Keep Calm and Pedal On

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I’m going to be dramatic.

The wind today was absolutely insane! This wasn’t just a breezy day in Ireland; we experienced a proper Irish blow with gale-force winds reaching Force 8 on the Beaufort Scale.

That translates to sustained winds of approximately 39–46 mph. Good thing is, it was mostly sustained wind coming from the same direction and not multi directional gusts which make it so much harder to keep the bikes upright.

Even the cows and sheep were laying low.🤣

There were times I was looking ahead at Tom fighting the wind blowing. He was leaning hard to the right trying to stay upright while the wind was trying to drive him left into the ditch.

And you wouldn’t even know it given the lovely pic below. It looks calm and sunny.

We stopped in Grange to get a sammich and get out of the wind but couldn’t find any shelter. While I was in the grocery, a nice lady offered to shuttle us to Bundoran in her van. Tom declined. Guess he thought it would have to get worse for that to happen. Well I guess it did start raining a little after lunch.

All in all, on a day I was very anxious about, we arrived safely, praise God. And it always helps to know there’s hot shower and warm bed waiting for us.

Digs for the night were at The Bank House where the rooms are located above the pub. Maggie had the taps flowing and our room wasn’t ready yet soooo…

After unpacking, showering and getting the bikes situated we walked into town to Madden’s Bridge Bar and Restaurant. This pub offers excellent food and a wide selection of taps.

When we walked in, there was hardly anyone there. Fifteen minutes later it looked like this.

Apparently Bundoran is hosting the European Junior Surfing Championships tomorrow with events taking place all week and there are more than 20 countries represented.

All the youngsters were gathering at Madden’s to chat it up. After meeting one of them, I guess we’ll be watching some surfers tomorrow since we have just a short ride to Donegal. Today we’re raising our glass to the surfers! 🍻

Towns we cycle through today included Drumcliff, Grange and Tullaghan.

Click on the image below to view today’s vid:

Riding Stats (Link to Tom’s Strava)

Accommodations (daily mileage, elevation, etc.)

Route Tracker (track our northbound ride on a Google Map)

Today’s ride felt like fall. The air was cooler, crisper and there was a tinge of color in the green trees. 🍁 Also on this rural ride in County Sligo we saw:

• More trees – both deciduous and coniferous🌲

• Stone fencing replaced with wood posts and wires 🪵

• More sheep on the streets than cars 🐏

• More wind turbines 💨
• Fewer Marian grottoes 💙
• Most signs don’t include Irish words 🪧
• There wasn’t a drop of rain 😉

Biggest “smilestone” today however was hitting the 1,000 mile mark for our bike tour.

This won’t be our longest bike tour or our shortest, but I’ve come to an obvious conclusion: Ireland and our home state of Indiana are about the same geographical size.

In pedaling around Ireland, she sure packs a big bang for our buck in terms of natural beauty, history, culture and of course there’s the Guinness, in which Indiana can’t compare.

Did you know there’s an unofficial SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for serving a pint of Guinness? The bartender places the glass with its iconic harp logo facing the person about to enjoy it.

Here’s an interesting twist: the Guinness harp is also based on Ireland’s national symbol, but the harp on the Guinness logo faces the opposite direction.

And this brings me to our Pint Size Review of our Pub of the Day and our bartender, Frank, at Tom Connelly’s Pub.

The pub itself is Sligo’s oldest pub dating back to 1780 and you can feel it as you enter Tom Connelley’s. This place breathes history with cozy snugs, dark wood and a stone floor.

Our bartender, Frank, born and raised in Sligo was a lot of fun to talk to. Besides sharing about what Tom Connolly’s looked like back in the day, (one side was a proper pub and the other a grocery), we discovered he’s a huge fan of live music, particularly American musicians and has been to the following live performances: Tina Turner, Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Garth Brooks and wait for it… Neil Diamond, FIVE times.

Unfortunately I didn’t get a lot of pics of Tom Connelley’s because we were too busy chatting it up with Frank but today, for Frank, we raise our glass to him and Tom Connelley’s.

Towns we pedaled through today were: Coolaney and Ballisodare

Click on the image below to view today’s vid:

Riding Stats (Link to Tom’s Strava)

Accommodations (daily mileage, elevation, etc.)

Route Tracker (track our northbound ride on a Google Map)

Oh My-O, Oh Mayo how great it was to meet you! County Sligo you have a lot to live up to. ☘️

From the conservatory of our stay at Stella Maris we could see Downpatrick Head and the giant land form just off its coast. We knew we had to have a look for ourselves. And indeed, that was our first stop of the day.

Dun Briste (Broken Fort) is a huge 150 foot sea stack rising from the Atlantic Ocean near Downpatrick Head. It’s covered with lush green grass, surrounded by crashing waves and was actually once connected to the mainland.

Long ago, people lived and farmed on the tip of Downpatrick Head until a violent storm in 1393 severed it from the mainland, leaving its inhabitants stranded on the newly formed sea stack. To be honest, I can’t imagine what was going through their heads when that happened.

They were reportedly rescued using ropes from ships, but still. All they had was lost on the sea stack.

That story was confirmed when researchers later discovered remains of stone buildings, field walls, and evidence of cultivation, confirming that this seemingly impossible place was once home to a small community.

We reached Dun Briste right after the rain and the bluebird skies made the ocean seem even bluer and more dramatic.

We cycled a “V” today (looking at you Victoria👀) and on some nice rural bike trails.

Hard to believe soon our northbound journey will come to an end in Derry.

We popped into Gilroy’s for our Pub of the Day Pint Size Review. The pub itself was no McDonnell’s but the view was 💯.

So if you’re lucky enough to enjoy a pint while looking at Killala Bay with a Guinness in hand you’re lucky enough. ☘️ Slainte!

Towns we cycled trough today included Ballina and Killala.

Click on the image below to view more pics and videos:

Riding Stats (Link to Tom’s Strava)

Accommodations (daily mileage, elevation, etc.)

Route Tracker (track our northbound ride on a Google Map)

Today’s ride took us through what looked somewhat like an Irish version of the prairie—miles of open, grassy coastal plain stretching toward the Atlantic. And yes, it was also very windy with gorgeous cloud formations. Distant mountains, land void of trees, occasional ocean cliffs and sunshine brought some of the most gorgeous riding yet. Not sure if there is a word for Irish prairie but that’s what we cycled through today.

Ceide Fields was the last stop on our route today before calling it a day. It’s a hidden farming community buried under several feet of bogs that thrived nearly 6,000 years ago. To put it in perspective, that’s before the pyramids were even built. It was discovered by a local school teacher who was cutting turf in the 1940’s. Stone fences, cooking artifacts and farming implements are just some of what’s been uncovered there.

Ceide Field overlooks this dramatic coastline. Not a bad place to live.

Finally in what might be one of our favorite stays of the trip, we landed in Stella Maris, a structure with a unique and varied history.

Overlooking Bunatrahir Bay just outside of Ballycastle, Stella Maris was built around 1853 as a British Coast Guard headquarters.

Around 1915 the Sisters of Mercy took it over and named it “Star of the Sea.” The sisters lived at Stella Maris and traveled nearly two miles into the village each day by horse-drawn cart to teach children.

Eventually the sisters moved their convent into town to be closer to the parish school and Stella Maris became a country house hotel.

Our host Rolf, (now owner of Stella Maris) took excellent care of us and I promise he will do the same for you should you ever find yourself in need of a night’s lodging or tasty meal in County Mayo.

Towns we cycled through today: Inver and Belderg

Click on the image below to view today’s video:

Riding Stats (Link to Tom’s Strava)

Accommodations (daily mileage, elevation, etc.)

Route Tracker (track our northbound ride on a Google Map)

The sun came back to County Mayo today and with it brought shadows.

Three weeks of cycling around Ireland’s west coast and nine more to go. It’s been unforgettable.

I’ll get to today’s ride but first, let’s get to a Pint Size Review of our Pub of the Day that I’ve been just “dying” to share with you: McConnell’s Bar & Undertakers

Pictured above is Padraig Conroy, owner, undertaker and politician who welcomes people into McDonnell’s with a handshake and a pint.

His grandparents, Michael and Elizabeth McDonnell, established the family pub in 1942 and Padraig inherited it in 2002. It’s known locally as “The Lobster Pot” because once you get in, it’s difficult to get out. We can vouch for that. 🤣

In talking to Padraig, he has a fierce pride in Belmullet and the surrounding area. And he was quick to ask if we flew to Ireland on Aer Lingus because McDonnell’s was featured in the documentary series called A Proper Pint, that was offered on the plane.

We’re not the only ones to raise a pint in recognizing McDonnell’s as something special. It was also named among Ireland’s top 10 pubs in the Sunday Times’ 2025 list, and in 2026 Padraig Conroy won Pub of the Year for Mayo at the Irish Restaurant Awards.

All this and he took the time to personally greet us and make us feel right at home here in Belmullet.

As far as cycling we’ve had no steep climbs to contend with for the past week and today was no different. We enjoyed breezy country riding on roads as smooth as Irish butter sliding over a hot skillet.

Also wanted to comment on the many Marian grottoes in Ireland. I think we’ve pedaled past at least one every day and again, today was no different.💙

Today we cycled through Bangor and Bunnahowen.

Click on the link below to view today’s video:

Riding Stats (Link to Tom’s Strava)

Accommodations (daily mileage, elevation, etc.)

Route Tracker (track our northbound ride on a Google Map)

Dolly Parton said, “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow ya gotta put up with the rain.”

True dat. Ireland is so beautiful because she has so much rain and today she gave us buckets of it.🌈

Below is the County Mayo welcome sign. They forgot to add: “Come for the scenery. Stay because your rain gear is already on.”🤣

It was actually a decent ride with 22 miles on the fantastic Great Western Greenway with a nice riding surface and no traffic.

We passed a well known bronze statue on the Greenway which portrays a father and two young barefoot sons waving goodbye to their mum who was off to work in the potato fields in Scotland.

It was a steady, heads down, 47 miler (Garmin forgot to record some of our ride) without any breaks. We didn’t want to stop and rest for fear of chilling.

At one point I turned to Tom and said “I could use one of those turf log fires right about now.” 😂

When we got to Mulranny it began raining even harder and we didn’t know exactly where our hotel was. Going back and forth down the main drive with Google doing what Google does sometimes in the rain (get confused) I can happily say no harsh words or eye rolls were exchanged. 🤣

We celebrated Mother Nature giving County Mayo what she needed today with a pint at our Pub of the Day and a tasty dinner at McLoughlin’s.

As with most pubs there’s a variety of taps that include at least a pilsner, a lager, a cider and most definitely stouts. McLoughlin’s offered all three popular Irish stouts on tap: Guinness, Beemish and Murphy’s. They also had a Guinness 0.0 on tap for our teetotalling friends.👍🏻

What’s a bit comical in the pubs we’ve visited is the prevalence of Coors and Heineken. And we haven’t seen fountain sodas, only canned or bottled soda is offered.

So today we toast to McLoughlin’s for offering so many stout choices. What a wonderful Irish world in which to be cycling!

And gratefully I finally found my warm in McLoughlin’s.

Towns we cycled through included Westport and Newport.

Click on the link below to see the hot mess of a day: 😂

Riding Stats (Link to Tom’s Strava)

Accommodations (daily mileage, elevation, etc.)

Route Tracker (track our northbound ride on a Google Map)

Today we had one of the best rides…

But first we had to get off the island to catch a sunrise ferry from Inishmore to mainland Ireland (which is also an island).😂

We said goodbye to yet another glamping pod grateful for a good and dry night of sleep.

The overcast, misty day was an ideal setting as we pedaled through miles of bogs on either side of the desolate, one lane road. We had sheep to keep us company and occasionally witnessed a local harvesting turf.

At first when we saw the white trash bags, we thought about the unfortunate idea someone had to collect discarded litter. However then we rode past several piles of black rectangular shaped pieces and realized there were what appeared to be geometric shavings from land in the bogs and that someone was harvesting something for someone.

It really is the most fun trying to figure out what we are seeing while riding by without being told. The convos on the bike can be the best part of the ride.

Later we learned that the piles of dark blocks were turf—peat cut from the bog and dried to be used as fuel. Traditionally, the sod is cut with a special shovel called a sleán, stacked to dry, and eventually burned in fireplaces and stoves for heat and cooking.

And of course the white bags scattered around the bogs are used to collect and transport the dried turf. All of this is an Irish tradition that’s still very much a part of life in the west.

By the way, since we arrived in Ireland on September 1st we’ve seen not one policeman, not one hint of sketchiness, crime, violence or homelessness. We did have a B & B stay next door to two Guarda (Police) Stations so we know there are police here.

Slainte to our Pub of the Day, Lowry’s in Clifden!🍻 Lowry’s has been in the Lowry family since 1949, when Patrick Lowry, a former Garda (police) sergeant, bought the pub and renamed it after himself.

The atmosphere is cozy with lit candles on every table, an extensive selection of shelved whiskey and my favorite… glass front cabinets of medicines, candy jars, food stuffs and other miscellaneous items an old timey store might offer. Plus they claim to offer live music daily but Tom and never stay long enough or late enough to enjoy.😬

And they must be doing something right, it’s been awarded “Best Traditional Bar in Ireland” three times.

Light another candle for Lowry’s! ☘️🇮🇪💚🕯️

Click on the link below to view today’s vid:

Riding Stats (Link to Tom’s Strava)

Accommodations (daily mileage, elevation, etc.)

Route Tracker (track our northbound ride on a Google Map)

Tom packed up the tent in misty rain this morning and we cycled a short 13 miles to the ferry to Inishmore.

It’s the largest of the three Aran Islands and quite beautiful as well as historic.

As we’ve been riding around western Ireland, we’ve been intrigued by all the little stone-walled fields—but on Inishmore, it’s hard to imagine how anyone ever farmed this land because there’s barely ANY soil.

We sat in between two lovely couples at dinner, (one from Des Moines and one from Buffalo).

Iowans Randal and Kathy have been making their way around Ireland for days and this is Kathy’s third visit.💚💚💚

Tom and I were asking them about the all of the rock enclosures around the island, particularly on our exploratory ride this afternoon that’s not actually on an Inishmore tourist cycling route.🤣 Kathy explained the following:

Basically islanders made their own soil. They gathered seaweed from the Atlantic shore, mixed it with sand and whatever soil and organic material they could find, and spread it over the bare limestone. Animal 💩 was also used as fertilizer. Year after year, they built up enough soil to grow crops.

As for the stone walls, when farmers cleared the fields of the limestone rocks, they stacked them into walls. The walls helped protect the soil from the strong Atlantic winds (yes we understand allll about the wind here in Ireland) and the stone walls also kept their livestock contained.

So when we looked across the landscape today on our ride, we didn’t seen fields of green as on the mainland, we saw what was left of incredibly hard work. The islanders didn’t just farm the land; they practically built the land they farmed. To me this is further evidence of Irish resilience, tenacity and work ethic.

There are bike hires and tours available but since we had our own bikes and Internet access we put together our own little tour. We didn’t find everything we were looking for but sometimes the fun of it is the exploring!

One of our fave stops was Seven Churches which is an ancient monastic site dating back to the seventh century. There are actually only two churches remaining but it wasn’t difficult to see where the others may have stood centuries ago. Among the ruins were graves, stone crosses and a holy well.

And finally our Pint Size Review of our Pub of the Day which will be very pint sized because it was our first meal of the day and we went there for dinner more hungry than thirsty.

Ti Joe Watty’s is a long time gathering spot on Inishmore. Our new pals Randal and Kathy had the pleasure of meeting 91 year Patrick who is an island local earlier in the day (probably while we were out on our self-created bike tour losing my sandals). They commented on his youthfulness and that when he left the pub he confidently took hold of his shillelagh and went on about his day.

As for our pub review, I’m reviewing the dessert at the pub because it was so delish. Sorry no pic to share. The fudge brownie, chocolate syrup and ice cream didn’t last long enough. Thanks to Randal and Kathy for the dessert tip of the day AND intel on a pub we shouldn’t miss near Sligo.

Click on the image below to see views from today’s ride on Inishmore:

Riding Stats (Link to Tom’s Strava)

Accommodations (daily mileage, elevation, etc.)

Route Tracker (track our northbound ride on a Google Map)

We all know everything tastes better with butter. I’m here to tell you, no butter is better than Irish butter.

And yes it’s the soda bread for me, with Irish butter. 💯 Now… on to cycling.

When we got up this morning we thought we were in a different country. The sun was shining and there was absolutely NO wind.

We decided to cycle through Galway to get to An Spideal which would set us up nicely to catch a ferry to Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands, the following day.

An Spideal is a small coastal village just west of Galway known for its traditional music and strong connection to Irish culture. It’s also a Gaeltacht, meaning Irish is spoken there as an everyday language.

Irish is a very different sounding language and it’s not easy to infer meaning from the printed word. We’ve been looking at Irish words above English on most every road sign since we’ve been in Ireland and still can’t make sense of it.

Although we can’t speak or understand a lick of Irish it was fun hearing it spoken around town—and of course, we found a welcoming pub and plenty of craic for our Pint Size Review’s Pub of the Day.

Meet Peter. He was sitting at the end of the bar down from a few rugby players that we overheard speaking Irish. May I say it sounds a little like German?

Peter befriended “Tommy” (as he called him) as soon as we walked in. He’s a roofer and shared about his near death experience years ago when we got hit in the back of the head.

Then Peter kept pointing to the 94 year old retired school teacher I was talking to, telling Tom she was always terribly mean to her students. All this was happening while Peter’s wife, Mary, kept signaling to Tom the “he’s nuts” sign. It was all happening so fast we weren’t sure what to make of it but luckily all of this dialogue was in English.☘️

So for Peter who keeps the bar stool warm and knows how to embellish stories that kept us in stitches, we tip our hats to An Nead, our Pub of the Day.

Towns we cycled through included Clarinbridge, Ballinderreen, Oranmore, Conamara, Galway and Furbo

Click on the image below to view today’s video: