Bikepacking on a Brompton – Ireland – wild camping – Irish mountains, bogs, coast, Dublin to Donegal

At the end of August, an old friend invited me to join her and her father on holiday in their cottage in County Donegal on Ireland’s Atlantic coast, where her father grew up. I decided to travel to Donegal slowly, on my Brompton, camping my way across the country.
The only time that I’d cycled in Ireland before was back in the early 80s when I was a girl. A schoolfriend and I got the boat from Liverpool across the Irish Sea, and rode round the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle peninsula. We had basic bikes, a cheap tent, those dark green Karrimor panniers that a lot of people had in those days, and the same Trangia as I have today. We ate mostly jam and bread because we had no money, and came back brown as berries, because for the whole trip we had miles and miles of glorious sun.
In the 30-odd years since then, I have not been much to Ireland – one short holiday, and a couple of work trips. So I don’t know it at all, despite it being so close, and I was very excited about doing the journey to Donegal by bike, so I could actually see things. I planned to ride basically in a straight line, and see what I found. I took the ferry from Holyhead to Dublin, and headed west. And I found beautiful roads, met lovely people, and eventually worked out how to find fabulous spots to camp wild. And once again, I had miles and miles of glorious sun. Sometimes it does work like that!
Huge thank you to my friend Henrietta and her father Roger for inviting me. As you can see, I loved this journey.

Music:
Honey take my Hand – Cody Francis
It’s All for You – Volcan Peaks
Beauty Lives in Me – Johannes Bornlof
On a Wire – The Eastern Plain
Stay Brave – Bird of Figment

Hey darling can i tell you what’s been on my mind sick and tired of the nine to five in the city We can look back someday baby don’t you understand that we only get one life so Is Still burn for tomorrow I arrived at the campsite on the edge of dublin really late but super happy and just sat back and enjoyed the evening i couldn’t find out how to get alden survey of ireland maps on my phone and i was a bit less well planned than usual generally but the weather forecast was gorgeous

From dublin i planned to ride pretty much straight across ireland to donegal i wanted to see some mountains and some sea so i built those into the route right so it’s going to be quite tricky today because i’m still on the edge of dublin and so you can hear the traffic so

Like not easy with the map reading but um but i found a network of cycle lanes i crossed the river liffey and i headed up along the border of county meath and county kildare on the old royal canal i’m keeping up My You look fantastic So i’ve left the canal now because i’ve done enough of that so it’s nice but i want to try now attacking a cross country and see if i can cut through the lanes i’m sure i can but i mean see what it’s like Uh well from england yeah yeah and this is your route well there was a family down here lived in an old touch cottage there were seven three boys and four no education [Applause] in this area my sons live up here with their wives we live further over

Would you like to come in for company you’re so kind thank you i’m fine no problem oh how lovely no problem yeah and i hope i hope you enjoy your videos it’s lovely and the well it was well down here you see this three in front

And then the man was told about being in the water goodbye I’m keeping up with It’s about six o’clock in the evening just gone actually and well i was thinking of wild camping but it’s quite tricky because there’s a lot of animals around here there’s sheep in that field and a lot of places are cows and there’s a lot of signs that say no trespassing so

Um there is a campsite at a big lake coming up so i’m gonna aim for that it’s only about 10k further um so i think i’ll probably do that tonight for day new when i close my eyes i see beauty live In me too Later it comes later warming Beauty I saw a little symbol on the map and i thought it meant mine actually it’s like a little crossed set of tools but actually i realize it’s pea pog so Take a leap of faith With me well it’s friday morning late morning and just heading northwesterly up into the hills ah i’m doing a long slow hill oh i’m going to steer to the left of a lake and there’s a campsite there but i think i’m going to try and go wild the campsite seems to be basically

Caravans it is tricky and they said there’s no footpath i just don’t have them and i normally use footpaths to find spots beside me happy days Take on me Honestly i’m running a bit wide Okay So this is going to be mushroom risotto Oh i’ve got some biscuits Hmm oh so quiet it’s been a bit of a fight with um midges but um but i’m all right now uh Oh i’ve gone wrong stupid me i think it’s about 7k i’ve gone and it was wrong Ah those look gorgeous they’re begonias aren’t they yeah yeah they look they’re all dying oh it’s the end of the season isn’t it right that’s brilliant thank you okay i’ll go over here oh gosh that’s a big party then so it was but it was

It was a horrible day it was kind of bouncing cattle and you know when the rain is so miserable oh but i mean i bet the kids enjoyed it all have a great day yeah i had a lot more of it but then the wind comes and slows everything throw more water

I will do in a second okay of course thanks how far is it do you reckon enough to say donald town it’s a long ways yes oh my god so much for that you’re welcome don’t lose our bachelor’s it probably is the post is gorgeous i mean this is gorgeous as well they’re

In life well thank you so much thank you you’re welcome and many happy returns to your husband i wish you the best thank you so much same to you thanks very much bye bye it was We were dancing on quite a break We found holes in these walls we like what we saw seem so strong until the fall Oh So where were you it’s a whiskey distillery breakfast scones as well you get that no do not do that no i don’t well i don’t know i don’t think we’ve got whiskey distilleries oh was it good that was lovely it was an awful lot of wasps oh oh you had wasps

And i had gnats oh is that what we call a yes are you camping or are you staying playing campaign yeah my cart just enjoy it that’s the thing isn’t it i mean i’m past being in a rush yeah i think that’s the one thing all the lockdowns i’ve treated

Appreciated nice it happens i don’t know which is because i used to come a lot but for the last two years because you weren’t allowed to come it was wonderful coming back yeah those people coming from really hot countries to anywhere in scotland island wales must think all the

Garinia is amazing we take it for granted we would all live in central scotland it was very similar to this you know you don’t feel lonely and traveling no you feel completely fine because all my family are all weather for nearly 30 years and you have to get

Used to you’ve got to learn how to do it absolutely yeah yeah oh good for you yeah so easy right i’m going to carry on yes it’s lovely meeting you yeah same with you it’s amazing just about if we go in the world to meet somebody oh that’s right what’s up yes

The fire We it was always on fire Yeah we were dancing on Fire so i had crossed the iron mountains and i descended to lock gill near sligo and it was the most beautiful place and i didn’t realize it until i was there but this was the place where wba wrote the lake island innisfree Just close your eyes is It’s gonna take some time to get there [Applause] [Applause] I know i don’t yet know it so i trust you when you say beauty I’m tired actually now Okay good morning hey darling can i tell you what’s been on my mind sick and tired of the mind see the beautiful world around wanna see it now Leave it’s one portion of fish and chips Oh hey darlin you know we’re gonna have a really good time driving in the middle of the night when the stars are bright pack our the cottage is somewhere on the other side of purely bags that’s got to get through stay on the same road and then it’s somewhere there

I was given instructions i wrote them somewhere on a piece of paper anyway mistakes at the last minute oh okay Baby And take my hand you