I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane

Press PLAY 
to listen to Ireland by Marua O'Connell 

May 18, 2010

Today's the day - like all big events that are planned in advance, it had felt so far away when my friend, Ed Goldman, and I began to plan our bike trip to Ireland a few months ago. But then it approached rapidly and now it's here. Today's the day, rather, tonight's the night I board Aer Lingus at Kennedy airport and fly, hopefully not through a volcanic ash cloud, to Dublin.

Ed is already there, having left a week ago, with his brother, to do some touring in advance of our trip. When I arrive, tomorrow morning, his brother will be leaving and Ed will continue his trip with me. This will be his first trip to the Emerald Isle. It will be my fourth. Two of them were bike trips with Stacey in 1998 and 1999. The third was a car trip in 2004 with my friend Lonnie where we explored the same area that I'll be biking through this time around. It'll be interesting to compare the two: car vs. bike. On each of my bike trips I've used an outfit called Irish Cycling Safaris and this trip will be to West Cork and Kerry (as their catalog describes it).

That's me, Matt, in Kilkenny on my last

trip to Ireland in 2004

When I land in Dublin, Ed and I will take a shuttle into the city and board a train to Killarney, the starting and ending point for our bike trip. But the trip begins on Saturday so we have a few days before we meet our group. Killarney is adjacent to Killarney National Park. So three days will be spent exploring the town, hiking the park (which is Ireland's most extensive bit of remaining native forest), and hitting some local pubs for a pint while we listen to some traditional Irish music. I guess that'll be the next time you hear from me.

Ross Castle (from 700 A.D.) just outside of Killarney in the National Park.

So come along with Ed and me - we'll be rolling through Ireland on our bikes and you're welcome to join us. - Matt