Mizen to Malin Transport Question

Lacumo

I'm hoping to do a Mizen to Malin bicycle tour in 2014. I’ve been researching transport from Shannon Airport to the SW corner of Ireland and the best option I found is via Bus Eireann. The bus ride from the airport to Ballydehob is going to cost me a full day and it looks like flying to Cork or a train won’t save me any time. Are there any other options for getting from Shannon Airport to the SW area that won’t cost me a full day?

Sir Arthur Daley

Why dont you create some social media and get people to transport you, is it for charity?

Lacumo

My hoped-for tour is just a personal vacation---not anything to do with any charity.

jinkypolly

Are you sure Cork is not an option, it only takes 2 hours to Ballydehob on the bus.

Lacumo

The problem is with a second bus from Cork to Ballydehob. The earliest I could get over there would be 16:35, and the next day would be spent on going out to Mizen and back just so I could have an official start at Mizen. The actual tour would start on the third day.

I hope to do a zig-zagging, “all over the place” tour---instead of a "shortest possible distance” type dash. My goal is to tour as much of Ireland as I can but if I could, I’d like to include Mizen to Malin just for the bragging rights. I guess my decision is whether to blow two days to start at Mizen or pass on the bragging rights and start at the airport. Right now, I think I’m leaning toward a leisurely first day of rest and a few beers at Limerick and starting fresh on the second day.

cantalach

The 237 bus service from Cork will actually get you as far as Schull which is a bit closer to Mizen Head than Ballydehob. And twice a day, there is a bus service that goes as far as the village of Goleen which is only 10km from Mizen Head. Here's the timetable:

http://www.buseireann.ie/pdf/1347631434-237.pdf

Lacumo

Thanks for that 237 schedule. It’s a lot more helpful than the basic info I was able to develop through the Bus Erieann website.

Sadly, all the possible connections work out “just wrong.” The early bus to the SW leaves Shannon airport 5 minutes after my flight is supposed to land, so that’ll never work. There’s a bus from the airport to Cork that’s OK, but the bus from Cork to the Ballydehob/Schull area leaves Cork 5 minutes before the airport bus gets to Cork. The same thing happens with the train--arrival is just after departure of the bus I need to be on.

Oh, well... If this is the biggest problem in my life, I guess I shouldn’t be crying too much. I’m sure I’ll survive!

Thanks again for your help and that 237 schedule.