July 8, 2014
Kilkenny And The Rest of The Way To Rosslare
I hear the rain drumming on the tent this morning too. This tent really does feel the business. The extra weight is partly due to a heavier gauge of material being used than in my old tent. The rain is on and off, not too heavy. Soon it has stopped long enough for me to get moving. Lifting the tent and giving it a shakin, shakes most of the rainwater off before I take it down and pack it away.
The Commons is only a few kilometres from the plantation where I'd camped. A crossroads with a big stone bearing a long inscription and the Irish Tricolour permanently fluttering in the wind. The importance as the words on the stone tells, it is the place where the Young Ireland Movement met for the last time on the 28th July 1848, before a fatal engagement at nearby Warhouse, which forced the leaders into exile in France, The United States, Canada and Australia. One, Thomas Francis Meagher presented the flag based on the French tricolor, to the people for the first time. The white in the middle represents a lasting peace between Protestant and Catholic, the orange and green. The movement was inspired by freedom struggles elsewhere in Europe at the time and had been gathering momentum during the years of the Irish Potato Famine, when countless people died of starvation and as many emigrated after the stable, the potato crop failed. It was the beginning of the end of British rule in Ireland, at least for the part not partition off in the north, which still remains part of the UK. More skirmishes would follow later in the nineteenth century, culminating in a declaration of independents in 1916 and the Easter Rising.
I took a wrong turn and descend a long hill before I realise it isn't the right way. You see, the sign in The Commons for "Cashel Kilkenny Scenic Drive" was rather confusingly, for me anyway, pointing down this road, meaning the way back to Cashel. I was off the designated route and re-joined it in the village, only going the wrong way.
I drop down into a great vale along the eastern half of County Tipperary with hills and blue of mountains rising over in the west providing a nice backdrop. This is a different world to the west of Ireland, with rich farmland, prosperous large farms and stylish aristocratic period houses with large walled gardens.
I continue north before turning right, off upon a quiet lane a car wide with grass growing down the middle, which would take me back on coarse by a little place called The Grange; by which, a steep wooded hill bars off the valley. From here I grind up a one-in-four up through the pine plantation to crest over into County Kilkenny with a steep descend where I'm glad of having good brakes to get round many of the twisting bends.
The main walking street in Kilkenny city is lined with cafes with people sat out underneath the awnings enjoying the sunshine. I spend an hour inside one, having a scrabbled egg on toast and pot of tea while charging the camera and computer batteries.
I take the R700 following the River Nore south east. A pleasant scenic road if it weren't for the road's narrowness and afternoon rush hour traffic speeding by. The road crosses the river a few times via grand stone bridges. The first at Bennetbridge, then at Inistioge, a small town with tree shaded square, river embankment and a multi-arch stone bridge.
New Ross is a bit of a disappointment. I was looking forward to stopping here for a pint of Guiness, as it is close to the end of the day. But it isn't the kind of town with seating outside bars. So I buy a can instead and enjoy it sitting down by the waterfront.
The town is proud of it's family connection to The Kennedys and I continue on on a little tree enclosed lane not far in from the river to the family homestead, but when I got there, it having gone eight o'clock, it is shut of coarse.
The next day I make it to Rosslare harbour by eleven o'clock, hoping there'd be a ferry to Wales early afternoon and I'd disembark the other side in time to ride somewhere to wild camp, but I'm informed the only ferries are in the morning, which I've missed and in the evening, so I have a day waiting around the ferry port.
Today's ride: 151 km (94 miles)
Total: 1,084 km (673 miles)
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