8 Reasons Ireland Should Be on Your Bicycle Bucket List

Scattered throughout Ireland’s wild countryside are many of the island’s prized cycling destinations. We’ve been biking Ireland’s amazing coastlines and our own Henrick Murphy has single-handedly lead multiple trips through the land he calls home. Frankly, there is no better way to bicycle Ireland. We’ve checked into every castle, tasted every stew, and sang our hearts out at every pub (as well as tossing back a pint or two in the process). The Irish research has been extensive (and delicious!) but nowhere near exhaustive.

There are hundreds of travel guides online. It’s hard to know precisely where to start your journey. Here at Ciclismo Classico, we live and breathe Ireland as much as we do Italy (after all, founder Lauren Hefferon is half Irish). Ireland is as much our home as it is Henrick’s. That’s why we’ve put together this list of the 8 reasons Ireland should be on your bicycle bucket list. Here we highlight the villages, landmarks, culture and monuments that make trips like our Ireland’s Dramatic West Coast departure a unique vacation of a lifetime.

Low Car Traffic

The best way to bicycle Ireland is to ride with as few cars on the road as possible. Riding your bike along the secluded Connemara National Park has some unique advantages. One of those is the lack of automobile traffic on the quiet country roads. Since it is mostly locals and residential farmers using these lanes, they’re in perfect condition and very clean. There is nothing as invigorating as whipping down a hill on the Emerald Isle. Cruise along silky smooth roads with no cars obstructing your path – or your view. Just the wind in your hair and melodies of Any Tipperary Town in your ears.

They Speak your Language

Unlike many other bike tours in non-Anglophone countries, there is no language barrier in Ireland. When you pull into a pub and ask for the bathroom, they’ll understand what you’re looking for (although they won’t understand why – pubs are for pints, laddie!). All of those awkward dinner moments in Spain and France seem to be a distant past now that you can express – in English – what your specific dietary needs are to the wait staff!

But, English is not the only language in Ireland. Gaelic comes from the parent Celtic language that originated in the north. And with almost 2 million Gaelic speakers in Ireland, you’re bound to experience some Fáite as you roll up to our hotel.

For example, the island of Inis Mor takes us back in time to this exact old Ireland, uncontaminated by modern life as now found on the mainland. It is here that we’ll have our first exposure to Gaelic, over a few pints of beer.

Biking Ireland and Unparalleled Views of the coast

One of the biggest highlights of our Dramatic West Coast is exactly that: the impressive views created by the power of the North Atlantic. There is no other European destination that combines the majestic sea-cliffs with the serenity of sandy beaches as well as Ireland does. And to combine these views with a bicycle tour of Ireland make the perfect match.

Many travelers know the Cliffs of Moher well. These bluffs rise 702 feet at their highest point, spanning a stretch of over 5 miles along the Atlantic. The sheer scale and dramatic impact of these rock formations never cease to amaze and delight a humbled observer.

But the cliffs are more than awe-inspiring. This is a protected wildlife area, guarding over 20 species of seabirds. Over 30,000 breeding species migrate annually including kittiwakes, peregrine falcons and even puffins!

Irish Culture

Today’s modern Irish culture is a mix of old and new; ancient and modern.

Since the Celts were the founders of the island, they brought with them more than just language. They filled the hills and dales with magical legends and mysterious tales.  As a pre-christian Ireland, wild mythologies about woodland ferries, leprechauns and mermaids made their way into the timeworn lore. As you bike these roads along the coast, you feel how the ancients invented such amazing stories explaining their natural surroundings.

Yet modern culture focuses a bit more indoors. The pubs in Ireland are not only a place to drink but a place to meet friends, and make new ones. The Irish pub culture is famous all over the world. It is a scene of merriment and harmony. The local musicians replicate traditional music through solely Irish instruments such as the fiddle, flute, mandolin and bodhran (drum) among others. We’ll have a hard time getting you back to the hotel after-hours. But then again, why would you want to go?

Ancient Architecture

The ancients not only filled Ireland with folklore but also with archaic architecture.

Consider the portal tombs – or dolmen – of over 5,000 years ago. There are over 180 of these prehistoric stone chambers in Ireland. They have generally the same shape: two larger stones places side by side, with an enormous capstone resting on top, leaning on a lower back stone. The exquisite Poulnabrone Dolmen, for example, with its 6-ft high portal stones, lies just near Ballyvaughan in County Clare. Loosely translated as the “Hole of Sorrows” in Gaelic, an 1986 excavation uncovered the jumbled bones of 22 individuals entombed here just 10 inches underground.

But it’s not only prehistoric structures we’ll discover along the route.  Together with the Book of Kells, the High Celtic Crosses are Ireland’s biggest contribution to Western European art of the Middle Ages. The locals used the cross primarily as religious meeting points and boundary markers. But without a doubt the west of Ireland has some of the earliest – and most beautiful – of this unique regional sculpture.

Galway: European City of Culture 2020

As one of the liveliest and most artist centers nestled in Ireland’s western Coast, Galway is the only major city along the Wild Atlantic Way. Galway is fierce and bohemian yet full of workmanship, culture, music and exceptional food. It is as popular for its thriving city center as for its long sandy beaches.

Galway enchants visitors who explore the cobbled streets and admire the bright shop facades. Soak in the offbeat coffee and pub culture. It is well known for its summer events. And when Europe elected Galway as a European Capital of Culture in 2020, it gave the residents a bigger reason to throw a party.

The festival held in Galway this year will be the largest and most complex cultural fair ever held in Ireland. Enjoy the music and bicycle Ireland. It will run from February 2020 to January 2021, coinciding with the Celtic Calendar. So do not miss out on the festivities!

The Music of Doolin

Clare is probably the most musical county in Ireland. And Doolin the most musical village in Clare.

Doolin was once a quiet fishing village, nestled away in the corner of Clare. Over the last few decades it has become a magnet for fans of traditional and modern music from all over the world. It has also established itself with an international music festival unequaled anywhere on the island.

The Doolin Folk Festival is an annual event taking place every June, highlighting the local traditional talent. Its inspiration comes from the festivals of the 70s and 80s. It presents powerful music in an intimate setting. Doolin is acclaimed for the diversity of its music program and the hospitality of her people.

Henrick Murphy

We can’t say anything about Ireland if we don’t mention Henrick. He is Ciclismo Classico’s special Irish connection. The laughter, the history, the culture and warm pub stories come alive from his own personal experience. As a native of Ireland, there is no one better to show you her secrets.

Henrick is a man of many talents, of extraordinary athletic skill and of cunning wit. You’ll have the pleasure of traveling with him on many trips such as the French Alps to the Riviera and our Mediterranean Island Hopping. But to see Ireland through Henrick’s eyes is to experience Ireland as only Ciclismo Classico can do. So sign up today, raise a glass, and see why Henrick keeps smiling!