Day 2, 47 miles from Killaloe to Portumna

July 14, 2002. After a good Irish breakfast, we assembled the bikes on two vans and drove through Limerick (seeing King John's Castle from the bridge as we crossed into County Tipprary for the only part of the tour) and then up the east side of the Shannon before crossong at Ballina to Killaloe and the starting point a couple of km north of this pretty town at the south end of "Ireland's longest lake", Loough Derg. Our assignment for the day was to cycle its full length to the market town of Portumna, and for the keeners, the optional loop from Tuamgraney, Bodyke, Feakle joining the main route at Scarriff and on to the pub on Holy Island, which was in the middle of some local celebration. The Guinness was very welcome but we substituted the lunches for chips and fruit bought across the road at a convenience store, and then headed on in the bright sunshine to the end of the lake. We refreshed ourselves at the Lake View Lodge Inn before getting to Portuma Castle, the restored home of th 14th Earl Clanrickard, once the largest landowner in Ireland. We ate at the splendid Shannon Oaks Hotel in Portumna.