Day 1
You will be met at Muine Bheag (Bagenalstown) train or bus
station. A representative of Celtic Cycling will be waiting
for you there. You will be transferred to your base near Bagenalstown,
Co. Carlow- transfer time 15 minutes approximately. Alternatively
Celtic Cycling can arrange private transport from Dublin/Cork/Shannon
airports and will be pleased to quote you a price for this
service. On arrival you will have a briefing session; explanation
of the route maps and itineraries; fitting out with your bicycles
& equipment. You may then like to take a cycle ride in
the vicinity to familiarise yourselves with your bikes. It
will be daylight until about 10.00 p.m. in mid summer. Overnight
at your base.
Day 2
Cycle from Lorum Old Rectory to Kilkenny (18 miles/29 kms.)
passing through Bennetsbridge where there are several craft
industries to visit (pottery, leather, knitwear etc.). In
Kilkenny you can take a guided walking tour of the City -
a good way to find the places of interest and find out about
the City’s history - and a guided tour of the Castle
which dates back to 1170, which has now been completely restored
by the Irish government with E.U. assistance. If you want
to spend more time in the City you will have time on Day 3
morning as well. In the evening you may like to go to an Irish
music “session” - your hosts at the B & B
will advise you where to go. Overnight in Kilkenny.
Day 3
Cycle from Kilkenny to Thomastown (16 miles/26 kms). You can
visit the ruins of the Augustinian Priory at Kells and Jerpoint
Abbey where you can take a guided tour. Both date back to
the 12th century. If you are interested in golf you can view
the Jack Nicklaus championship course at Mount Juliet where
the Irish Open championship was played in 1993, 1994 and 1995
and where the American Express World Championships was played
in 2002 (won by Tiger Woods) and in 2004 (won by Ernie Els).
Even if you are not interested in golf, Mount Juliet is a
beautiful place to visit. If you like horse riding you can
take a guided “trek” through the estate (it is
as well to book from Kilkenny the previous day). There is
also a long established stud farm at Mount Juliet where several
well known race horses have been bred. Overnight near Thomastown.
Day 4
Cycle from Thomastown to Arthurstown (32 miles/51 kms.). You
will pass through the picturesque village of Inistioge - Mia
Farrow, who starred in “Widow’s Peak” which
was filmed mainly in Inistioge says that it is her favourite
place in Ireland. The film of the Irish author Maeve Binchy’s
book “Circle of Friends” was also shot in Inistioge.
Woodstock Demesne just outside Inistioge , where the gardens
have now been restored, is also well worth a visit and there
are lovely walks/cycle rides in the demesne. Then on to New
Ross where you can have lunch or afternoon tea on “the
Galley” floating restaurant (check departure times).
In New Ross you can also visit the “Dunbrody”
which is moored at the Quay in New Ross and is open as a visitors’
centre. It is a replica of a “famine ship”. These
ships transported thousands of refugees from the potato famine
in Ireland in the 1840’s to Canada and the U.S.A. The
J.F. Kennedy Arboretum is on your way to Arthurstown. It was
established by the U.S. and Irish Governments in memory of
the late President and has over 4500 species of trees from
all over the World. You will also pass Dunbrody Abbey on your
way to Arthurstown. Overnight in Arthurstown.
Day 5
To-day you can take the car ferry from nearby Ballyhack to
Passage East and cycle to Dunmore East a pretty fishing village
on the County Waterford coast. On the return trip you can
go to Waterford City and visit the Waterford Crystal factory.
Alternatively if cycling and the countryside is your preference
you can cycle to Hook Head the site of one of the oldest lighthouses
in Europe. There is a visitors’ centre at the lighthouse
from where you can take a guided tour. It is said that when
Strongbow was planning his invasion of Ireland he said that
he would land “by hook or by crook” - there is
a place called Crooke on the Waterford side of the estuary.
You can also visit Baginbun where the Normans first landed
in 1169. There is a Martello Tower there. By lighting fires
in the roofs, Martello Towers which were always built within
sight of one another, were used as an early warning system
during the Napoleonic wars. Near Baginbun you will find Tintern
Abbey which has recently been restored by the Irish Government.
This Cistercian Abbey was built in 1200 by William Earl Marshall
of Pembrokeshire who was caught in a raging storm in nearby
Bannow Bay and he made a vow that if he was saved he would
build an Abbey. This he did and it was called Tintern de Vota
- “Tintern of the vow”. On each of these tours
it is possible to make the return journey using different
roads to those travelled on the outward journey. Overnight
again in Arthurstown.
Day 6
Cycle from Arthurstown to St. Mullins (24 miles/38 kms). If
you take the road to the east of the river Barrow, you will
cycle directly to the village of St.Mullins. If you take the
road to the west of the Barrow you will pass through Graiguenamanagh
(it adds about 8 miles/13 kms. to the distance) Between Graiguenamanagh
and St. Mullins you will have the opportunity of taking a
delightful ride
along the “Barrow Navigation” towpath. This was
used in the past by horses towing barges laden with barley
destined for the breweries and distilleries in Dublin. While
it may be a little “bumpy” it
has the advantage of being flat! If you go directly to St.
Mullins you can cycle along the towpath to Graiguenamanagh
on Day 7. St. Mullins was a place of great ecclesiastical
importance in the 5th.
and 6th. centuries. The ruins of small churches and oratories
from that time can still be seen. St. Mullins was the burial
place of Art MacMurrough Kavanagh, one time King of Leinster.
Overnight in St. Mullins. Your hostess is a qualified Masseuse
and Aromatherapist and there is a fully equipped treatment
room at your accommodation.
Day 7
Cycle from St. Mullins through Graiguenamanagh (“Grange
of the Monks”) back to your base (15 miles/24 kms).
In Graiguenamanagh (“Grange of the Monks”) you
can visit the beautifully restored Abbey of Duiske. After
passing through Graiguenamanagh you have the option of cycling
to the east or west of the river Barrow on your way to Borris.
Borris is the home of the Mac Murrough Kavanaghs who were
Kings of Leinster back in the 5th. and 6th. centuries. One
of their direct descendants still occupies Borris as their
family’s private residence. Another of the MacMurrough
Kavanaghs, Arthur, born without arms or legs in 1831, travelled
the World, became a member of parliament at Westminster and
hunted and fished (on horseback) and had a family! To-day’s
cycle ride is quite short but there are many lovely cycle
rides and walks in the environs of Lorum and Borris. At Rathgeeran
about 5 miles/8 kms. from Borris there is the site of a pre-Christian
burial ground (c.3000 B.C.) where you will find a stone with
carved concentric motifs typical of these burial grounds.
If you wish to visit the site be sure to get accurate directions
as it can be very difficult to find particularly when it is
overgrown with bracken in summer. From Rathgeeran you can
continue on to Scullogue gap from where there are spectacular
views of Mount Leinster and the Blackstairs Mountain range.
Overnight again at your base.
Day 8
Depart. You will need to leave your base about fifteen minutes
before your train or bus is scheduled to depart.
Notes:
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If you need to have an E-Mail/Fax contact address while
in Ireland please feel free to use Celtic Cycling’s
and any message will be transmitted to you at the guest
House you are staying at that night. Celtic Cycling’s
E-Mail address is: info@celticcycling.com and fax number
is +353-59-9775455
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Celtic Cycling will be pleased to help you with your
accommodation bookings in Dublin or elsewhere in Ireland
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Private transfers by car or minibus can also be arranged
from/to Dublin, Shannon or Cork airports or Dublin, Dunlaoghaire
or Rosslare ferryports. Please ask Celtic Cycling to arrange
a quotation for you if you are interested in this service.
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