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Wild Atlantic Way In 1 Week : Day 5 – Sligo to Letterkenny : #WAWIn1Week

July 8, 2023November 6, 2015 by TomBoyNI

Wild Atlantic Way In 1 Week : Day 5 – Sligo to Letterkenny

Update : The YouTube video of Day 5 is now available for your viewing pleasure…Enjoy!

Friday 31st July 2015 takes me onto the penultimate day of my Wild Atlantic Way adventure. I mentioned previously that by Day 4 I was really enjoying myself and after a long day yesterday, and a night in a great hotel I am thinking I need to get back here and do this whole thing a whole lot more slowly. I remember the few things that were annoying me over the first couple of days and now realise they weren’t really that annoying, just a fact of travelling on a tourist route growing in popularity.

I take a look over the map, the route taking me from Sligo to Letterkenny, and it looks like it is another long day, but then I look at the weather. Oh dear. This does not look too promising, there is a yellow warning for rain! I’m going to get wet! Also my initial and completely inaccurate distance calculations have me travelling 186 miles today. So I’m definitely more than that!

Leaving the hotel and things are dry, however the sky is very dark, grey and ominous and it doesn’t take too long for the skies to open and boy they open! I got wet on my journey down to the start of the WAW, and that only took me 4 hours, today I’m sure I have 10 -12 hours of it it looks like the only question will be how will the gear hold out?

WAWIn1Week – Sligo to Letterkenny – Day 5

Three more Signature Points to visit today (Downpatrick Head is the most Southerly Signature Point on the map, however it was visited yesterday). Today’s points are :

Mullaghmore Head.
Sliabh Liag.
Fannad Head.

(The other point on the map above between Sliabh Liag and Fannad Head is Donegal Airport – a small airport with services Dublin with two daily flights.)

Wild Atlantic Way In 1 Week : Day 4 – Clifden to Sligo : #WAWIn1Week

July 8, 2023October 11, 2015 by TomBoyNI

Wild Atlantic Way In 1 Week : Day 4 – Clifden to Sligo

Update : The YouTube video of Day 4 is now available for your viewing pleasure…Enjoy!

Thursday 30th July 2015 and we have safely arrived at Day 4 of the #WAWIn1Week Challenge, and at this stage of the game I am really enjoying myself. The niggles I had over too much traffic and what can only be described as piss poor driving are still there but only so very slightly. I am much more in tune with it, I know what to expect and to ‘get out and round’ as soon as possible and when ‘they’ are holding me up, to just relax and take in the breathtaking scenery. All is good as we commence Day 4 and I am now finding it all going a little too quickly, when you look at the map this journey is not too far away from being completed and that’s actually a little sad. So best get enjoying it!

Today the journey takes me from Clifton, Co. Galway to Sligo, Co. Sligo. My panning stages have me to be believing this section of the route to be about 250 miles but if I have learnt one big thing from planning this trip is that I have always under estimated. Normally by a good amount, Day 4 was actually closer to 300 miles, it was a long day and that was the greatest downfall of the day.

This is also the Day that instead of booking into a B&B I got a cracking deal on a hotel and stayed at the Yeats Country Hotel at Rosses Point, Sligo. This is where the long day fell foul, this hotel is lovely and I would have loved to have factored in an earlier finish so I could have relaxed and enjoyed their facilities. The bar looked great, there was a brilliant fitness centre and the restaurant as I was arriving was closing but the place smelled great!

I ended up with a curry chip from the only take-away in the town, a Chinese that was getting ready to close as well. As I say that is the only disappointment and it was self made, I didn’t get enough time to enjoy this brilliant spot!

Although from the route above it looks like there are four signature points shown on this section there are again 3, the one closest to the bottom is just before Clifden and it was done the previous day (Derrigimlagh).

Killary Harbour.
Keem Bay.
Downpatrick Head.

Wild Atlantic Way In 1 Week : Day 3– Ballybunion to Clifden : #WAWIn1Week

July 8, 2023September 20, 2015 by TomBoyNI

Wild Atlantic Way In 1 Week : Day 3– Ballybunion to Clifden

Update : The YouTube video of Day 3 is now available for your viewing pleasure…Enjoy!

Wednesday 29th July 2015 and we are at Day 3 of the #WAWIn1Week. Today’s route takes me from Ballybunion, Co. Kerry to Clifden, Co. Galway. My initial planning had worked today out to be somewhere around 205 miles, however again I underestimated a bit and it clocked up at closer to 270 miles.

WAWIn1Week - Ballybunion to Clifden - Day 3 — WAWIn1Week – Ballybunion to Clifden – Day 3

One thing that makes this leg a little different is that you have the option of getting on a boat, this is a good idea as it will keep you away from Limerick, which is big, busy and is going to take up a good bit of time to pass through, either of the ferries will keep you motoring on and keep you on track staying on the coast.

Wild Atlantic Way - Farewell Co. Kerry — Wild Atlantic Way – Farewell Co. Kerry

It was another long day in the saddle, with few breaks, other than at the signature points, of which there were three today, namely :

Loop Head.
Cliffs of Moher.
Derrigimlagh.

Wild Atlantic Way In 1 Week : Day 2 – Kenmare to Ballybunion : #WAWIn1Week

July 8, 2023September 13, 2015 by TomBoyNI

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 :

Bray Head
Radharc Na Mblascaodai

Wild Atlantic Way In 1 Week : Day 1– Kinsale to Kenmare : WAWIn1Week

July 8, 2023September 2, 2015 by TomBoyNI

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.

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 :

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.

#WAWIn1Week – Wild Atlantic Way In 1 Week – The Gear…

October 21, 2017August 10, 2015 by TomBoyNI

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…

Further Advertising Info for #WAWIn1Week – Pannier Slot Availability.

June 2, 2015 by TomBoyNI

Further to my previous posting in relation to advertising spots available for my forthcoming #WAWIn1Week Trip I am pleased to share with you all the Pannier Slot availability. Please note this is subject to change and operates on a first come first served basis.

Please contact me to confirm and provisionally book availability.

The process is very simple :

1. Contact me and inform me of the positions you would like. There are two options.

a. A single slot.

b. A twin slot, which can only be a pair. So for example 2 and 2b, or 7 and 7b. Combinations of slots will not be accepted.

2. I will confirm availability and provisionally book you that slot.

3. You will then have your vinyl advertising stickers made up and sent to me.

4. Upon receipt your slot will be confirmed and your stickers added to my panniers.

5. Away we go.

A few other points…

Firstly Why!?! Thats simple this is my first such trip, but hopefully not my last. If I can cover this trip with some form of sponsorship, and this is shown in the associated media, it puts me in a much better position when the next trip comes along so I can approach people with a proven track record and hopefully some good reports from the sponsors, who knows next trip it may even be my current sponsors (you) who cross over to the the new plan! And also importantly I won’t forget my original sponsors when it comes to offers for the next trips, oh and of course there will be no expectation from anyone involved this time round to stay around. People always say if it is too good to be true it probably is. This is good and true, neither of us have anything to loose. I am looking to the future and trying to build a reputation and you are being given the opportunity of free advertising along the World’s Longest Coastal Route in Peak Season!

I am offering this as a freebie, from me to my sponsors. Therefore it is not open to everyone or everything. Put simply I am interested in motorcycling, tourist, travelling, well branded and trusted advertisers, but am more than open to helping out newbies in these industries.

No adult material will be accepted.

No pro / anti political, sexual, lifestyle, religious, non religious, sectarian, bigoted, racist, or in any way questionable (by me or otherwise) material will be selected. After all it is a freebie on my bike so to avoid any confusion, I have the ultimate and final say, if you don’t like that I’m sorry but you can always pay for your advertising elsewhere and then have the rights associated with it.

No contract is being made between me and you, I am offering some free advertising for you along a brand new tourist attraction, the longest coastal road in the world. 1500+ miles of free advertising along with my social networks and tagging etc. If I don’t make it, have to stop or turn around and quit I’m sorry but sometimes real life gets in the way. After all you have lost nothing it was a freebie.

I don’t want this to sound in any way negative it should be a great trip so let’s get it rolling rolling right.

Who wants some free advertising!

Sponsors Required : Amazing Deals Available for my Wild Atlantic Way in 1 Week Trip #WAWIn1Week

June 1, 2015 by TomBoyNI

With my #WAWIn1Week trip rapidly approaching I am looking some sponsors. Basically I am offering your company’s branding on a spot on my bike / helmet.

Believe this when I tell you the deals I am offering are unreal and start at… FREE!

Yes indeed… FREE!

I am offering limited sponsor spots for free on the panniers of my bike, so if you are interested in having your brand tour along the World’s Longest dedicated Coastal Route and one of the hottest places in the world to be right now please get in touch.

Spaces are of course very limited and all applications will be considered however my decision will be final and you contact me knowing and accepting that. No adult related sponsorship requests will be considered!

#WaWIn1Week – Wild Atlantic Way in 1 Week – Coming Very Soon!

May 25, 2015 by TomBoyNI

I will be commencing my Wild Atlantic Way trip hopefully within a month. As long as the weather looks good I will be aiming to do the 2500km road trip in seven days on a motorcycle with no plans in place.

No B&Bs booked. No hotels. No plan!

I will be using the hashtag #WaWIn1Week so follow that as I will be live tweeting throughout the journey.

The ‘Alternate Mournes’ – A Tour To Consider

February 20, 2013 by TomBoyNI

The Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland are by no means strange to bikers from across the world. Just look at Newcastle, Co. Down’s Main Street on any given Sunday (or any given sunny day) and you will see rows of bikes lined up outside the Town Hall, awaiting or having just returned from a zip through the Mournes. Look across the street at anyone of the Coffee Shops or ice-cream shops and you’ll find the riders of said bikes enjoying a much needed treat, or getting the energy levels up before starting off on their journey.

Bikes from across the country and beyond congregate here, the riders all united by their two wheeled machines. And it is from here that the journey begins.

Many bikes have left the coast at Newcastle and ascended into the mountains, where well maintained roads twist upwards and onwards. The sights are enough to guarantee a return by any visitor, especially on a bright sunny day, the landscape here is truly breath taking.

But there is another side to the Mournes, after all this is the Kingdom of Mourne, not simply a one way route. However this other side of the mountain range is effectively untouched, but it is no less beautiful. There are sights on the other sode of the Mournes that will leave you breathless as quickly, maybe even more so, than anywhere else on the range.

Most riders go Newcastle and up, may I suggest that you try Newry and up.

Disclosure :