Day 22: Clifden to Tully

June 5, 2024

Abbey and Bike Maintenance

What a surprise at breakfast! We walked in and there are our new French friends, André and Valérie. We met them at Carrig Island, saw them in Kilkee again, and then, voila! Here they are once again. We had to catch up on the last few days of rides with each other. When we set off for Ireland, we assumed we'd go for 6 weeks without speaking French. We were sure wrong! Everywhere we go, we are bumping into French people vacationing and carrying on conversations using our basic French. We've been getting a lot of practice. After breakfast, we said our goodbyes to André and Valérie as they are headed to Cong, then Galway and Cork and back to work in France.

André and Valérie with us in front of Ben View B&B in Clifden.

Departing Clifden we rode out Sky Road and what a beautiful road it was! Skirting along the other side of the bay we could see the road we were on yesterday when we cycled around Errislannon Peninsula. The winds weren't blowing as hard as yesterday, but were still quite strong. Today's route was a bit of a zig-zag pattern so we alternated between a headwind and a tailwind. It was much better than fighting a headwind all day long!

Looking across the bay to Errislannon Peninsula and we could see the road we were on yesterday.

The land below us was like a flat plateau before breaking off into cliffs down to the sea.

The views were far reaching and glorious looking when the sun was shining.

Chuck had read about Omey Island where you can walk over to the island during low tide, but you can't when it's high tide. We saw the sign for it and rode down to it. It was low tide and there was a string of people walking across the sand to the island. We even watched a couple of cars drive back and forth.

A few kilometers past the Omey Island turnoff we found this pretty little beach.

The small village of Clean had a pier and from this point on we were heading towards the Twelve Bens, which is a moutain range made of sharp-peaks and ridges in the Connemara National Park.

From the pier looking towards the Twelve Bens.

We're getting closer to the Twelve Bens.

We're most thankful for the sun; it has a way of brightening everything up.

Today's highlight is visiting the Kylemore Abbey. We toured the abbey which was built as a castle by Mitchell Henry for his beloved wife Margaret Henry. She tragically died after living there for 3 years, so he ended up building a small gothic church in her honor, and they are both interned in the mausoleum on the property. Henry had to sell the castle due to difficult financial times, and it was purchased by the Duke and Duchess of Manchester. In 1920 the Irish Benedictine Nuns purchased the abbey (Manchester had to sell to cover gambling debts) and they converted the castle and surrounding property into the abbey.

The Gothic church. Renovations are going on to restore it from age and water damage.

There were marble pillars throughout the church. The marble came from several provinces of Ireland: green from Connemara, rose from Cork, black from Kilkenny, and grey from Armagh.

The clouds rolled in while we were visiting the abbey, so we jumped back on the tandem and finished the final 7 kilometers to Tully where we are staying at the Castlehouse B&B. After some bike maintenance (new rear tire and new chain), we set off for dinner in Tully Cross which was a 1 kilometer walk. Dinner was at the highly acclaimed Paddy Coyne's Pub and it was delicious.

Dessert was a lemon tart with vanilla ice cream.

The days are flying by. We're loving this visit to Ireland. Traveling slowly and covering all this distance is truly showing us the diversity of the terrain. However, the people remain as lovely as the first day. They are so warm, cheery, helpful, and full of stories.

Note to ourselves: Today's wind wasn't as severe as yesterday, but it was bitingly cold. No rain, although it was trying to shower when we left Clifden.

Accommodation: Castlehouse B&B is comfortable, but it is a tired property. If possible, it would be better to stay in Tully Cross. However, I could never get the B&B in Tully Cross to answer their phone.

Today's ride: 60 km (37 miles)
Total: 1,387 km (861 miles)

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rod dayWe too found the people wonderfully friendly. There was not one that could be called miserable ( I obviously haven't inherited the trait!). Glad to see that you are back into the "hills"
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6 months ago