GPX - The Wild Atlantic Way

[Smartbazza]

Tim, good write up and glad u enjoyed Ireland. What did you do with your kit when in the sleeping pod.? Quite interesting

Barry

 

[Tim Cullis]

There were lockable lockers big enough to take all the gear you were likely to bring up from the bike.

 

[Mzokk]

Good write up Tim. Funny out of the three peninsulas. I prefer Beara as its usually quieter. Have they fixed this yoke over to Dursey Island yet??

 

[Aidan1150]

Good write up Tim. Funny out of the three peninsulas. I prefer Beara as its usually quieter. Have they fixed this yoke over to Dursey Island yet??

Yes Marcus, all fixed and going again since early in the summer. I remember several years ago watching a pod of dolphins using the strait between the mainland and the island to corral a shoal of fish into a ball to lunch upon, fascinating to see.

 

[Aidan1150]

This thread was very useful when I was planning my trip to the south west of Ireland in June. I was solo on a KTM 790 Adventure. My biking friends were off to France but I was saving my 90 in 180 days for right now, so I needed to be somewhere not in the Schengen zone.

I decided to concentrate on a relatively small area of the Wild Atlantic Way in the south west of the country. Ireland is not cheap for accommodation and I chose to stop overnight in hostels. My trip was close to midsummer, so long daylight hours and great weather.

Day 1: I woke in London at 4:30am, started out at 6am, and took the 1pm ferry from Fishguard to Rosslare, arriving 4:30pm. I slept in a day cabin during crossing and overnighted in Sheila's Hostel in Cork (fine hostel).

Day 2: The next day I rode the Ring of Beara (green route), then overnighted in the Railway Hostel Killarney. The Railway was a major disappointment, so I can't recommend that one.

View attachment 284987

Day 3: Rode the Ring of Kerry (blue route).

Day 4: Rode the Dingle Peninsula (red route and my favourite of the three) and overnighted in the Grapevine Hostel in Dingle (lovely hostel).

Day 5: Rode to Dublin, overnighting in Jacobs Inn Hostel (real upmarket at just €30). Hostels have changed an awful lot since I first did Youth Hostelling nearly 60 years ago! This is the reception area in Jacobs Inn in Dublin. And a photo of the 'pod' sleeping system where you have privacy curtains and electric sockets in each pod.

View attachment 284988View attachment 284989

Day 6: day in Dublin

Day 7: Ferry to Holyhead, rode home.

Ireland was lovely, and the Dingle peninsula is every bit as impressive as Scotland's west coast. Locals were consistently welcoming, creating a very positive and happy atmosphere. I have every intention to return next year to tackle more of the Wild Atlantic Way.

The Irish Road Trip Guide is a useful planning site, https://www.theirishroadtrip.com/
I booked hostels through HostelWorld, https://www.hostelworld.com/st/hostels/europe/ireland

I have a GPX file with more than 40 waypoints but it's too large to upload here, you can access it via my thread on Horizons Unlimited at https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/h...-fit-anywhere/where-to-go-stay-ireland-104730

Happy to answer any questions with my limited knowledge.
Tim

When you came off the ferry from Valentia back onto the mainland at Reenard Point you passed one of the finest fish restaurants in Ireland Tim.
https://www.oneillsthepoint.ie/ is well worthy of a visit if you are in that area again

 

[Mzokk]

Yes Marcus, all fixed and going again since early in the summer. I remember several years ago watching a pod of dolphins using the strait between the mainland and the island to corral a shoal of fish into a ball to lunch upon,fascinating to see.

Good stuff that would have been something to see. First time i was on that cable car the door wasn’t interlocked…..so you could open it up on the way over.

 

[Northern jock]

Some nice looking country, haven't been down that way on 2 wheels since 1978 on my 400Four, time I did something about it. May I think might work

 

[daviedevs]

If you get time theres always some amazing passes to try out too, just off the WAW.

 

[Wapping]

For what it’s worth, I have now put the BaseCamp route I created (way back in this thread) for the Wild Atlantic Way onto MyRoute:

I saved it as a track, so it should (hopefully) remain pretty true to the original.

I thought I had also created the ‘Ulster part’ too, but I cannot now find it. I’ll redo it.

Edit:

Here it is:

 

[SBD]

Did it last year with ‘erself on the back & the kids on their own bikes. 2 weeks from Belfast anti-clockwise back to Rosslare.

Fab weather, brilliant trip.

The haul home from Fishguard to Folkestone is a drag.

 

[Bravo]

If you get time theres always some amazing passes to try out too, just off the WAW. View attachment 346925

I still have nightmares about that place.

 

[Wapping]

Fishguard to Folkestone is a drag.

I enjoyed the Fishguard crossing. That said, we did break the journey from London to Fishguard up, by staying near Gloucester.

 

[Robbi]

Try and include Cushendun and Torr Head, very well worth the slight detour from your route.

 

[SBD]

I enjoyed the Fishguard crossing. That said, we did break the journey from London to Fishguard up, by staying near Gloucester.

Yes, the crossing was fine but three hundred motorway miles at the end of the holiday coupled with the m25 being a total git, shall we just say it was nice to get home.

 

[Wapping]

Yes, the crossing was fine but three hundred motorway miles at the end of the holiday coupled with the m25 being a total git, shall we just say it was nice to get home.

It ain’t much better from north Wales. But hey, only moments from the Chunnel, where the whole of mainland Europe lies open to you.

 

[SBD]

It ain’t much better from north Wales. But hey, only moments from the Chunnel, where the whole of mainland Europe lies open to you.

Oh yes, I know. And very nice it is. The roads actually work, for a start. And bars, restaurants, nice scenery, interesting history, lots of people with stories to tell, Europe’s really rather pleasant.

We went up to Birkenhead for the outbound, but stopped off half way. Except my lad, who had to work on the Friday so did 300 miles to the outbound ferry too. But he’s young and full of enthusiasm, not old and cynical like me.

 

[Pale Rider]

Did it earlier this year, went from Cairnryan to Belfast, did the Titanic museum which I found an excellent experience.

Did an anti-clockwise route using routes i copied from the official guide onto basecamp, took two weeks in all with a mixture of camping and air b&b saw an awful lot of rain which was the main turn off for me and if I’m honest not somewhere I’d be in a hurry to return to any time soon.

 

[Flintlock]

Shame - you were very unlucky with the weather as its been a very dry year (up to a couple of weeks ago!)
It's a double edged sword I guess, if we had long warm dry summers, the countryside would not be so lush & we would be swamped with tourists, so all considering, I'm happy with the weather we have here & happy to get a soaking every now & then.

 

[Hillhound]

Good stuff that would have been something to see. First time i was on that cable car the door wasn’t interlocked…..so you could open it up on the way over.

Still isn’t! I was over in May and asked to secure the door from the inside while we were moving

 

[Mzokk]

Still isn’t! I was over in May and asked to secure the door from the inside while we were moving

Rickety doesn't even begin to describe it Im sure you noticed that you can see the sea through the planks that make up the floor

Nice walk over Dursey Island.

Some wag had posted a speed limit on the Island road.......this was back in 2016.