Ireland's North and West in a Weekend

Three Dawg · 10-18-2010, 09:45 AM

From time to time the motley crew that is the University of Teesside year of '85 BA Industrial Design get together for a reunion, and this time we decided to visit one of our number who lives in Westport, Co. Mayo. I decided that I'd like to go over on the GS and have a bit of a look round a country I've never visited and drink Guinness in the evenings with the lads.

This is what I ended up doing, about 1150 miles starting from Inverness in Scotland.

After a night in the glamourous Kilmarnock Travelodge I got to the ferry at Larne in good time.

From Larne I headed up the Antrim coast to my first stop at the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. This originally allowed fisherment to reach a small island to land their catch.

Lots of squealing and shouting (not by me, ahem) as the bridge was crossed. It wasn't that bad...

Small cottage and crane to land the fish.

It was a fair walk to the bridge from the carpark, so I was already in trouble timewise. This is not unusual. Next stop about 10 miles down the road, Ireland's World Heritage Site: The Giant's Causeway

prsdrat · 10-18-2010, 09:54 AM

Oh yeah. The west of Ireland and the north of Scotland!
Bring it on. Subscribed.

IslandMonkey · 10-18-2010, 10:58 AM

In for this one.

Bryn1203 · 10-18-2010, 01:02 PM

looks interesting....... I toured round the SW of Ireland in a landrover, but never got to the top..

subscribed

E-man · 10-18-2010, 01:09 PM

I love pictures of Ireland
More pics now!!!

Three Dawg · 10-18-2010, 01:27 PM

Awww. Brrr...

Walrusses too!

Sizable fixer-upper along the coast towards Portrush. Dunluce Castle

Anyway, on to the good stuff down in Mayo. Was running hellishly behind at this stage but reached Westport some time after nine in the evening. Sunk a few Guinnesses and went to bed.

Our base in Westport. Great pub in a really nice town in a sublime spot.

The pub was down in the old port area, and this was the new day. Looked promising.

This is The Reek, overlooking the town. Over 2000 feet I believe.

Headed out to do a tour of Connemara. After the village of Leenane the road headed inland. Still not a breath of wind.

Three Dawg · 10-18-2010, 03:02 PM

OK, enough with the glassy lakes already.

Sizable des res, own lake and turret.

At Clifton I took a detour to ride the Sky Road. Reminded me of the scenery on the west coast of Scotland. The roads were generally in good condition- ie. not potholed, but were incredibly bumpy. This would have been the end of my back and wrists on an R1.

Three Dawg · 10-18-2010, 03:15 PM

Made it eventually to Roundstone after passing through some of the finest scenery I've ever seen. This was helped by very cooperative weather- this was mid October fer Gawds sake.

View from the pub. Turned out to be a BMW rally- 73 bikes parked just round the corner, half of them GSs.

Lunch and a swift haf of Guinness al fresco. What's not to like?

Harbour at Roundstone.

I loved the strictly non corporate air of the place. This gas station typical. That's someone elses GS of course. Bit worried that it is parked in front of the diesel pump...

Silky · 10-18-2010, 08:04 PM

Nice one, gotta head back there and do more riding...

queenpdog · 10-18-2010, 08:22 PM

More, More!!

I spent a few weeks in the west of Ireland in late April and early may. Your photos remind me how much I loved the scenery and air. Keep 'em coming!

the darth peach · 10-18-2010, 10:09 PM

Beautiful!

Thanks for the peek.
More!!!!

Three Dawg · 10-19-2010, 05:49 AM

Roundstone was as far south as I got, time to head back to Westport.

If I was any sort of photographer I'd have noticed that telephone cable...

While I was out riding around the rest of the lads went fishing

This the only time they were sober the whole weekend, and even now I'm not sure about the one in the middle...

Some even climbed up The Reek. Madness.

Anyway, After another evening drinking and talking nonsense I was up at half past uuurgh to catch the ferry home at 13.00. Enjoyed the early morning cross country ride and made the ferry in good time.

Have to say, the riding in Ireland is absolutely excellent and a GS is the ideal tool for the roads over there. The secondary roads are on the bumpy side but there wasnt much gravel about, and during the daytime the main roads were bags of fun. 1150 miles covered in the weekend, and I'll certainly be back for more.

svenoman · 10-19-2010, 10:00 AM

Great Pictures, Awesome Ride!!!!

Sp00k · 10-20-2010, 04:05 AM

Beautiful pics. Enjoyed the RR.

Three Dawg · 10-20-2010, 04:57 AM

Thanks all.

10-18-2010, 09:45 AM	#1
Three Dawg ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Apr 2009 Location: Bonnie Scotland Oddometer: 310	Ireland's North and West in a Weekend From time to time the motley crew that is the University of Teesside year of '85 BA Industrial Design get together for a reunion, and this time we decided to visit one of our number who lives in Westport, Co. Mayo. I decided that I'd like to go over on the GS and have a bit of a look round a country I've never visited and drink Guinness in the evenings with the lads. This is what I ended up doing, about 1150 miles starting from Inverness in Scotland. After a night in the glamourous Kilmarnock Travelodge I got to the ferry at Larne in good time. From Larne I headed up the Antrim coast to my first stop at the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. This originally allowed fisherment to reach a small island to land their catch. Lots of squealing and shouting (not by me, ahem) as the bridge was crossed. It wasn't that bad... Small cottage and crane to land the fish. It was a fair walk to the bridge from the carpark, so I was already in trouble timewise. This is not unusual. Next stop about 10 miles down the road, Ireland's World Heritage Site: The Giant's Causeway __________________ Three Dawg 1997 R1100GS, 1985 Laverda RGS, IBA # 44014 Noob in Namibia South Africa, Swaziland and er... Iron Butt SS1000 (Scotland pics) Ireland's North and West in a Weekend National Rally of Scotland 2011 A Quick Lap of Botswana Three Dawg screwed with this post 10-18-2010 at 02:47 PM

10-18-2010, 09:54 AM	#2
prsdrat Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Sep 2008 Location: San Diego, CA Oddometer: 421	Oh yeah. The west of Ireland and the north of Scotland! Bring it on. Subscribed. __________________ "Can't never could."-Grandma Belle Marie Bullock-Shuflin

10-18-2010, 10:58 AM	#3
IslandMonkey Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jan 2010 Location: Manchester (ish), England Oddometer: 299	In for this one. __________________ Sean

10-18-2010, 01:09 PM	#5
E-man 4-4-09, 12-6-09, 1-13-10 Joined: Jul 2006 Location: Pittsburgh Oddometer: 8,943	I love pictures of Ireland More pics now!!! __________________ "Lest we forget" They gave the ultimate sacrifice because they answered the call without question E.O.W. 4-04-09, Eric, Paul and Steve E.O.W. 12-06-09 Officer Crawshaw E.O.W. 10-12-11 Derek Kotecki

10-18-2010, 01:27 PM	#6
Three Dawg ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Apr 2009 Location: Bonnie Scotland Oddometer: 310	Awww. Brrr... Walrusses too! Sizable fixer-upper along the coast towards Portrush. Dunluce Castle Anyway, on to the good stuff down in Mayo. Was running hellishly behind at this stage but reached Westport some time after nine in the evening. Sunk a few Guinnesses and went to bed. Our base in Westport. Great pub in a really nice town in a sublime spot. The pub was down in the old port area, and this was the new day. Looked promising. This is The Reek, overlooking the town. Over 2000 feet I believe. Headed out to do a tour of Connemara. After the village of Leenane the road headed inland. Still not a breath of wind. __________________ Three Dawg 1997 R1100GS, 1985 Laverda RGS, IBA # 44014 Noob in Namibia South Africa, Swaziland and er... Iron Butt SS1000 (Scotland pics) Ireland's North and West in a Weekend National Rally of Scotland 2011 A Quick Lap of Botswana Three Dawg screwed with this post 01-12-2013 at 10:44 AM

10-18-2010, 01:02 PM	#4
Bryn1203 Dances with spaniels Joined: Aug 2009 Location: Denial - UK Oddometer: 1,754	looks interesting....... I toured round the SW of Ireland in a landrover, but never got to the top.. subscribed

10-18-2010, 03:02 PM	#7
Three Dawg ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Apr 2009 Location: Bonnie Scotland Oddometer: 310	OK, enough with the glassy lakes already. Sizable des res, own lake and turret. At Clifton I took a detour to ride the Sky Road. Reminded me of the scenery on the west coast of Scotland. The roads were generally in good condition- ie. not potholed, but were incredibly bumpy. This would have been the end of my back and wrists on an R1. __________________ Three Dawg 1997 R1100GS, 1985 Laverda RGS, IBA # 44014 Noob in Namibia South Africa, Swaziland and er... Iron Butt SS1000 (Scotland pics) Ireland's North and West in a Weekend National Rally of Scotland 2011 A Quick Lap of Botswana Three Dawg screwed with this post 10-18-2010 at 03:23 PM

10-18-2010, 03:15 PM	#8
Three Dawg ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Apr 2009 Location: Bonnie Scotland Oddometer: 310	Made it eventually to Roundstone after passing through some of the finest scenery I've ever seen. This was helped by very cooperative weather- this was mid October fer Gawds sake. View from the pub. Turned out to be a BMW rally- 73 bikes parked just round the corner, half of them GSs. Lunch and a swift haf of Guinness al fresco. What's not to like? Harbour at Roundstone. I loved the strictly non corporate air of the place. This gas station typical. That's someone elses GS of course. Bit worried that it is parked in front of the diesel pump... __________________ Three Dawg 1997 R1100GS, 1985 Laverda RGS, IBA # 44014 Noob in Namibia South Africa, Swaziland and er... Iron Butt SS1000 (Scotland pics) Ireland's North and West in a Weekend National Rally of Scotland 2011 A Quick Lap of Botswana Three Dawg screwed with this post 10-18-2010 at 03:21 PM

10-18-2010, 08:04 PM	#9
Silky Awaiting Baby... Joined: Jul 2007 Location: Sydney - North Oddometer: 1,270	Nice one, gotta head back there and do more riding... __________________ Mmmm Sherbert

10-18-2010, 08:22 PM	#10
queenpdog Studly Adventurer Joined: Mar 2006 Location: Minnesota Oddometer: 942	More, More!! I spent a few weeks in the west of Ireland in late April and early may. Your photos remind me how much I loved the scenery and air. Keep 'em coming! __________________ Two wheels good '12 Tiger 800XC '01 TW200 So long Street Triple R, Scrambler, R1150R, F650GS, R100RS....I've loved you all.

10-18-2010, 10:09 PM	#11
the darth peach eats crackers in bed Joined: Nov 2006 Location: N.California Oddometer: 11,412	Beautiful! Thanks for the peek. More!!!!

10-19-2010, 05:49 AM	#12
Three Dawg ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Apr 2009 Location: Bonnie Scotland Oddometer: 310	Roundstone was as far south as I got, time to head back to Westport. If I was any sort of photographer I'd have noticed that telephone cable... While I was out riding around the rest of the lads went fishing This the only time they were sober the whole weekend, and even now I'm not sure about the one in the middle... Some even climbed up The Reek. Madness. Anyway, After another evening drinking and talking nonsense I was up at half past uuurgh to catch the ferry home at 13.00. Enjoyed the early morning cross country ride and made the ferry in good time. Have to say, the riding in Ireland is absolutely excellent and a GS is the ideal tool for the roads over there. The secondary roads are on the bumpy side but there wasnt much gravel about, and during the daytime the main roads were bags of fun. 1150 miles covered in the weekend, and I'll certainly be back for more. __________________ Three Dawg 1997 R1100GS, 1985 Laverda RGS, IBA # 44014 Noob in Namibia South Africa, Swaziland and er... Iron Butt SS1000 (Scotland pics) Ireland's North and West in a Weekend National Rally of Scotland 2011 A Quick Lap of Botswana

10-19-2010, 10:00 AM	#13
svenoman Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Dec 2005 Location: Mullica Hill, NJ Oddometer: 214	Great Pictures, Awesome Ride!!!! __________________ Sven 03 GSXR1000, 03 KTM MXC 450, 04 KTM EXC 250, 01 KTM LC4 640. http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=483480 http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=260458 http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=703395

10-20-2010, 04:05 AM	#14
Sp00k Adventurer Joined: Aug 2010 Location: Canberra Oztralia Oddometer: 68	Beautiful pics. Enjoyed the RR. __________________ Yamaha XS2 250 Suzuki Katana GS650 Honda CB 250 Honda CB 750 Super Sports Yamaha VStar 650 Custom Harley Davidson 883C 2008 GS R1200 Adventure

10-20-2010, 04:57 AM	#15
Three Dawg ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Apr 2009 Location: Bonnie Scotland Oddometer: 310	Thanks all. __________________ Three Dawg 1997 R1100GS, 1985 Laverda RGS, IBA # 44014 Noob in Namibia South Africa, Swaziland and er... Iron Butt SS1000 (Scotland pics) Ireland's North and West in a Weekend National Rally of Scotland 2011 A Quick Lap of Botswana

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