7 Day Itinerary
 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:
- 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
- Celtic Cycling will be pleased to help you with your accommodation
bookings in Dublin or elsewhere in Ireland
- 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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