THREE DAYS IN CONNEMARA

Located in the north west of Co Galway, Connemara is an area of desolate natural beauty and incredible scenery. This is the start of my latest cycle ride around the coastline of Ireland. Local tourism say the best way to see Connemara is by car. Actually it's not. The best way by far is to get on a bike, travel slow and feel the fresh air. Looking at the photo below, I would have missed this place in a car but this delightful spot was easily found down a rough track on our bikes and my friend went wild swimming.

Our first experience from the road leaving Galway City was to see large numbers of gannets diving fearlessly into the sea at a near vertical angle to catch their prey. This is one of nature's wonders.

Galway Hookers are a traditional way of preserving the past and we soon discover a pair tied in harbour

Local people say these vessels are in their DNA, their bones, hearts and heads. Historically they were the traditional fishing boats for the area designed to work in the harsh Atlantic weather and today they live on with many restored and others built new with modern facilities

We cycle through Clifden to Leenaun travelling 130 miles and taking three days. The coast is wild with seemingly unpolluted waters while inland we view boglands and rivers winding their way through numerous small lakes. In the distance there are the 12 Pins of Connemara, a range of mountains providing a stunning backdrop. This is an encouraging start. Please also view twitter for my latest tweets.