How Fast A Week Goes - Our Last Day Cycling In Cork & Kerry

Friday, May 28, 2010

Press PLAY to hear Dermot O'Brien sing Kevin Barry - a song memorializing a young Irish patriot and revolutionary who fought and died for Ireland's freedom.

We started out of Killarney town on Sunday and now we were heading back after bicycling about 150 miles - an average of 30 miles each day, some more, some less. But this last day turned out to be the longest ride but also the most beautiful I think. It certainly was very tough and when I finished and rode to our B&B, the Countess House, I lay down on my bed and fell asleep in about 10 seconds.

We started out from our lovely hotel in the Gougane Barra valley at about 9:30. Most of the group began by following the turn sheet. Jim, Ed and I, however, were off on a pre-ride ride (masochists, us). Colm had highly recommended we take a quick 5k ride (about 3 miles) on a loop that ran up a canyon behind the hotel. The hotel was adjacent to a state forest and the loop ride took us through a breathtaking pine forest with steep cliffs all around us.

Before we started out, we posed for a final group shot. Unfortunately, Bryony was missing in action. Remember to click on any photo to see it larger.

That's what they say. Sign on the side of the hotel bar. 

Sheep in the hotel's back yard. "Yo! Ewe talking to me?"

Believe it or not this is a thatched roof public toilet - it won an award for "Ireland's top toilet."

The award plaque. And in New York we don't even have public toilets, let alone one with a thatched roof, let alone one that wins the prestigious best toilet award.

Our pre-ride took us on a loop up a canyon filled with towering pines and lined with steep, rugged cliffs.

Now we guys were ready to start the actual day's ride and as I said it was a beautiful but tough one. Most of the day's ride was on one of those Irish roads that's hardly a road. Paved, yes - but scarcely wide enough for a car to drive down, yet it's two ways! Often, there are patches of grass growing in the middle. Fortunately, no cars seemed to use this road - we had no idea who did use it; maybe an occasional farmer on the way home. We saw maybe one or two cars on it during several hours of cycling. It traversed gorgeous scenery, the views of which seemed to change with every turn in the road. And it went upward and then upward for miles and miles. My heart raced and my lungs gasped for air and once or twice I had to dismount and push the bike up an extremely vertical section of the road. I figured there was no sense in killing myself (literally). The day was made still tougher in that the one pub we would pass (at around mile 24) - Ireland's highest pub - was not yet open for food (too early in the season) so there was no stopping for lunch as we had on every other day. That always gave us a chance to rest and regain our stamina and strength. Not today - rest would have to wait for our return to Killarney and the B&B.

This road is no wider than the width of a small car. But we hardly saw more than one or two cars on this part of the ride that went on (and up) for many miles.

Sheep everywhere. 

The road took us through breathtaking scenery.

We passed a giant wind farm that stretched on for miles with dozens and dozens of towering windmills.

Here I am at Ireland's highest pub. Unfortunately, they were not serving any food - and I was hungry. I was also cold - it was cloudy and cool. I was also tired, very tired but we still had another 24 miles to go to Killarney.


It's very amazing, I thought, that you can bike on these tiny roads through vast tracts of wilderness with a house, perhaps, every few miles, and then all of a sudden come out on a main road just outside of the bustling town of Killarney. Now, after all this cycling, we were just a mile or so from the end of our ride. I found, somewhere inside me, a final burst of energy, and pedalled quickly, with great determination, into town and to our B&B. Collapsing onto my bed, I fell asleep immediately. But not for long - we had one last dinner where we would make our farewells to the wonderful group of cycling comrades that had shared our trip for the last week. We exchanged contact information, thanked our friend and guide, Colm, and returned to the inn for a peaceful and very rewarding long night of sleep.

Our last and farewell dinner at the Bricin restaurant in Killarney. What a great time and a great group of people - who became good friends in a week's time. 

Tomorrow, Saturday, Ed and I would pick up our rental car and head for the Dingle Pensinsula and onwards to Country Clare and the Burren. That's where you can pick up the story again - and by the time you read that post  we'll be flying back to New York. See you on the bike path!   - Matt

To see all of today's photos just CLICK HERE.