Spent the weekend with a few mates riding & camping around the west of Ireland. It was magic.
https://postimg.cc/gallery/d1pbLnN
Day 1 we met up and rode via Enniskillen and the Magho Viewpoint to Ballyshannon's Rory Gallagher Statue, then around Mullaghmore, the Gleniff Horseshoe, round the back of Benbulbin, Glencar Lough, then through Sligo to spend the night camping at Lough Arrow.
Day 2 we set out across Co. Mayo, through Ballina, to Downpatrick Head. The countryside grew wilder and more remote as we pushed on onto the peninsula of Belmullet, then on down to Black Sod Bay. By the time we stopped for food there was no way we could make it to Achill and make it to Clifden, so we had to go directly to Clifden. The run down, past Westport and through Ireland's only fjord (at Leenaun), was some of the best riding I've ever experienced. Jaw dropping scenery and just a great biking road. We camped just outside Clifden. Bring a midge net.
Day 3 we set off to Galway, again stunning scenery and wonderful roads into the big town. Then we headed south into The Burren's unique landscape and Fr. Ted's house. The view round the corner from there, across Lough Gaelan to Mullagh More was so photogenic it looked like a painting.
From there we headed through Gort, Athlone, Cavan, Armagh and home. We managed to do this while the All Ireland Football final was on, so we had some lovely fast sweeping A-roads, pretty much to ourselves - although the scenery wasn't quite as stunning as it was out west. A little under 700 miles in total in 3 days.
