Trip to Maynooth Sunday 13/2/11 Dimanche 13éme Feb Voyage au Maynooth sur le velo

Huston Train Station ,Luas Tram, Kingsbridge/ Gare Huston et Luas Tram, Pont du Roi 8.00am.

Ricardo,Sara,myself./ by Nayroka

Village du Maynooth ,Maynooth Village / by Nayroka.

Ricardo ,Nayroka, myself ce moi, Sara. la Chateau Fitzgerald Maynooth   /by Nayroka

Le Rendezvous ,Routiere Conyngham pour le Grand Depart,Sara  et Nayroka 8.25am

Sara and I ,Ce moi et Sara ,Conyngham Rd

Waiting to head off at 8.30 am outside the Bus Garage on Conyngham Rd.

Col Knockmaroon, Chapelizod , ascente  tré  forte pour 1 KM ,couvent ste Angel's ,Village du Chapelizod/ Knockmaroon Hill beside the Holy Angels Convent,sudden very steep hill for 1 KM

Strawberry Hall Pub,Lwr Rd Lucan / le Auberge Strawberry Hall,Routiere bas Lucan.

Riviéré Liffey,les Couche  Strawberry , River Liffey StrawberryBeds

Riviéré Liffey ,Lucan.River Liffey Lucan

Nayroka et Sara Traverse Pont Lucan, Sur Liffey.

Sara and me beside Lucan Bridge.Pont Lucan

Rendezvous avec Ricardo devant Hotel de Police Village du Lucan/ We meet up with Ricardo at Lucan Police Station.

3KM from  Maynooth Nayroka and Sara beside sign

3KM from Maynooth ,Royal  Canal, La Canal du Royaume 3Km par Village du Maynooth

La Chateau Fitzgerald Sicle 1164 Ad  Village Du Maynooth.

Peloton au Cyclistes par Club Stagg /,Le Magazin Velo/ ,par Village du Lucan Traverse Village du Maynooth

Peloton of Cyclists from the Stagg Bicycle Shop Lucan passing through Maynooth Village

The big House ,Carton Estate/ La Maison Carton ,le Grande Maison au le Noblesse Riche18emé sicle. ,au le present moment Hotel et  Club du Golf,situate en le Grande quanite de Terre,Hectare immense

The Boat House, La Maison Bateaux,Carton,sur Ryewater.

Nayroka

Ricardo .

Carton House, la Grande Maison Carton

Arrived back Home ,distance covered 69.23 KM and 3.00pm/  Arrive  mon  Maison ,distance fine 69.23 KM et 3.00pm

 My Cycling Clothes dumped on the Surly after I got Home.Mon Vetements Velo apre le Voyage sur le Surly LHT.

The Weather was Damp and dreary but no Rain Meteo 8C  when I headed of at 7.30am for our Rendezvous at Conyngham Rd Bus Garage. I arrive at 8.00am mad to early owing to no Traffic  on the Road because it was Sunday Morning. Nayroka was first to arrive at 8.25am then Sara and we headed off promptly up the Chaplizod Rd 3 Km to Chapelizod Village.

Then up Martins Row then the rather nasty sudden steep Knockmaroon Hill for 1 KM. That was the only really nasty Hill of the Trip ,the rest of the way to Maynooth was relatively easy going. Then down the Hill into the Lwr Rd or the Strawberry Beds and continued for 5KM to Lucan Bridge on the River Liffey. We stopped there awhile to take Pictures of the Weir. It is very Picturesque in the Strawberry Beds ,a bit of Old World Country Charm and yet so close to Dublin City.
We went to the Police Station in Lucan Village and met up with Ricardo then continued our journey .Up the Hill on the  Celbridge Rd pass the Ball Ally Pub then down and turned left then up onto the Bypass then onto a Cycle Lane up to the Roundabout and turned off for the Rd to Leixleip then about 3KM to the Salmon Leap Inn and the Bridge over the Liffey leading into the Village of Leixleip.

We eventually went through  Leixleip  Village and another Hill up Pound Street then Station Rd for 1 KM to Louisa Bridge on the Royal Canal but it was not a bad Hill. We continued on until we were about 3 KM away from Maynooth until we came to a Sign stating it County Kildare was Twinned with Lexington USA and Deauville France,out came the Cameras and more Pictures.

When we arrived in Maynooth it took us about 1  1/2 Hours  10.am from Conyngham Rd 23.5 KM Distance.We had a look at the Fitzgerald Family Castle built in 11.64 AD which is a Ruin with just the Walls Standing on two parts of it and it was closed,more Pictures.Then we had some Coffee and Sandwiches in a Café close by. I brought them to see the Carton House Demesne,the Former Stately Home now a Hotel and Golf Club at the start of the Village. This place has a huge Acrage of Land with the Ryewater River running through it and the Grand House of the former 18Century Nobility who ruled over the Lands of  Maynooth . The Trip was  worth it just to see Carton Estate alone. These People do not like you walking on their Grass particularly if Golfing is in progress and we were just the Vagabonds passing through on our Bicycles. The whole area is devoted to Golf with the main course and also a huge Driving Range. The Parking area was full of BMW's and other Luxury Cars. We must have remained for an hour viewing the scenery and taking Pictures. Then we headed off through the main Gate which was 3KM from Maynooth Village rather then going back to the Village out onto the Dublin Rd to head back to the City.

We left Ricardo at Lucan Village and continued back through the Scenic Strawberry Beds for the 5KM to Knockmaroon Hill then back 3KM more to Conyngham Rd. Then we left Nayroka at Capel Street Bridge and I eventually left Sara at Cathal Brugha Street off O'Connell St to go Home.

We had a marvellous Day out with the Sun Shining every so often. I got back to my House at 2.59pm and I looked at the Bike  Computer, I had done 69.23KM overall.

Sunday's Trip to Trim Castle ,more Photo's of the trip.

I am innocent I did not do it,no Egg's Please.Je suis innocent ne pas culpable ,ne pas jettee le oeuf's sil vous plait /Photo par Ricardo/

Trim Castle ,Trim County Meath, La Chateau Trim  Comte du Meath.   /Photo par Ricardo

Having Banana' Sandwich's loads of Potassium for Cyclists in them 3KM from Trim.   /Photo par Ricardo.

Les Trois Musketeer's au le velo,Ricardo ,Nayroka , John.   /Photo par Nayroka/

mmm??/Tré interessé possibiliti bon photo, interesting might snap it,   / Photo par Ricardo.

Sunday first long Cycle of 2011trimCastle county Meath/1ere de longue Ranndonée velo Chateu Trim ,Comte du Meath Dimanche an 2011

My two companions/mon deux compagnons,Ricardo from Portugal and Nayroka from Brazil at the Start on Conyngham Rd Routiere Conyngham  depart   7.30am  Weather was 1C but no Ice very very cold/ Meteo 1C et Tré Tré Froid mais ne pas glace

Myself and Nayroka

Chilling out and getting some Coffee's 3 km from Trim,Nayroka was suffering badly from sore Feet because of the Cold/Nayroka suffre tré mal á le pied parce le froid et marche la voie et restez pour demi houre et consummere le Caffé et nourritee snack's

Stopping for Coffee's and a Massage 3kmfrom Trim

Young Foal ,Trim/Jeun Cheval

First Castle to be Built it was destroyed by the Irish High King Rory O'Connor beside St Mary's Convent and facing the new Castle across the River Boyne. /1ere Chateau Trim Detruit par Haute Roi du Irlande Rory O'Connor proche Couvent Ste Marié sur le Gauche ,face le nouveau Chateau Traverse le Riviére Boyne.

Boyne River/le  Riviére Boyne

myself /ce moi

Nayroka par Brazil

Ricardo par Portugal

Trim Castle Built for the Norman Lord Hugh De Lacy  AD  1160 /Chateau Trim Fabriquet  pour le  Seigner Normande Hugh de Lacy .AD 1160

The Castle is spread over a large section of Land/ La Chateau Trim Contenu un grande quantite de terre

Sculpture in Batterstown Village mid point of our Cycle 22km from Trim and 23 from Dublin/Village du Batterstown ,Sculpture,  ,22km par Trim et 23km par Dublin midi distance á le Ranndonée

M 50 Motorway Castleknock/autoroutiere M50Castleknock

Sunday 30th January, I belong to the Dublin Social Cycling Group and I go off on Cycles with them every so often.This trip to Trim was proposed by a Brazilian Girl and I said I would go Weather permitting. There was supposed to be at least 6 and 4 maybe's,the maybe's did not go and 3 of the yes's did not turn up so it was just myself and two other's .It was a freezing cold   Sunday morning  1 Celsius when we met up on Conyngham Rd across from the Gates to the Phoenix Park at 7.30am. I arrived first at 7.15 am then the Brazilian Girl then a Portugese chap last.
We headed off eventually at 7.45am just as it was starting to get light off up the Chapelizod Rd ,then up Knockmaroon Hill I got off and pushed the last 50  metres then the Strawberry Beds on Lwr Rd. It was Beautiful Cycling along but very misty and gloomy in the Liffey Vally with the River alongside us. Then after 4 km we went up Rugged Lane,a very steep Hill for 1 km,I got stuck and had to walk up it while the other two went up it like Mountain Goats. I was just getting over the Flue and not feeling the best but it stil was very steep and would not have made it anyway.
On to Luttrelstown Rd then to Clonsilla then after a few more km to Mulhuddart then Clonee. Next to the Motorway Flyover on the M3 then on to Bracetown then we nearly ended up on the Motorway,very bad signage. Ever since they put in these Motorways in Ireland there is always a problem for Cyclists due to their Micky Mouse signs, they are alright for Motorists but not for Cyclists. We continued on to another Roundabout then went on a minor Rd with the M way running alongside us. Then we continued on another Rd until we got to Batterstown Village then eventually 3km from Trim.
We stopped at a Service Station because Nayroka's Feet was freezing and she had to walk around a bit to get the feeling back. Ricardo gave her Feet a massage and she put some Cling film on it to ease the Pain and we got some Coffee's and some Food in the Shop.
Then we Ambled into Trim and the Castle,lot's of foreign visitors and Locals viewing the Castle in spite of the Cold. After looking at the outside we went inside the grounds of the semi Ruin,it is very big and spreads over a good deal of Land and is the biggest Castle in Ireland. Built by Hugh de Lacy in AD1160 . There is the ruin of the first Castle to be Built across the Boyne facing it. This Castle was Destroyed by the last high King of Ireland Rory O 'Connor.
We had a great time in Trim and seen Loads of Cyclists on the Road in Meath mosly in two's or three's but one group was in a Peloton of about 3 Hundred.
On the way back Nayroka was suffering badly from her Feet and was not going very fast so after Batterstown things got steadly worse. Then by the time we reached Blanchardstown Nayroka had to get a Taxi back Home to the City. Ricardo had already went on ahead after leaving Batterstown so after Nayroka got the Taxi I was on my own. I decided to go back to the City a different way by way of Castleknock then through the Phoenix Park. It was  Ghostlike in the almost Pitch Dark of the Phoenix Park with it's Victorian Street Lamps throwing out a very dim Light and the Park itself was nearly dark ,this was after 5pm. We had covered  90Km there and back 45.57KM each way.

It was a very enjoyable trip in spite of the Freezing Cold.

Sunday spin to Howth.

Outside St Annes Park/Face Parc Ste Annes

outside St Annes Park/Face parc Ste Annes, Raheny

At the Old Red Stables St Annes Park/proche La Ancienne Centre d'équitation rouge,parc Ste Annes

Cycleway ,Raheny/  Chemin duVelo, Raheny

Farmers Market Howth Village/ Marché Ferme Village du Howth

Harbour Road Howth/Routiere de la Port  Howth

Farmers Market /Marché  ferme, l'enfant fille regarde le confectionaire fudge avec plaisir.

Bread and Cakes StalFarmers Marketl/Boulangerie et Patisserie,Marché ferme Howth

Fish and Chips/Poisson et Frites

NewBike Shop/Nouveau magazin au le velo,  Howth

View of Howth Village from Balglas Hill/Vue au  Village du Howth sur Col Balglas

myself at the Lighthouse/ce moi pres du Phare avec mon Velo Surly LHT

The Weather got very mild after Christmas around 11  - 12 C and after the last Bike Ride to Howth last Week I decided to go off again this Sunday.  I headed off into Saint Annes Parkland  first and I was shocked by the amount of People there. Loads of People with Dogs and Children and People on Bikes with their Children. It was Lethal ,very hard to avoid not hitting them ,I had to keep slowing down and say excuse me. Dogs straying into my Path off the Lead and more with long Leads,I just had to hurry up and get out of there fast.
Loads of People walking and  Cycling on the Cycleway out to Sutton . It is great to see all this activity with more and more People Cycling and also walking. I eventually got to Howth and had a look at the Farmers Market then took a spin up one of the steep Hill's out of Howth Village to see how the new  Bike handled it.


It is a great Bike for the Hills the Surly LHT, it went up it like a Mountain Goat. One of the Pictures is taken from Balglas Hill of the Village. I did not bother going up the rest of the way to the Summit.

There is a great new Bike Shop on the Harbour Road,The Bike Hub, worth having a look at for Bikes and accesories. I got a Bike Computer off them last week,there is Bike Parking in the Shop which is nice.
Finally a Picture of myself beside the Lighthouse on the East Pier.