Mochara Cycle Tour of Ireland Route Plan

Ciaran OHara

For overall details of our cycle tour click here.

Here is our latest route plan for our cycle around Ireland. I have used ridewithgps.com to map it out into individual days and included links below. It is currently 1800km's over 10 days which is a bit of a push but achievable. If anyone has experience cycling in any of these areas we would appreciate your advice in regards to roads we should avoid and sections we can't miss out.

Day1: Greysteel>Derry>Letterkenny>Gweedore>Dungloe>Donegal Town

Day 2: Donegal Town>Sligo>Ballina>Westport

Day 3: Westport>Connemara>Clifden>Galway

Day 4: Galway>Lisdoonvarna>Kilrush>Tarbert>Tralee>Kilgorlin

Day 5: Kilgorlin>Waterville>Kenmare>Bantry>Skibereen

Day 6: Skibereen>Clonakilty>Kinsale>Cork>Dungarvan

Day 7: Dungarvan>Waterford>New Ross>Wexford>Arklow

Day 8: Arklow>Wicklow Mountains>Maynooth>Navan>Slane

Day 9: Slane>Dundalk>Newry>Kilkeel>Downpatrick>Belfast

Day 10: Belfast>Larne>Ballycastle>Colraine>Magilligan>HOME!!

As we have already said we are open to any suggestions. We also hope to stay with family and friends along the way or anyone that might have room for us in or around the town we stop in.

Thanks

Mochara

Bigus

I think along the coast from arklow would be a lot more interesting than wicklow mountains you'll have seen enough mountains scenery in Kerry and Galway .

It'll also be a lot flatter. So I'd recomend , arklow, brittas bay, Wicklow town, greystones, bray shank ill Dalkey , dunlaoghaire , ringsend and out through clontarf sea front to head north, rush bettystown , Dundalk and on to carlingford , and newry.

Just my thoughts.

Ciaran OHara

thanks for the advice bigus. we are still working on the route and I just can't seem to gauge how tough climbing the wicklow mountains will be. getting around dublin in my main concern.

Bigus

Ciaran OHara wrote: »

thanks for the advice bigus. we are still working on the route and I just can't seem to gauge how tough climbing the wicklow mountains will be. getting around dublin in my main concern.

Go through dublin , it's very nice and quite cycle friendly nowadays . Why avoid the capital city when it has loads to see.

Ole Rodrigo

If you want to avoid the Wicklow mountains, going up the coast from Arklow is a nice spin. Coming into the city through Bray and on to Blackrock, you can go through the center to Finglas and the North Dublin back roads to Drogheda. Cut across to Clogherhead and then straight up to Dundalk.

alexanderomahon

Don't avoid Dublin, just hit it on a Sunday. Well worth cycling through and out to Howth and on up into North County Dublin, maybe stop in Skerries. Then on up to Dundalk on the next day with a stop at Newgrange.

Ciaran OHara

I do not know what to expect from Dublin and thought it would be easier to go around. I will look at putting together a route along the coast and through the city and maybe you guys can give me some pointers and help get it right.

smacl

Ciaran OHara wrote: »

thanks for the advice bigus. we are still working on the route and I just can't seem to gauge how tough climbing the wicklow mountains will be. getting around dublin in my main concern.

The route you've given yourself is not particularly tough on a good day, and the descent you've chosen is a favourite. It is very weather dependent in the mountains, on windy days it can be a bit harsh and it will be a few degrees cooler, but they call Wicklow 'the garden of Ireland' with good reason. The run in from Arklow is attractive enough and easier, but if you've got the weather and the legs I'd certainly include the Wicklow mountains.