Miles of Isles

The Day from Hail

This may be the day the cyclists got a bit too big for their britches…or padded shorts. Faced with a 40k option and a 60k option, the riders of course chose the longer and more difficult route, with promises of breathtaking scenery along the way. The directions had an important caveat: “If the weather is fine, this route (the 60k one) is wonderful.” After a steady drizzle and strong headwinds while cycling up a mountain pass, at the peak, the skies opened and poured out all the rain (and hail, according to some group members) they’d been missing out on for the past 2 weeks. Happily, the weather moved through fairly quickly and the sopping cyclists soldiered on towards Cong. Cong is well known as the backdrop for the 1951 movie The Quiet Man, starring John Wayne. The cyclists helped the local economy by merrily imbibing at the Crow’s Nest Pub.

Westport – Cong: 58 km

Pilgrimage to town and tavern

After a stormy night, the riders awoke pleasantly the next morning, mostly just grateful to be alive (j/k though breakfast was a little dreadful). After a first stop at Aasleagh Falls, they turned into a headwind as they biked along the north side of the fjord. They headed into the Doo Lough Mountain Pass towards Louisburgh; the pass has an interesting history as over 400 Irish men and women passed away there during the potato famine after being denied food by the local landlord. While their journey was slightly less harrowing, the cyclists were hungry afterwards and stopped in Louisburgh for lunch. At the recommendation of the Louisburgh town librarian/tour guide, they headed to Crough Padraig, Ireland’s holy mountain and the location of the National Famine Memorial. Their pilgrimage led them to the nearest pub rather than the Church at the mountain’s summit, but nevertheless proved spiritually satisfying. They headed into Westport and were grateful for both the beautiful ocean vistas and the decision of County Mayo to provide a designated bike lane (SO GOOD). In Westport, they headed to Matt Malloy’s (he of Chieftains fame) for – you guessed it – their daily Guinness.

Leenane – Westport: 53 km

KILL-ary House

The riders dreaded their morning ride as the instructions warned them that the path was a treacherous ride up Upper Sky Road out of Clifden, suitable only for “extremely fit cyclists.” After confidently tackling the challenge, they decided they were indeed pretty fit. After a picnic lunch at Kylemore Abbey, the rest of their day consisted of a race against Mother Nature as foreboding storm clouds rolled behind them. As they cycled into Leenane, they saw Killary Fjord (the only fjord in Ireland) on their left, and pulled up to their B & B as the first drops of rain started to fall. The gloomy weather was the perfect backdrop for a horror film. Unfortunately, so were their accommodations. As if the name Killary House weren’t creepy enough, the fog rolled in just as they were getting situated in their rooms, which were straight out of 1981. While other B & B’s boast awards from this century, Killary House proudly displayed their “Best Farm House” certificate from 1980. The creepy hostess did little to quell their fears as her wide, vacant eyes and placid, gap-toothed smile followed their every move. Hitchcock himself couldn’t have stirred more fear in their hearts. The night ended early with dinner at the town’s only restaurant and a drink at the town’s only pub. They fell asleep to the sounds of thunder, fearing for the worst.

Clifden – Leenane: 44 km

Diamonds are forever

Monday started early for Julie and Ursina as they decided to test out their long-neglected running muscles by going for a morning jog by the beach in Clifden. The group then decided to (gasp!) take a bus to Connemara National Park in Letterfrack. There, all four tested out their long-neglected academic muscles to learn the history of Connemara and the bog people. At the suggestion of their B & B hostess Mary (who served real American pancakes, bless her soul), they climbed Diamond Hill, giving them panoramic views of the 12 Pins. Hill was a bit of an understatement as it was a 400 m climb, but they were rewarded at the top with Cadbury and a reading break at the summit. After a speedy descent, they had no other choice but to kill time before their 6 pm bus with more reading… and food. Given their transportation karma, they were unsurprised when the bus rolled up 45 minutes late. Later that night, they had some free dinner entertainment courtesy of the belligerence of the locals at their nearby pub.

Navigation FAIL

After some initial navigational troubles, *cough *cough Chirag *cough *cough, the group had a wonderful ride. After the usual picnic lunch of PB&J, crackers, and cookies, they tried to skip rocks into the water and then realized it would be more fun to chuck boulders into the lake. Going a little stir-crazy on the roads, they took a slight detour by a beach to play with crunchy seaweed and do the Cupid Shuffle on a pier. Their ride took them on a scenic tour through gently rolling hills on a one-lane road, which the directions claimed to be well surfaced but which in fact caused a little bit of padded shorty discomfort. After arriving at their wonderful B & B in the center of Clifden, they headed out for some dinner and live music.

Oughterard – Clifden: 61 km