Day 12 – Carlingford to Balbriggan

Harbourside picnic breakfast brought from the hot deli in the village shop, because my otherwise excellent hotel started serving breakfast at 9am and I wanted to get away.

First stop a few hundred metres away was the Irish Fokelore and Leprechaun park. It’s a free attraction in a little public park on the seafront. I saw no leprechauns or fairies.

The roads weren’t busy as I tracked the coast eastwards. The tide was out and tractors were out on the flats tending to the oysters.

The lanes were a flutter of red and white flags and bunting. These are the colours of County Louth, whose GAA team won the cup on Saturday for the first time in 68 years. It seemed every house had some sort of flag flying, though there were lots of different designs.

Dundalk was lovely. Much lovelier than the ride along the main road to get to it. I did a bit of shopping, some sight seeing and sat a while in the sunshine. Fortified by cake, I set off around the coast to Black Rock, a charming and seemingly thriving seaside village.

Through Castlebellingham and Annagssen, I battled a stiff breeze. At Lurganboy, the coast turned south and Port beach opened out in front of me. It was hot. I was working hard. I treated my feet to  paddle.

On to Clogherhead. Coffee at the Beach Hut. It was mid afternoon and really was too warm to cycle.

I turned inland, following the estuary, drifting along the waterside road, propelled mostly by the breeze. The day was really taking it out of me and I had little left in the tank.

Drogheda welcomed me with its magnificent railway viaduct. It spans the Boyne valley, carrying trains 30m above the water and high above the ships that still use this port.

Drogheda is much bigger than I was expecting. It’s not big enough for its traffic. I waited inn the queues getting nowhere fast, so I bailed and walked the bike through town.

A long, late afternoon break left with the illusion of being rested and thinking about where to stay for the night. I picked Balbriggan 15 miles away.

I’d forgotten I’d be cycling into the wind down the other side of the estuary. The four miles to Mornington were a beautiful ride. For me it was a battle against an empty tank.

I stopped in Bettystown. I stopped on the beach in Laytown. A short spell on one of the regional highways left me searching for an alternative route and I crossed the border into County Dublin on a lovely back lane and rolled down the hill into Balbriggan at 6.30.

Day totals: 74 miles,  1,507ft of climbing

Tour totals: 702 miles,  3,120