Two Day Left - We Bike From Glengarriff To Gougane Barra

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Press PLAY to hear The Wild Mountain Thyme sung by Liam Clancy.



If you asked me which of the days on our tour I enjoyed the most and which route took us through the most exciting and beautiful area of West Cork and Kerry, I’d be hard put to come up with an answer. Today, the next to last of our cycling journey took us from Glengarriff, along the coast of Bantry Bay to the bustling town of Bantry where we stopped for lunch. We then doubled back about 5 miles, out of Bantry, and continued on our way to our destination, the Gougane Barra valley and the hotel of the same name. It was a lovely ride, a little challenging (but by this time we’re old pros at challenges) and, again, strikingly beautiful, particularly the last 10 miles which took us up and over the Pass of Keimaneigh and then down a long descent to our hotel. There’s no town here - just the hotel, which is situated on breathtaking Gugane Barra lake with a backdrop of mountains. Ed thought the hotel was reminiscent of an old borsht belt hotel - it is old and not as posh as last night’s but very comfortable, clean and well maintained ... and the location was unmatched by any place we’ve been in so far.

Leaving Glengarriff we rode along Bantry Bay. Remember - click on any photo to see it larger.

Irish homes - tidy, neat and clean.

Ed with a view of Bantry Bay. He's wearing his new cycling jersey - very visible.

Wild flowers, my bike and Bantry Bay.

Wow! We turned a bend in the road and came across a 17th century ruins with a new house built in its front moat, er yard.


We had ridden about two hours and were now taking a 5-miles detour into Bantry town. Another port town, this was less of a tourist haven and more of a real, functioning town with lots of locals walking the streets and shopping the shops. We liked that and the opportunity it afforded to see people going about their daily business. Bantry is another big port and fishing town and was home to Theobald Wolfe Tone, the father of Irish Republicanism - a great patriot, nationalist and revolutionary.  Tone, who lived from 1763 to 1798, wrote --

"To unite the whole people of Ireland, to abolish the memory of all past dissensions and to substitute the common name of Irishman in place of denominations of Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter."

Arriving in Bantry town, I pose with the weclome sign.

Bantry school kids out for lunch walking past the central square.

A statue of Theobald Wolfe Tone, the father of the independence struggle. 

Coen's pharmacy on the square. 

Helen and Bryony enjoying a spot of tea in Bantry town square.


We took a quick walk around, picked up some lunch to go and biked out of town to Bantry House for a picnic. Then we retraced our route about 5 miles to continue on our way to Gougane Barra.

Bantryites (?) walking past the post office.

Another pretty house on the outskirts of Bantry.


Ever since Castletownbere we had been tracing the route taken by Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare and his followers after the British had demolished his castle at Dunboy, killing all of its defenders. O'Sullivan Beare set off on a withering march through the mountains with 1000 soldiers and supporters and provisions.  including 1000 sheep. He intended to unite with other freedom fighters at Leitrim. By the time he reached there, his force had dwindled to 35, the rest lost to hunger, exposure and attacks. Some of those left behind settled in the hills and valleys and those descendents continue to inhabit the area to this day.

In the middle of the countryside, the Carriganass Castle. This was the ancestral home of the O'Sullivan Beare clan. Our bike ride had been tracing the path of Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare's flight from the British in 1602.

Wild flowers growing on a wall.


We climbed and climbed (again) and finally rode through the Pass of Keimaneigh. From there an awesome descent for several miles to our turnoff to the Gougane Barra valley and out hotel. Tired but glad to be there.

Tomorrow, Friday, our last day as we have a very tough (but always beautiful) ride of 42 miles to get back to our start in Killarney town.  See you there.  - Matt

At the top of the world. Passing through the pass.

Gougane Barra - the sign points the way.

We made it! The hotel faces this lake which is part of the state park in the Gougane Barra valley.


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