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the wild atlantic way and western ireland. 6 cycle tours along ireland's west coast. tom cooper. cicerone press paperback. 251pp illus. £14.95

wild atlantic way and western ireland - tom cooper

when i lived on the ayrshire coast, waking each morning to views of the isle of arran, that view was all i could offer by way of recommendation, never once having visited the isle in the 25 years of living opposite. i do remember that, during my college years, i would tell my unknowing flatmates that, when the tide went out, we'd walk across to arran. most of you will know that this is a compete fabrication. my first visit to arran was during a cycle trip to visit my parents who still lived with that view of the isle. the quickest way to get from islay to ayrshire was to ride via arran and take the ferry to ardrossan.

happily, the same cannot be said for ireland, the northern coast of which, on a clear day can frequently be seen from the southern parts of islay. in 1998, a collague and i took the now defunct ferry from campbeltown to ballycastle, before cycling south to dublin over two days for the start of the tour de france. my second visit to ballycastle was on a chartered fishing boat, once more for a grand tour, but this time, the giro d'italia, when its belfast start was followed by a second day along ireland's northern coast.

it rained all day, but the sailing was beautifully calm.

wild atlantic way and western ireland - tom cooper

so, technically, it would not be too much of a trouble to take bicycle, baggage and self once more to ballycastle and head west to derry in order to follow tom cooper's prescribed route from the north all the way down the atlantic coast, ultimately arriving in cork in the far south. if you happen to be domiciled on the green isle, you have the option of undertaking a series of individual tours, such as the author's opening gambit; a tour of donegal. this takes the form of a nine-day parcours, averaging around 50km per day, allowing considerable off-the-bike time for sightseeing. of course, if 50km is the sort of distance you'd usually dispatch before a hearty breakfast, you are free to combine one or two of the stages and reach donegal town in time for tea.

wild atlantic way and western ireland - tom cooper

of course, prior to departing, the prudent touring cyclist will have taken care of business, a task made considerably easier by cooper's excellent appraisal of the necessities, ranging from bike choice (a touring road bike gains the thumbs up, or a mountain bike with road tyres) to getting there, where to eat and a comprehensive précis of the region's history and geology.

as with all cicerone guides, pertinent colour illustrations abound, along with box-outs along the way to highlight a particular feature of the town or area through which we will all hopefully be cycling sometime soon. i sometimes wonder if these guides are more rock'n'roll than jazz, detailing as they do, every twist and turn, leaving almost no room for improvisation. but while such freedom of choice might seem attractive when sitting in a fireside armchair in the comfort of your own home, on a wet and windy day on ireland's west coast, being led by the hand through every twist and turn would probably be even more comforting.

wild atlantic way and western ireland - tom cooper

the daily distances portrayed are well within the powers of any competent cyclist, even if riding with luggage is not your normal practice. let's face it, cycle undertakings such as those discussed here, will likely form part of a holiday; who wants to bust a gut when on vacation. tom cooper has astutely provided a complete section entitled waterproofs, one which commences "be prepared for wet weather." as one who resides but a matter of miles north of ireland, i can testify to that. this point is reinforced under the 'tent' heading: "Sooner or later, there is going to be a downpour..."

though i've yet to undertake even one turn of an irish touring wheel, i cannot deny that i actually quite enjoyed reading this guide as bedtime reading, even if the word 'reading' is a euphemism for 'looking at the pictures'. if this is a bike ride you think would suit your abilities and sense of adventure, mr cooper's guide would be an indispensible accessory atop the bar bag.

wild atlantic way and western ireland

saturday 4 august 2018

twmp ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................