Ring of Beara and Cork

Day 22 (June 26): Kenmare - Ring of Beara (95 km - 950 m elevation / Σ 1740 km - 16020 m elevation)

In the morning, the sun is actually shining, and throughout the day there are sunny spells, and above all - it stays dry. Today we have set out to explore the Ring of Beara, a 140 km long scenic coastal road that circles the Beara Peninsula in the southwest of Ireland. The Wild Atlantic Way also largely follows this route. Nevertheless, there is little traffic, partly due to the fact that the Ring of Beara is unsuitable for tour buses and is even closed for vehicles over 2.8 tons. All those vehicles head to the more famous Ring of Kerry. For us on our bikes, this is clearly the right choice, even though we will not complete the entire loop but only 90 km. We ride the first 20 km quite leisurely along the coast, from where we can see the impressive southern coast of the Ring of Kerry with its high green hills. After 20 km, we climb steeply up a small side road. At more than 13%, we have to get off and push our heavy bikes. As a reward, we are treated to an incredibly beautiful view of the bay and the mountains from above. We can only marvel at the beauty of nature. In Ardgroom, after 35 km, we find a cozy café. We now cross over a small pass to Castletownbere on the south side. Right off the coast lies the Isle of Bere, home to around 200 people. The road on the south side is wider, but there is still little traffic here. The scenery is not as spectacular, but on the well-maintained road, we make good progress. The Ring ends in Glengariff, we have to switch to N 71 and share the road with a lot of car traffic.

Day 23 (June 27): Ballylickey - Cork (75 km - 1000 m elevation / Σ 1815 km - 17020 m elevation)

It rained heavily all night, and the weather forecast predicted that it would continue to rain for most of the day. A major disappointment for us, as our last stage in Ireland was short but still demanding. We are not in a hurry at breakfast today, and just before 10 AM, we are ready to depart. As we set off, the rain actually eases and returns only intermittently as a drizzle. The sky is overcast, and the landscape is barely visible. Due to the rain, the humidity is high, making us sweat for the first time on this tour. And we have to pedal hard; on narrow paths, we face two steep climbs from zero to 270 m. The second ascent is partly so steep that we can only push our bikes up with great effort. The route is presumably closed to heavy vehicle traffic. Suddenly, the narrow path turns into a wide, newly paved road. When a large timber truck approaches us, the question of who this road is so well built for becomes clear. We continue pedaling uphill through this deserted area, with only an occasional farmhouse in sight, otherwise solitude and silence. In the first 40 km, we have ascended 800 m; that was hard work! After 45 km, we arrive at a small town, but unfortunately, the café is closed. 3 km further in Crookestown, we grab a coffee and a scone at McSwiney's QuikPick, enjoying it on a bench in front of the supermarket, much to the delight of the customers. It’s still nearly 30 km to Cork, mostly flat, but the short, steep climbs are always part of the deal in Ireland. After 75 km, we reach Cork; our Scotland-Ireland adventure is accomplished after more than 1800 km. Hooray! Tomorrow, we will cycle to the ferry port and take the ferry to Roscoff in Brittany.

Day 24 (June 28): Cork - Ferry Port (25 km) - Roscoff / Brittany - Σ 1815 km - 17020 m elevation

Our last day in Ireland is leisurely. Cork doesn’t have many sights - after visiting the Cathedral and St. Anne's Church last evening, we check out the English Market in the morning, an old market hall with food stalls and cafés. Afterwards, we cycle towards the ferry port and make a stop at Blackrock Castle, home to the observatory in its ancient walls by the River Lee. After another 10 km, we take a coffee break and meet Jim from Adelaide, who cycles a lot in Europe. Following the motto 'summer never ends', he spends May to October in Europe, and the rest of the year down under. When we arrive at the ferry port, fully packed family cars are lined up - many head to France for the start of the holidays in Ireland. The ferry is likely fully booked.

Conclusion Ireland:

Yes, the last stage in Ireland really pushed us to the limit! And the day reflects our tour of Ireland: rain, steep climbs and descents, headwinds, sometimes, but more rarely, tailwinds, green and lush wild nature, sheep and cows, extensive agriculture, and houses with huge green gardens, with at least two cars parked in front of each house. We leave the green island much richer in new impressions. Before the tour, we couldn’t imagine how different and diverse the landscape and nature are. No daily stage was the same as another. Every day brought new surprises. Just like in Scotland, we only encountered friendly people, helpful and interested in where we come from and where we were headed. We were also impressed by the considerate behavior of drivers towards us cyclists, passing us with a distance of at least 1.5 meters, as indicated on large traffic signs. They would stay behind us on the many small side roads until it was safe to overtake. And almost all our routes were paved and very well navigable; there was no