish write up of what looks like a lousy trip Tim.
Mark

Think it best we don't mention both our results from last weekends 2 day trial

Onward through beautiful Donegal.

Back down the the coast and follow the small roads around the small peninsulars

But not before a dinner made for champions

We find a place to stay in the small harbour of Bunbeg

Then nip out on Ange's bike to find food, a local Fireblade owner tell us to find Jack's bar, it was a good tip!
Tomorrow looks like it might be a good one.

It is!!