Ten Days in Western Ireland, July 2002
A collection of 10 cycling routes, created by Ian Clark.OverviewAbout this collection
A ten-day cycle tour for eight couples from North America organized by Cycle Holidays Ireland from July 13 to 22, 2002
- 10
- Routes
- -:--
- Duration
- 658.5 km
- Distance
- ---
- Avg. speed
- 5,004 m
- Ascent
- 5,066 m
- Descent
Ian Clarkcreated this 4 years ago
Day 1, 22 miles from Bunratty to Broadford to Sixmilebridge
Cycling route in Shannon, Munster, Ireland
July 13, 2002. We set out for the backroads route to Broadford. The weather, as the farm people described as the first real day of summer, was perfect - sunny and 20C with scattered clouds. We returned to Sixmilebridge by the South side of Broadford River. Dined at the Bunratty Manor Gues…
- 36 km
- Distance
- 267 m
- Ascent
- 263 m
- Descent
Day 2, 47 miles from Killaloe to Portumna
Cycling route in Killaloe, Munster, Ireland
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 Kil…
- 76.5 km
- Distance
- 453 m
- Ascent
- 458 m
- Descent
Day 3, 40 miles from Maam Cross to Tully Cross and Leenaun
Cycling route in Oughterard, Connacht, Ireland
July 15, 2002. We pedalled over to the Maam valley and up the valley to the pass down to lunch at Leenaun. "Famine ridges" can still be clearly seen on the grazing land sloping up the mountians marking the abandoned potato mounds on the desperately marginal area of the valley now rev…
- 64.2 km
- Distance
- 615 m
- Ascent
- 651 m
- Descent
Day 4, 31 miles from Leenaun to Westport
July 16, 2002. This was a cool but not rainy day with a modest 31 miles over hills that were not overly long. We went aroung the end of Killarny Harbour and back westward along its north side before cutting north over the Doo Lough Pass, which a cairn noted was completed in 1896 by the Congest…
- 50.3 km
- Distance
- 374 m
- Ascent
- 372 m
- Descent
Day 5, 35 miles over the Partry Mountains from Westport to Cong
Cycling route in Westport, Connacht, Ireland
July 17, 2002. We set out from the edge of Westport to "get closer to God" in the Partry Mountains. We lunched on Guinness and carried-in sandwiches at the T.J. O'Toole's in Tourmakeady. The afternoon took us around Lough Mask through Finny to Cong, the town that John Wa…
- 56.9 km
- Distance
- 626 m
- Ascent
- 660 m
- Descent
Day 6, 43 miles from Cong to Clifden
Cycling route in Ballinrobe, Connacht, Ireland
July 18, 2002. The forecast was for rain in the afternoon so we got a good start in the morning, retracing our route back to Finny and around Lough Nafooey and south to R336 and down Monday's route to Leenaun. A shower about 11 am led many of us to don the rain pants and jacket but the rain rec…
- 69.9 km
- Distance
- 682 m
- Ascent
- 677 m
- Descent
Day 7, 66 miles from Clifden to Spiddal
Cycling route in Clifden, Connacht, Ireland
July 19, 2002. It was raining quite heavily during breakfast and there was considerable gallows humour about the anticipated day. (The previous group had this weather on 5 of their 7 days.) We headed out in full rain gear and it maid the cycling barable, almost enjoyable in its novelty. At the groc…
- 106.6 km
- Distance
- 507 m
- Ascent
- 506 m
- Descent
Day 8, 14 miles on Arainn, Aran Islands
July 20, 2002. Ferry to the Aran Islands. Took The Low Road and stopped at Aran Islands Knitwear Store befroe returning on the Back Road for a pint at Joe Watty's Bar and a quick semi-circle of the harbour, before returning to the ferry. We were driven to Clare Villa on the outskirts of Ga…
- 22.1 km
- Distance
- 173 m
- Ascent
- 170 m
- Descent
Day 9, 47 miles from Kilcolgan to Lisdoonvarna
July 21, 2002. After a transfer through Galway City to Kicolgan we set out on the rather busy, including Sunday drivers from Dublin on the first sunny weekend of the Irish summer, through Kinvarna to Ballyvaghan and lunch at Monk's Restaurant. Options included dipping north of the village …
- 75.8 km
- Distance
- 535 m
- Ascent
- 447 m
- Descent
Day 10, 62 miles from Lisdoonvarna to Bunratty
July 22, 2002. We set out from Lisdoonvarna in a light but steady rain into the prevailing wind and up the hills to the Cliffs of Moher, which were foggy but the sea was visible below. The weather cleared for the headwind to Milltown Malbay, opposite the beach where the bulk of the Spannish Ar…
- 100.3 km
- Distance
- 772 m
- Ascent
- 862 m
- Descent