2015 marks the second year of Air Waves, the rebranded Northern Ireland International Air Show. 2014 was an excellent year for this show with quality aircraft and outstanding displays so this year has a lot to live up to. With in my opinion even more pressure on its shoulders because of a rather disappointing airshow earlier this year in Newcastle, Co. Down.
So Airwaves 2015 can you do it?
Yes you can. Everything was in favour of the airshow this year most importantly the weather, over the weekend we experienced a little wind on the Saturday but it settled itself, Sunday started off a little wet and grey but as you will see from the gallery as the day went on, the weather also started to thankfully behave itself!
Wild Atlantic Way In 1 Week : Day 2 – Kenmare to Ballybunion
Update : 19/02/2019 : The YouTube video of Day 2 is now available for your viewing pleasure…Enjoy!
Tuesday 28th July 2015 and it is Day 2 of the #WAWIn1Week. Today’s route takes me from Kenmare, Co. Kerry to Ballybunion, Co. Kerry. I had worked this out at about 230 miles when planning the route, however this is a long, long leg. It’s probably closer to 280 – 300 miles and the with a pretty heavy volume of traffic, and some pretty small tight roads it leads to a long day in the saddle. Today I was on the bike for a solid 12 hours with few stops. Lunch for example was about 2.30pm at a garage on a picnic bench on the way to Dingle. Tasty fresh sandwiches though, and friendly staff so it was grand, but time was the main issue I had today.
Wild Atlantic Way Kenmare to Ballybunion
This section of the route took me to two signature points today :
Wild Atlantic Way In 1 Week : Day 1– Kinsale to Kenmare :
Update : 28/10/2016 : The YouTube video of Day 1 is now available for your viewing pleasure…Enjoy!
So this is Day 1 proper of my trip along the Wild Atlantic Way. The route takes me from Kinsale to Kenmare and is approximately 287 miles.
Wild Atlantic Way Kinsale To Kenmare
As you can see from the map above there are 3 Signature Points in this section of the route, namely :
Old Head of Kinsale
Mizen Head
Dursey Island.
The Signature Points along the WAW are what have been deemed as the ‘unmissable’ along the route and to be fair they are unmissable, when you are here make sure you check them out! On my trip I managed to stop at each of these points my only warning in relation to them is – they are busy. You can go for many many miles and not see another soul, however as you approach these Signature Points everything else increases, so the traffic can get quite heavy at some points, annoyingly heavy and be aware no one in front of you seems to care or be aware of what is going on behind them.
Old Head of Kinsale :
Wild Atlantic Way : Old Head of Kinsale
The Old Head of Kinsale is a remarkably dramatic piece of Ireland, protruding more than 3km into the Atlantic Ocean. Located on the Southwest Coast in County Cork, it is famous for its world-class, 18-hole golf course. Nine holes play along the tops of the cliffs, but all 18 holes boast stunning views of the ocean. Long before it became a golfer’s paradise, Old Head was known for its lighthouse, established in the 17th century by Robert Reading. This is also the nearest land point to the site where the RMS Lusitania sank in 1915, after being hit by a German torpedo. Nearly 1,200 people perished in the incident. While Kinsale is a beautiful place to admire on land, it’s best seen from the sea. You can take in views of this port town and learn more about its history with a trip aboard ‘The Spirit of Kinsale’, which brings passengers across the harbour, past Charles Fort and right to the edge of the harbour where you will get a great view of the Old Head of Kinsale before returning to port passing James Fort on the way.
I have opted to call this day, Day Zero. That’s really because it is a day that doesn’t count. The WAW starts in Muff, Co. Donegal or Kinsale, Co. Cork depending on whether you are travelling north or south. Given where I live that meant a few hours travel either way and as I had opted for the South – North route it meant travelling to Kinsale, Co. Cork from Northern Ireland, about 30 miles north of the border. So I had about a four hour trip ahead of me. About 260 miles.
Pretty much all of these 260 miles were on dual carriageways or motorways and passed through 3 toll roads, each one costing a whopping 90 cents each. Not a big deal on one trip but I can see how this could easily mount up for local commuters. Thank goodness we don’t have any toll roads in Northern Ireland. Yet.
I was all packed and ready to go, with only one problem, rain. It had been raining all day and although not heavy, when you factor in travelling into it face first at 70 mph it wasn’t all that appealing. The rain continued, and continued, it became a case of having to go regardless. So off I went.
So having just recently completed my trip of the West Coast of Ireland in 1 Week, along the longest Coastal Route in the World – The Wild Atlantic Way, taking in over 2,600km it is now time for me to put this trip into some sort of words, and more importantly share my photographs of this stunning area with the rest of world, and hopefully inspire a few more of you to take on this route.
The route itself is no secret, it is brilliantly signposted from start to finish and is easily completed without a sat nav, map of even the slightest clue about the geography of Ireland. There are numerous towns and villages that you will pass through and the options from accommodation range from a bit of wild camping to official campsites, or gorgeous little family run B&Bs right through to Hotel Resorts and Spas. Brilliant. Initially I had planned on completing this trip with my only accommodation being at the side of the road where I stopped. Just prior to my trip I decided on changing this due to the predicted weather, and the constant rain the Met Office told me I would be facing. It turns out on this trip over the one week timescale the change to B&B style accommodation was a good one!
This first post though will cover the gear that I used on my trip, it will touch on my motorcycle, and the gear I used for the daily ride and how it held up with the weather of an Irish ‘Summer.’ Summer in this case needs the ‘ ‘ marks, as at the time of typing I think we are somewhere close to Day 60 of consecutive rain falling somewhere in the country (its a small country) and having just passed the coldest, wettest July since 2003. On saying that as you will see over the up and coming #WAWIn1Week posts I was pretty lucky with the weather. I did get a good, in fact severe soaking, twice – enough to test the gear to the absolute limits, but for most of the time I was only hitting passing showers, or trying to keep them in my mirrors! With this route hugging the West Coast of Ireland and therefore the limits of the Atlantic Ocean it is subject to some pretty extreme weather conditions and one thing to remember if you are over and on the route what looks grim ahead may take a dramatic change around the next corner. The weather is really that changeable and if you just look out over the ocean you will get a very good idea of what the jet stream is bringing across to you over the next couple of hours.
So here we go, the gear I used and how it coped with taking on the world’s longest dedicated coastal route, 2,600km and six days on the coast…
Just by way of a quick update I have finished my trip of the Wild Atlantic Way in 1 Week.
It was an epic journey along the West Coast of Ireland and I will be posting a full ride report very soon, but in the meantime please have a look at my Twitter and Instagram accounts where you will find a large selection of photos using the hashtag #WAWIn1Week
I will also be uploading my complete route from my GPS in case anyone fancies doing the same route.
If you do fancy doing it let me know as I am considering am starting a wall of fame for the adventurers who complete this journey in the timescale.
Today my journey along the West Coast of Ireland begins.
I was planning on waiting for the perfect weather but so far this summer has been terrible and there is no sign of an imminent improvement! So I decided it was time to bite the bullet and go for it. I booked the time off work and today is Day Zero. I call it that as it isn’t really a day on the Wild Atlantic Way. It is just a day of travelling to get to the start of it. So after 260 miles and 1.25 tanks of fuel I finally have arrived at Kinsale, County Cork.
So far I have experienced every possible weather except snow and ice! The first 90 miles of my journey were wet, nah they were soaking wet, wet is actually drier that how wet it actually was! If you can work that out, and as a chap in a garage said to me, ‘At least it can’t get any worse.’ After that it got dry and windy, which I welcomed as it dried me out quite nicely and just as I got dry it got wet again, only this time wetter! Visibility was about 100 metres at best, it could only be described as grim, really really grim! Then I got to Cork, the rain stopped and the sun actually came out.
I arrived in Kinsale, Co. Cork which is a gorgeous little harbour town. It has loads of quality Irish bars and with it being a Sunday night every one of them was pumping out live music, the town was buzzing! It really is a crackin’ wee place, with loads of bikes zipping about and loads of tourists hopping from pub to pub. I threw my stuff into B&B and found a chippy called Dino’s and if you are ever here it is simply a must!
Then I took a walk about the town snapping a few photos before retiring for the evening to do this, update the Twitter and Instagram to set me up for a good night’s sleep before actual Day One!
#RIPSatoruIwata #Nintendo RIP Satoru Iwata
Thank you for all your hard work and the amazing games you brought to my gaming generation and so many others!
It it with great sadness that I post these two articles, one from BBC News and another from the Ballymena Times. The BBC News article posts the news side of events, the Ballymena Times Article is much more personal, and written by one of the Doctor’s friends in a way that only someone who knew him would be able to do.
It is enough for me to say that this is a tragic incident that has rocked the motorcycling and Road Racing Communities. My thought and prayers are with the Doctor’s family and friends. He save many lives, and impacted on many more. As is said far too often, ‘It’s always the good ones!’
Please have a look at this petition, it was Dr John’s ambition to see this a reality so very signature helps!
Dr John Hinds in action at Fenton’s Leap during the 2013 Mid Antrim 150 at Clough. Picture: Stephen Davison (Pacemaker).
Roy Adams’ tribute to ‘Flying Doctor’ John Hinds (Original Article can be found at : http://www.ballymenatimes.com/sport/local-sport/roy-adams-tribute-to-flying-doctor-john-hinds-1-6835699)
I never, in a million years, thought I would have to write this.
As we all know now, Dr. John Hinds, part of the MCUI Medical team, died as a result of a crash at Skerries last weekend.
In a sport where the term ‘legend’ can be defined by the fact that you are recognised by your first name, we have Joey, Robert, William, Michael and, in the same breath, Dr John.
Dr John, whose day job was an anaesthetist in Craigavon Hospital, was recognised at one of the best trauma doctors in the world.
Just a couple of weeks ago I saw him work with Ian Morrell after his crash at Kells.
When he arrived at the scene he asked me how many riders were down. I said ‘Just one. Ian Morrell’. I told him what I had seen. He simply said ‘Good man. Thanks.’
He worked for almost 45 minutes before transferring Ian to a helicopter. Ian is alive now because of that.
What John Hinds did for bike racing can never be overstated.
A few years ago I undertook a solo run round Ireland on my bike to help the MCUI Medical Team.
I was in touch with both Dr Fred McSorley and Dr John a number of times before it and he called me the morning I left to wish me all the best. The call was at 6.00am. He never stopped.
When I crashed myself at Bishopscourt a couple of years ago, I had an ankle and some ribs broken. Just seeing Dr John put me at ease. I knew how good he was.
There are literally dozens of riders who are alive today because of his intervention. He helped to pioneer treatment on scene, and this is, as we know now, often the difference in a fatality or a recovery.
What John Hinds and the rest of the Medical Team have done for bike racing is impossible to quantify.
Doc John was, more recently, growing concerned that Northern Ireland had no medical helicopter service and indeed he had already began to campaign for one to be established, after the time it took to bring one from Sligo to the North West circuit this year. He had already had meetings with various government officials about this.
John, who was just 35 and wasn’t married, had a longtime partner in Janet, who works at Daisy Hill hospital.
I can’t even begin to understand what his family are going through now. I am totally gutted by the news that John had passed away.
I’m sorry, but the ‘died doing what he loved’ notion isn’t enough. Dr John had so much more to give and I have no doubt would have gone on to be a world teacher.
John’s mentor, Dr Fred McSorley had to come out retirement at the weekend to stand in for John.
We can only imagine how hard that must have been for him, but we are thankful that he did.
To Dr John’s family and Dr Fred, Caroline and the rest of the Medical team, I’m so sad, but hoping you can find the strength it takes to carry on in his name.
Being one of the customers who didn’t preorder a watch I had to wait until the instore reservation and pickup service started. I was a bit more clued in for this than I was for the preorder so on Day One I reserved an Apple Watch Sport, with a silver bezel and blue strap. I went down to the Apple Store in Belfast, where for the first time I was met with little to no enthusiasm and it seemed like a chore for me to be trying on a Watch. So removing this first poor customer service experience from the equation I tried on an Apple Watch Sport, with the Space Grey bezel and realised I had made a mistake in the watch I ordered. There was allegedly no watches to swap my reservation out with, and I would just have to try again when the reservations opened if I wanted a Space Grey 42mm watch. That was the explanation I was given however it was muffled by sighs and grunts from the sales person. I deliberately have not used the title Apple Genius, because this person was more like a bored TV Sales person, not at all what I have come accustomed to from the Apple Store in my many years of being a customer. Anyway that’s all I have to or need to say on that. I went back home and at 6am the following morning tried out for a reservation of the 42mm Space Grey Apple Watch Sport and low and behold it was available. There must have been a late night or very early morning stock delivery, as my collection appointment the following night was for 20:30 hrs to 21:00 hrs and the store closed at 21:00 hrs. I scheduled in for collection the later that afternoon, went in, collected it and thankfully was met by the usual impeccable customer service from the Genius who helped me out this time. I get it, sometimes people have a bad day, and thats fine, all is forgiven, we’ll put it down as a bad day. So I got home, did my usual unboxing gallery and have been playing with it for the last 10 days (ish). Thoughts and Opinions :
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Today my journey along the West Coast of Ireland begins.
