Getting into Adventure Green

As good as anywhere on a sunny day
want to be almost anywhere in the island
quickly, yet the older roads are still there,
going through rather than around the
towns and villages along your route and
can be clear of traffic. Thankfully the big
supermarkets haven’t got into urban and
rural Ireland like they have in Britain,
meaning every town and most villages
still have their own petrol stations and
small supermarkets. You won’t have any
worries about running out of fuel
or supplies.
Pubs are in every village should you
require refreshment, but remember
that the Irish authorities have a zero
tolerance of drink driving. I found
most of the roads to be just fine, well
maintained and well sign posted. Speed
isn’t required, as the views of rural
Ireland demand you slow down and
take it all in. Another advantage is that
like all civilised nations the Irish drive
on the left hand side of the road.
The Wild Atlantic Way is well marked
and clings to the sea from Donegal in the
north around the western seaboard and
ending up in the south. The views are
spectacular and varied, with mountains,
valleys, moors, The Burran, high cliffs
and vast sandy beaches. This is a road
not to be ignored.
WHAT TO DO?
Ireland has a well established tourist
industry catering for all tastes. The
choices are varied and of very good
quality. Ireland’s history and culture
is everywhere and easily accessible.
Sports like golf and fishing are very well
catered for, cultural centres like theatres,
museums, galleries are plentiful. The
Irish are friendly, clever, witty and always
keen to help.
COSTS?
The costs of travelling around Ireland will
depend very much on the Sterling/Euro
exchange rate, which itself is dependent
on the Brexit negotiations. Overall
the costs won’t be much more than an
equivalent trip here in Britain, with the
exception of the price of the ferry.
THE BIKE
Any bike will do, as long as it is road
legal, reliable, comfortable and able to
carry you, maybe your passenger and
your gear safely. I used my Yamaha
MT09 Tracer with Givi panniers and
this was probably too much bike for
the solo riding I did. With fuel being so
readily available and distances relatively
short, compared to say Scotland, then
the worry of running out of petrol
isn’t something that will stress you
out. With my gear safely locked inside
my panniers security was never a
problem, you might want to take further
precautions in the bigger cities as you
would anywhere else in the UK. Most of
all just enjoy it.
Graham’s choice of bike was a Yamaha Tracer 900