Sunday 13th March 2011 Trip to Drogheda

Samuel Beckett Bridge ,River Liffey/ Pont Samuel Beckett,Riviere Liffey

The Head of St Oliver Plunkett in St Peters Church

The Door of the Cell in Newgate Gaol presented by the Mayor Wm Clark of Wrexham Wales where Oliver Plunkett was Imprisoned for 8Months

St Oliver Plunkett was Hanged drawn and Quarted at Tyburn which today is Marble Arch in London.

The Barbican Gate,St Laurences Gate, Drogheda

Nayroka / Ricardo

Le Porte Barbican ou Porte St Laurence,Drogheda

Getting Pictures taken Drogheda

River Boyne and Viaduct

Murals on the Wall beside a Golf Club Baltray

Myself /Ce Moi tré froid

Baltray Beach/ Le Plage Baltray

Martello Tower ,Millmount/ La Tour Martello,Millmount,Produit par le Anglais contre le Armee Napoleon.

 

Drogheda from Millmount,About 5KM away along the left Bank of the Boyne at Oldbridge House is the Battle of the Boyne Site between King William of Orange against King James for the Throne of England on 12 of July1690.

Millmount looking down on Drogheda

Drogheda

On the Train heading back to Dublin

Distance covered overall 91.6 1 KM

Time I arrived back Home 5.18 PM

The Weather was bitterly Cold after a hard Frost Temp, 1Celsius ,as I set out for the City of Dublin at 5.54 am to arrive at 6.30am at Samuel  Beckett Bridge to meet up with Nayroka for our Trip to Drogheda by Bicycles. I arrived at around 6.20am and Nayroka arrived at 6.40am and we set off. It was just after Daylight as we set off down the Nth Wall Quay to the Custom House then up Amiens St to the Nth Strand then up Malahide Rd .

We continued to nearly Malahide then turn left for Swords then on to the R/132 or Old N1, we went through 5 then several more  Roundabouts to avoid the M1 on our way to Drogheda. Every so often we were hit with a Cold Icy Breeze coming from our left but it wasnt bad and we continued steadly on our way to Drogheda 52KM away.

Ricardo said he would met us in Drogheda by taking a short cut from Lucan through Blanchardstown rather than going into the City to meet us. He ended up somewhere in Rathoath lost and had to ask in the Local Garda Station but it was not open but met a Policeman on the Road and after meeting someone else he managed to get on the right Road.

We eventually got to Drogheda around 9.45am and anxious to get somewhere nice and warm and have some Hot Drinks and Food but nowhere was open. So after walking around for awhile we ended up at St Peters Church so we decided to go in to have a look at the Head of St Oliver Plunket and also get out of the Cold for awhile. I got a call from Ricardo to say he was in Drogheda at the wrong Church but would join us in awhile.

We met up outside and went to a very nice Café up from the Church which had just opened up. Nayroka and Ricardo had big Slices of Creamy Cake each and Coffee and I had a Baguette with Chicken and Salad.

We decided to have a look at the Medieval Town Gate,St Laurences The Barbican Gate before heading off to Baltray a further 6 Km up the Boyne at the Seaside to have a look at the Wreck.

We heard that the Weather was possibly going to turn very nasty with Hailstones and strong wind so we were anxious to get to Baltray and back to Drogheda.

We got to  the approaches to Baltray beside a Golf Club and saw these Murals on a Wall depicting Golf scenes so we took some Pictures of ourslves. Then we got to Grassy Dunes but no Beach so we Walked to where we thought the Sea should be and asked a Man with his Dogs,he said to keep going. Ricardo was a bit apprehensive as he did not like the Sand going near his Racing Bike. We came  to Two  Fences with Styles  about a hundred Metres apart that had these Wooden Steps that we had to lift the Bikes over then eventually the Beach. We had to walk about two Kilometres to come to the Wreck at last. It was not really cold on the Beach in contrast to everywhere else and we took more Pictures before heading back to Drogheda.

In Drogheda we had a look at the Martello Tower on Millmont  The big Mound overlooking the City which is said to contain the Grave of the Ancient Celtic Goddess Queen Boánn who gave the Name to the Boyne River which flows through Drogheda.The Story from the Old Myths says that she was told that no one was to look in the Well of Wisdom/Tobhair Segais but the King of the Celtic Millesians Mils Eremon but she had a look anyway. The Waters rushed up and hit her in the Face taking away her eyes and the Waters rushed down the Land and formed the Boyne River. These Martello Towers were Built all round the Irish Coast by the British because of the Threat from Napoleons Army in the 18th 19th Century.

We decided rather than be caught in the bad Weather on the way Home that we should take the Train back to Dublin,myself and Nayroka were glad because we were very tired anyway. Ricardo said he was not tired and could go for many Miles but he was the one who suggested we should take the Train.We left Drogheda at about 4.00pm and got back to Pearse St Station at 5.00pm if we had continued by Bikes it would have been 7.00pm at least.

Then I Cycled the 7 Km back Home from the Station. It was a very enjoyable Day out in spite of the Cold. I had covered 91.6KM all told and time I got back to the House 5.18PM.