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| We met at the Redezvous point on Portobello Bridge Rathmines at 11am,There was a stiff cold breeze unlike the Forecast. |
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| There was four of us when we set off at 11.05am |
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| The Grand Canal Cycleway at Clondalkin |
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| The old Mill at Adamstown on Newcastle Road. and end of the Paved Cycleway.We tried going up the right Bank but it was rough with Puddles of Water and Hard Core Builders Gravel on the Trail. We decided to go on the main Road. I did not like the idea of Changing a Wheel in the advent of a Puncture too cold out. |
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| We got to Newcastle Village but did not know how to get to Oughterard,so one of us decided to Photograph the Map so we could look at it afterwards |
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| Oh yes must look at my GPS Google Map thingy to see where the Hell Oughterard is,those other two Idiots are lost. |
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| Hmm yes now if I can set the Close Focusing setting on me Camera I'll be flying. |
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| The Map with you are here Newcastle in blue rectangle and below Oughterard in blue Circles.. |
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| Dogs chasing a Stick on Grand Canal on way back Home. |
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| Trying to get through the opening for Bikes in the Anti Social Behaviour Gates on the Grand Canal. |
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| Oh me left Foot is stuck in this blankety blank gate.Getting my foot stuck but you get used to it after awhile. |
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| Tramway at Inchcore,Suir Road. |
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| Portobello Rathmines this Building was the former Portobello Canal Hotel now a College and end of trip. |
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| Statue of Patrick Kavanagh the writer d1967 who loved to sit here and think up Novels to write. |
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| Leeson Street Bridge . |
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| Gallery Quay,Hanover Quay,lots of nice Resaturants along here and plenty of Bicycles. |
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| Sam Becket Bridge, back Home to the Nth Side. |
We set off on Saturday morning from Portobello Bridge in Rathmines at 11.am on a trip to Arthur Guinness final resting place in Oughterard near Castlewarden not far from the Naas Road in Kildare. There is a very odd fact about Ireland in that various places sometimes use the same names,there is Oughterard in Galway and also Oughterard in Kildare and possibly a few other places. There was a stiff cold breeze when we set off and some of us was feeling the cold just after we left. We headed off along the Canal Road until we got to Sallys Bridge and then went along the Canal Path as it is so much nicer. We then got to the Naas Road at Inchcore and were able to go on the new paved Cycleway which is very pleasant to Cycle on.
After going past Ballyfermot and then Clondalkin we eventually got to the end of the paved section of the Grand Canal at Adamstown Lucan.One Girl decided to go Home as she had something to do and decided it would be later than she thought on us getting back to Dublin.Then we decided to go on the right Bank of the unpaved section of Canal as far as Newcastle direction. But having gone only 200metres we discovered it consisted of hard core gravel and plenty of mud with puddles of water. I decided it was a bad idea,I did not fancy the idea of Punctures and changing Inner Tubes especially as it was too cold and someone might fall off their Bikes and get injured. So we headed off to Peamount ant then Newcastle on the Public road instead.
We got to Newcastle but we were not sure where Oughterard was so we looked at a map and took a Picture of it. Myself and our Girl companion looked at our Google Map GPS on our Mobile Phones then we set off. We started going up a deceptive Hilly road ,it looked a gentle slope but got steeper and longer the further we went. I just got tired and had to walk but the other two went up the Hill like Goats. We were a fair height up and a nice view in the distance. It was great going down the other side of the hill through rolling countryside. The road levelled out and we kept going then I seen a main Road on a Hill ahead with Traffic shooting past. I said to the others it must be the Naas Road and Castlewarden. Where is Oughterard we said, at this stage we were feeling the cold and some of us just wanted to get Home. So we decided if we seen a sign for Oughterard we would have a look at the great mans Grave before heading Home. We reached Newcastle without seeing any sign so headed off back along to the Canal at Adamstown. I eventually left one of them at Harolds Cross Bridge then the other person at Portobello and went on the New Cycleway to Sam Becket Bridge on the Liffey then crossed to the Nth side of the City to head Home.
It was a very pleasant trip with good company with much jokes and Hilarity. A cold stiff Breeze on the way out but was grand on the way back and we flew along on our Bicycles.
Total Estimated distance to Castlewarden about 31 KM. Total Distance there and back Home 72km.
