Bicycle Tour of Ireland
Garry’s fourth outing of the year took him to Ireland; this was Garry’s third attempt to cycle Ireland, with his first two attempts ending in failure. It’s now July 2019, and Garry’s still waiting to go into hospital for his hip operation.
Because of his hip, Garry still didn’t want to go too far. And after having already been to France twice this year. Decided it would be a good idea to head off somewhere different. And maybe it would be third time lucky for Garry. And he would complete a cycle ride around Ireland.
Previous Attempts To Cycle Ireland
His first attempt was in August 2009 and saw him reach Galway before bad weather forced Garry to give up. His second attempt the following year also failed. This time, Garry had cycled up through Wales and caught the ferry to Dublin. But had ended up in the local hospital. After a day in the hospital, having tests. Their advice was to rest and stay off the bike. So rather than sit around in a hotel, Garry decided to return home!
The Start Of The Tour
Garry was back on steroids and wasn’t feeling particularly good at the start of the ride. So to ease himself into life on the road, and make sure he felt okay. Garry decided to cycle up through England and Wales. Then, if he didn’t feel well, he could always jump on a train and get back home relatively quickly.
No fear, though Garry felt fine and was soon back in the swing of a cycle tourist and life on the road. Garry reached Fishguard in Wales in four days and caught the overnight ferry to Ireland, arriving in Rosslare at 4 am.
Cycling The Republic of Ireland
After having very little sleep, Garry had planned on having a short day. But that wasn’t to be. Garry had found himself cycling along the Norman Way, a heritage trail that followed the medieval sites in County Wexford. Garry was enjoying the route so much he didn’t stop until late, but had only cycled 50 miles.
The following day, Garry found more great routes to cycle, firstly the Copper Coast, which is a UNESCO Global Geopark, then a Greenway that ran from Waterford to Dungarvan.
On reaching Dungarvan, Garry had a bit of a problem when his saddle broke. Luckily for Garry, Dungarvan, being at the end of the Greenway, there were plenty of bicycle shops. And it wasn’t long before he was back on the road with a saddle donated to him.
Now, heading up the West coast of Ireland, the weather changed from hot sunny days to wet and windy days. But nothing as bad as Garry’s previous visit here.
Northern Ireland
After cycling up the West Coast, Garry crossed into Northern Ireland, where things felt a little different. Garry couldn’t put his finger on why, but it just didn’t feel as relaxed as the Republic of Ireland had. Although everybody Garry met was just as friendly. It was in Northern Ireland that Garry picked up a strong headwind, which would remain with him for the rest of his time in Ireland.
Garry had intended to cycle down to Rosslare. And get a ferry to France, then another boat to England, where it would then be a short 30-mile cycle home. But with his saddle broken and in need of repair. He’d been carrying it in his bags ever since it broke in Dungarvan. He decided to catch a ferry from Dublin across to Holyhead. And cycle home via Birmingham, where he could get his saddle repaired.
Back in the UK
Garry arrived in Holyhead late in the day. And decided to begin his ride home through North Wales the following day.
Garry managed to find another great route; this time, he was following route 5 of the National Cycle Network, which was mostly on traffic-free trails. Out of Wales, Garry entered England at Chester, a very picturesque city with plenty of history.
After Chester, it was on to Birmingham and Brooks Saddles to get his saddle fixed. Once Garry had managed to find the factory, it took less than five minutes to fix. After fitting his repaired saddle to his bike, Garry set about finding his way out of Birmingham, which was as easy to get out as it was to get in. Birmingham is crisscrossed by a myriad of canals dating back to the 1700s, with many of them now having cycle paths alongside.
After Birmingham, it was only a two-day ride back home. But not before passing through Stratford on Avon, Oxford and the South Downs National Park, to name a few. Garry enjoyed the ride home through Wales and England just as much as he had enjoyed Ireland.
All in all, an enjoyable tour, with Garry managing to find some great cycle routes in all three countries. It was also brilliant for Garry, being able to get back on the bike and cover a decent distance for the first time in three years.
Total miles cycled on Garry’s July 2019 bicycle tour of Ireland: 1355.
Garry’s Bicycle Tour Photos
The Route Garry Cycled
Ireland Bicycle Tour Videos
Follow & Support
If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel Garry’s next mile, you can always support him by buying him a beer. Or subscribe to his blog and follow him as he travels around on his bike. As a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. And, of course, you can always follow Garry on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. Garry’s also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all his tours, along with regular photo updates that he generally publishes each month.
If you want to find out if Garry’s away touring at the moment and check his location, visit the Where’s Garry page. And after thousands of miles on the road, Garry’s condensed everything he’s learned into one place. So if you’re planning your own cycling adventure, read his reality check on long-distance touring.
Garry McGivern is a solo, self-supported bicycle tourist and the creator of Travelsonabike2. Having cycled over 70,000 miles worldwide on his trusty bike, Passepartout, Garry documents the reality of long-distance travel. Follow along for updates, gear insights, and the daily highs and lows of bicycle touring, whether he’s camped beside the road or in the luxury of a hotel. Join Garry on the road, and be inspired to start your own adventure. Read more.