quiffs official ireland trip. 2

ok other thread was derailed by myself..

so
last weekend i covered nearly 900 miles from door to door-
stoke to Holyhead - ferry - ireland- all around it and then home- all in 4 days.

was ace- recommend it to anyone..

weather was poor fri and sat but good sun and monday


ok-

setting her up and making sure i have everything at home the night before - she was sooo soo clean- what a difference a few miles makes ,, she is no filthy- and minus a mirror- (story later)

decided to travel light- and ended up looking like i was goin for a week..wish i had the nerve to take 2 t shirts and my credit card and buy what i need and chuck it away- I will one day - i didnt make the mistake this time of using panniers- loading them up in the gardn then not bein able to get down the side passage with my bike - ha ha yea yea soo funny !!





met half of our group of eight bikes 12 people at a local garage. with thoughts of good roads, good fun and beer and scenery in my mind



on to the ferry - first time i been on a ferry with the bike.. e had to tie don our on bikes. luckily I use ratchet straps at work but its weird when it clamps don on the seat of your nice clean bike.. on way home they did it for us..



Jason decided to plan ahead- and he had his shorts on under his leathers,, but no trainers- so kept his boots on.!!... nb- none of us ere required to stay in the kennels.




its ace on a bike on the ferry isnt it- frst on first off. real quick and easy- gave me lots of confience to do it again..

3.5 hour crossin on way over-

swift home an hour and three quarters.

soon off the ferry and some ace scenery



the vibration on the ferry loosened my bikers clock TEN F IN QUIDS WORTH ...and on the way off the ferry it slipped don behind my screen and then onto the flor and i ran over it !!.... i as annoyed but it made me laugh cos reminded me of plowsie runnin over his own foot.


we did dublin to alway then down to limerick and tipperary (its a long way)..then to blarney to kiss the stone- like I need it !! ...then over to waterford on the east route back to dublin and wexford and then dublin and home.. sounds easy- man its a long way..but some onderful scenery-

tried to find the coast roads and not use the N roads all the time.. although the N roads ere ice too- 100KM/H limit though and we stuck to that rigidly.. of course!

there was me, an R6, a kwak Versys- a transalp, a pink triple, an ace orange ninja 6 , rossi rep honda, and a suzi 1200 i think..


it as poring down and we were a bit wet so decided stay in Dublin- got a shock off the ferry as we had to pas through the Toll.. not realising that you dont pay at it for bikes-- (there are a lot of Tolls in ireland and we paid for many- only about 50p)

so- e found a B and B and then headed over to Galay and down to Limerick and Tipperary on the saturday- THAT was a long long day,,

Galway and Dublin are big and not the ireland we had come to see- if i go again will go south from Dublin and to wexford and waterford etc and do it that way - but we were soon in lovely irish countryside.








after that long ride my bike was now filthy-



made it to tipperary .....as a lil dissapointed - it as a little scary-but it was saturday night and all the youths were out- re visited it the next day and was nicer-.. stayed a few miles outside of it.. in a quaint irish pub.. lovely




this was the pub.. reccommed it to anyone i have the number- it was a flat- 2 double rooms toilet and kitchen-ace, !and only £20 with brekky







heres the funny bit

it was o heaneys bar- next to it was o heaneys cafe

and then next to that was>>

landlord was ace- insisted we put our bikes in his yard behind a locked door,


had a wonderful meal and 2 pints.. was looking forward to that beer all day-

went up at 7pm for an hour before coming don for the irish band- at 9pm.

was the plan!.. woke up at 7am the next day !!.. dam !!.. sat night in ireland and i missed it.!


had this to wake me up though ,, mmmmmmmmmmmmm

ok wonderful stuff everwhere- it was a big big hurling game- quarter finals of something similar to the FA cup so there was greenand wite and blue and white flags everywhere-

we were on waterford area who were blue and white- and who lost as it happenned- but- everyone was on about this big hurling competition..



nice scenery a horse in a field..



NOPE--

the horses ere in the middle of the town right opposite the pub;; like a western- just tied up-


so off up into the hills and some ace views and lochs










me posting a postcard in Limerick.. (it had to be done)

went in to a brash and bright shop that was dedicated to limerick and gifts and had an ace laugh with the bloke - real irish banter-

asked if he had maps..

"yes over in the map department"

any postcard- next to the map department

enquired re good roads- told us a route and drew a map on paper -

up to the hills you can see for miles and miles.. johnny cash wrote his songs up there he said- i think he had kissed he blarney stone meself

i said if these roads are rubbish we ill be back to see you-

quick as a flash he said. aha- then you will be wanting the complaints department - thats in Delhi.



we bid him farewell and off we went and sure enough the hills were ace, awesome bends and some very very scary hairpins


- the road signs in ireland are ace- very well signed of dangers and chevrons are really bright- i was impressed.

the drivers are really courteous too all moved over-and we only saw 2 coppers (garda) all week..

a long ride don to Limerick and through the city to get to the small and cute village of Blarney and the castle- so i could kiss the Blarney stone and rid myself of my shyness..





its a real real high climb up- narrow narrow stone stairs -

some wag had tampered with the direction signs




3 brides to cross to get to the castle and each one ad become a wishing bridge the river bed was glowing with the copper colour of cents as folks wishes lay under theater glistening like gold.. really bright..
i wondered if the golden ones were wishes that had come true...... there was many a dream on that river bed.






from the top of the castle tower those one and 2 cent pieces really did glow like a leprechauns pot of gold, it was lovely.






and so on to kiss the blarney stone...
i am sure many of you have been-but you have to lie don on your back-lean over held by a chap.. who i think had eaten the stone he was so funny and chatty and then lower yourself don over a 150 foot drop and kiss the stone.. quite an ordeal. - for a fat lad !!


but i needed the gift of the gab- so i did it.











Hells Bells a looong way down

aww a little kid dropped their pig toy-

shame-

but hey who in their right mind was going to get it back

it will still be there now !

you see it- lil pink thing bottom left on the shelf.









after that ordeal it as time for some fodder in Blarney village




sarnies from this shop.. lol .... scallies..

then load up ride on and loads of ace scenery- weather was hot by now too

rode the coast road and found an ace bay-- stopped for 10 mins and i think this may have been my fave ten mins of the whole trip- a little bit of heaven in the middle of nowhere-

more to follow- will post tommorrow.


oh a couple of final ones-


had wanted to see cottages and cute thatches and houses with grass for a roof.. - saw them all..

then after the happiness of that little cove and feeling alive- just above it on a tight bend we saw this-- just HAD to turn around and take a pic..












loads more adventures- just half way round...

left to come a bull escaping into the road..
dogs all over the place..

a small cute ferry trip.. the race for the ferry and loads more adventures..

and then to be in ireland - round a bend and see this>>

ideal..





ill post them tommorrow