A trip to Leenane, in Connemara - Sept 2022

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johnnyboxer
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A trip to Leenane, in Connemara - Sept 2022

Post by johnnyboxer »

So, having never been to an Irish GS event before, I decided it was high time to put that right in 2022

Looking at the blurb advertising the ‘do’ got me hooked and I booked in at the splendid Leenane hotel for 3 nights at a very reasonable €180 for the weekend, for dinner B&B

I then book the Belfast ferry for a 6 day trip via Nutt travel for a very reasonable £88 return on the Superfast ferry

As the event approached, it was becoming apparent that the summer long heatwave was rapidly coming to an end in uk and Eire this very weekend…..drat

Waterproofs packed and hard luggage deployed was the order of the day

Leaving on the Thursday - the weather was fine, dry and warm, bloody weather forecasters

I took the fast roads up from Yorkshire and up the A75 via Dumfries, leaving at 6am for the 11.30am ferry
Stopping for fuel at Dumfries, I get a text saying the Stena boat was delayed by 45 mins and I thought that I would detour at Crocketford up via the more scenic Galloway forest towards Newton Stewart

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Arriving at the ferry port in good time, I spent 20 mins at the loch side car park to take in the views

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No boat yet !

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Blackberries are looking huge this season
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I was meeting Peter at the ferry and hadn’t seen him for 5 years, so great to see him again and we boarded and settled into an uneventful crossing & some lunch

Peter had booked the Thursday night accommodation at a golf club, but before he has plotted a route over the Sperrin mountains in Ulster and excellent choice of roads it was, pity we didn’t have longer to explore

The night at the house at the golf club, was best not remembered (club house shut, a ready meal curry from the Co-Op and one with no beer sold, plus a bedroom that doubled as an emergency exit with night lighting that couldn’t be switched off, grrrr) - still, Peter and myself laughed about it
Last edited by johnnyboxer on Thu Sep 08, 2022 8:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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johnnyboxer
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Re: A trip to Leenane

Post by johnnyboxer »

Day 2 and Friday, dawned dry & bright (at odds with the forecast)
At least we could have breakfast to set us up for the day
We made our way over the border after Enniskillen and through Sligo, stopping after the city in the wee village of Collooney for coffee in a smashing cafe that I heard about in a YouTube blog
Onwards towards Mayo and the pretty town of Westport
We spun down the side of Clew Bay, towards Louisburgh & passing Ireland’s holy mountain of Croagh Patrick on the left - spectacular

As we approach Louisburgh the weather changed rapidly (only 6 -7 miles out of Westport) and mizzle set in (the only rain of the trip) so we skipped lunch there and rode the last 20 miles over the Doolough pass to Leenane and decided on a late lunch at the hotel

We weren’t the first and other people had started to arrive
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johnnyboxer
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Re: A trip to Leenane

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What a lovely hotel it was and very comfortable rooms and all up to date in the main areas, with a excellent food and the staff couldn’t do enough for us
Some 56 people attended the event and to be all together under one roof, made for a very friendly weekend
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Newly refurbished rooms - swish
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Re: A trip to Leenane

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Saturday morning dawned sunny and bright, with stunning mists over the Killary fjord

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Jochen had arranged a 200 mile ride and about 25-30 riders took part
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Some nice bikes here
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Re: A trip to Leenane

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I decided not to do the ‘official’ ride that day & Frank had introduced me to Jim (Drumacoon Lad) & Simon (of Gael warning fame) and they suggest a ride to Achill island - somewhere I haven’t been and the 4 of us spent a great day there

We travelled the Doolough pass again, in sunshine this time
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Achill was simply stunning

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The benefits of travel at the splendid Beehive cafe at lunchtime
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After lunch Simon took us on to Keem Strand beach
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Jim was noting the approaching Atlantic weather and predicted it would arrive at Leenane at between 4-5 PM - so it was now 2pm and the GPS said it was 90 mins to the hotel and we beat a hasty retreat back to the hotel, arriving just after 3.30pm

Good job we did as the rain came at 5pm and boy was it biblical
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This was the best place to be, as the rain set in
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Re: A trip to Leenane

Post by johnnyboxer »

On the Saturday night the hotel did a special meal for us all and very nice it was too, with a few Guinness drunk

Sunday was a quieter day and many folk left for home or further travels on the island

I had a walk into the village for a coffee and got the bike out in the afternoon to Renvyle castle

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Re: A trip to Leenane

Post by johnnyboxer »

Monday it was time to say farewells to the 9-10 stragglers still there, after the main group of GS riders had left already on Sunday

I had lunch with in-laws at Ballymote, before riding through Sligo city and onwards to the Sligo coast line and Mullaghmore area (where Mountbatten was blown up in the 1980’s)

Pretty place and impressive Mountbatten summer home
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Time for a Brunch
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I stayed at a recommended B&B at Garrison-just inside the Ulster border on Monday night and ready to the Tuesday ferry home
Again, no rain today and none tomorrow for the ride home through Dumfries and Galloway
6 days and only 20 miles of rain in Eire - not often you can say that !

Thanks to Jochen for a superb weekend
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dave h
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Re: A trip to Leenane, in Connemara - Sept 2022

Post by dave h »

nice trip ,thanks for taking the time to post,

dave.
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Re: A trip to Leenane, in Connemara - Sept 2022

Post by NeilM »

Great write up and photos.

I really must visit Eire sometime soon.
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Re: A trip to Leenane, in Connemara - Sept 2022

Post by bikenav »

nice pics thanks for going to the effort and the words too, went to the ABR Ireland do back earlier in the summer a bit less luxurious and possibly less attendee's but also good. Rode around some similar parts it appears certainly the bit by Mountbatten's pad think its called "Atlantic Drive" Ireland is great when its dry the coast can still be good in the rain if you can stay dry and spectacular in a storm, recommend taking a look if you have not, follow the brown and rusty signs if you must, if you can dig a little deeper.
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