By Jamie Anderton
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One Monday morning, about three months ago, I was browsing through the weekend’s papers, and feeling not too interested in the day’s work ahead of me when something landed on my desk to break the boredom.
An invitation from a man by the name of Paul McQuaid. From Ireland. To ride nine century rides with his tour company in June, right around the coast of Ireland. Heck, this was the sort of thing I needed and I immediately contacted Paul by email to see what it was all about.
The response was swift and encouraging. “What we do is we take people on nine century rides around Ireland,” was his opening gambit. Then it got interesting.
“Not only do you cycle nine centuries, nine 100 miles spins in a row, but you ride through nine centuries of Irish history. Day one we start on the 12th century, day two is the 13th century, and so on so forth until we get to the 20th century,” he added.
How would this work? I needn’t ask. Paul had it all covered. “The night before each spin a historian joins us and will talk about the particular century – and point up specific items relating to that century which we will see the following day. It’s very interesting.”
It certainly sounded novel.
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But Paul – as I was later to discover – doesn’t stand on ceremony and his next sentence cut to the chase.
“Just get here. We’ll pick you up from the airport. You’ll love it. If you like Guinness, you’ll love it even more.”
My interest was sparked, sure enough, and I found myself in Ireland in June, at the mercy of this Mr. McQuaid, wondering what would unfold. I needn’t have worried. What unfolded was quite the most amazing trip I have ever taken through quite the most beguiling country I have visited in years in the company of quite the most entertaining character I have encountered in decades, nay centuries.
Paul lived up to his promise. The nightly talks by the historians were informative and pricked your enthusiasm for the following day.
Nine centuries over eleven days is a bit of a challenge, even for those of us who ride all year round and enjoy the big spins.
But when you’re trekking along, watching out for a crannog (historic Irish dwelling), or a river where a famous battle was fought, or one of those enchanting old Irish castles – well, any lingering pain from turning those wheels lightens and you find yourself sucked along.
“Irish history is very interesting. Many see it as a tragic tale, and there’s no doubt we have had our share of setbacks over the years.
But Irish people are proud of their heritage and it is a pleasure for me to show our country to people like yourselves – particularly when you are willing to cycle through it and see what we have to offer,” said Paul clearly gets a great buzz out of running his tour company, and is incidentally a former top-class amateur bike rider and winner of the famous, ‘Ras’, Ireland’s National tour.
We covered so much of Ireland, we nearly lost our bearings. Paul says the nine centuries ride will one day be as big as coast-to-coast in America – a must-do ride, an icon for those who turn wheels. “Sure no other country on earth has a ride as unique as this one”, he says. He’s fond of an understatement.
Our ride began in the west of Ireland. Shannon to be exact. I flew directly from New York to Shannon, where I was met by the crew at Celtic Trails and taken directly to Ennis, a busy little town just north of the airport.
We stayed in a beautiful 250-year-old hotel and drank more than one pint of Guinness that night, I can tell you. You have got to hear Tony O’Malley play the fiddle in Halloran’s bar.
Picture the scene – I’m in Ireland for the first time, having always had a desire to visit. I’m in a pub that could be hundreds of years old, drinking a gorgeous pint of Guinness, listening to a master play the fiddle. I’ve had a sumptuous dinner of wild Atlantic salmon and organic vegetables, and I’m about to ride right around the coast over the next 12 days. I almost had to pinch myself.
So by the next morning I was feeling sufficiently ‘strong’ and ready for the lap of Ireland ahead of us, (the Irish really do believe themselves when they say, ‘Guinness, for strength’!). Okay, I was terrified, and wondered on more than one occasion that morning had I bitten off more than I could chew here.
But there’s something about this Celtic Trails gang that makes you forget any concerns you might have. Maybe it a combination of things – they really do know their stuff, everywhere the go people know them, and they are supremely concerned for the welfare of their guests. (The paying guests in the group will testify to that).
We began riding at nine, heading north along the coast. Oh my God, when you see this coastline you will get a thrill. I can guarantee you of that. It is just spectacular. We passed the spot where the Spanish Armada went down off the west coast of county Clare, the Cliffs of Moher, biked along a road recently described as, ‘one of he top ten most beautiful stretches of road in the world’ – the road from Doolin to Ballyvaughan, rode half way ‘round Galway Bay and ended up in a hotel overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
On my way down to the bar before dinner, for a Guinness, I told Paul, ‘you have ruined the rest of this trip for me today’. He looked at me with a tiny bit of concern in his face and asked what I meant. ‘How can it get any better than that ride we just did?!’‘It does’ was his confident reply.
By the time we got right around the coast of Ireland we had cycled on some of the most incredibly beautiful roads I have ever cycled upon. I have never, ever cycled along so much unspoiled and beautiful coastline in my entire life. The list of things we saw with regards to the historical aspect of the country was endless.
But I have to mention a few – The Giant’s Causeway; the oldest distillery in the world – Bushmills; the incredible Antrim Coast – a stretch of road that will knock your socks off; the highest sea cliffs in all of Europe, Slieve League, (I was blown away by the Cliffs of Moher. And then he shows us this!)
I had never even heard of Slieve League before I did this ride. Not even when I was researching stuff before I came over. So it really was quite a treat and words simply can’t do it justice. Just to put in some kind of perspective, the Cliffs of Moher are spectacular, and stand 745ft tall at their highest point. Slieve League is 1925ft tall at its highest point.
We rode on stretches of ‘boreen’, (Gaelic for ‘extremely small road with grass growing in the middle of it’…. The Irish! How do they get away with it?!). We rode on mountainous coastal roads, (Kerry, prepare yourself for it). We road past castles, thousand year-old graveyards, The Great Famine memorials, windmills and pubs.
Lots of pubs. Pubs with grass roofs. Pubs with thatched roofs. Pubs with no roofs! And pubs that were basically someone’s living room.
We literally did ride 100 miles every day. And I can honestly say I got stronger as each day went by. What I can’t honestly say is, my seemingly endless amount of strength was due to the seemingly endless supply of Guinness about the place. I just had so much fun with everyone in the group, (all 24 of them) that the miles just seemed to fly by.
I’ve been riding my bike for almost 30 years now and consider myself a fair cyclist. I definitely love to ride my bike and have ridden in some of the most beautiful places on earth.
But I never imagined I would get the opportunity to take part in such a wonderful adventure as this Nine Centuries of Ireland Tour. Paul has hit on something special here and that word; ‘century’ has a certain draw for all ‘fair’ cyclists. And that country, Ireland has had its fair share of centuries, with the history to prove it.
But the history is just one – albeit crucial – part. The other element was what the Irish call the craic, (Gaelic for, ‘fun’). The nightly routine was one of fun and adventure: Paul is a social animal and just as the history sucks you along during the day, his endless merriment captures you at night.
With Paul, when you’re out for a Guinness, you’re out. Getting to bed before 3am is an achievement. Paul radiates energy. His eyes are forever dancing in his head. When he gets a new idea, he is positively uncontrollable. He is a master of over-statement. Damn it, he’s Irish!
“I try to give people a good time – but, actually, it comes easy because I’m having a good time myself. What more do you want: the freedom of the open road, the beauty of the Irish countryside, its truly spectacular coastline and a bit of craic? Sure when I’m on a tour, it feels like I’m on holiday so I enjoy myself as much as the people who fly from all over the world to take part,” he explained.
It’s worth a try. If you get the weather, it’s as good as you will ever do – but even in the occasional (that makes a master of under-statement, I guess!) mist and, dare I say it, soft Irish rain, this historic trip around the Emerald Isle hits the spot.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
E-mail: PAUL@CELTICTRAILS.COMWeb: WWW.CELTICTRAILS.COM
