Two Trips to the Emerald Isle by “Faed” (1886).
“We pulled up at an old ruined castle, where the moonbeams were playing fantastically among the battlements, and casting deep shadows down by the wall; mounting on to, and seated upon, the buttresses of the bridge which carried the road across a deep and brawling stream, we gazed our fill at this moonlit scene, a pipe of tobacco aiding in completing the quiet enjoyment of the hour.
We could not help reflecting upon the eminent superiority of cycling for viewing such country as we were touring through; for none of these out-of-the-way little nooks, upon which the cyclist continually comes unawares, would ever be seen by the railway tourists.”
~ Two Trips to The Emerald Isle – Faed (1886).
Cycling in Ireland.
A Touring Trip to Killarney.
This thirteen day, 1,066 km ride (with an extra one or two preliminary day trips from Dublin adding a further 135 km), was the first on the Emerald Isle to be published as a book.
Written by the well known London cycling journalist and editor of Bicycling Times and Touring Gazette, “Faed” – an anagram of “deaf” and the nom de plume of Arthur James Wilson, who had lost his hearing after contracting scarlet fever at the age of 12. “Faed” obviously enjoyed his time in Ireland that much, he would move to Dublin four years later to work for Dunlop tyres.
Today, many of the roads covered in 1886 are busy and often dangerous National or Regional roads, so we have selected the quieter adjacent single track Local roads and “Greenway” cycle paths, sticking as close to the same route as possible and taking in the same attractions, hotels and restaurants visited by Faed, where they still exist, together with any further places of interest nearby.
This is a beautiful cycling holiday for fit adults, with a mountain hike and a few boat tours thrown in for good measure.
The majority of the route is on paved roads, however some stretches follow gravel paths, and, given Ireland’s hilly terrain, there’s plenty of challenging climbs along the way.
A Touring Trip to Killarney.
Preliminary Tour(s).
0 km ~ Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin.
13 km ~ Kilakee.
16 km ~ Featherbeds.
19 km ~ Glencree.
21 km ~ Lough Bray.
31 km ~ Powerscourt Demesne (min. 1 hour visit).
37 km ~ Johnnie Fox’s Pub.
44 km ~🚶🏻♂️Marlay Park (no cycling).
—
70 km ~ Threecastles Castle.
79 km ~ Russborough House & Park.
83 km ~ Poulaphouca House & Falls.
(Dodder Greenway Cycle Path)
134 km ~ Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin.
A Touring Trip to Killarney.
Day 1.
0 km ~ Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin.
7 km ~ Dundrum.
17 km ~ The Scalp.
20 km ~ Enniskerry.
22 km ~ Powerscourt Estate (min. 1 hour visit).
29 km ~ Sugarloaf.
44 km ~ Roundwood.
56 km ~ Glendalough (min. 30 mins visit).
59 km ~ 🚶🏻♂️Glendalough lake & Poulanass waterfall (½ hour walk).
76 km ~ Rathdrum.
78 km ~ Avondale Forest Park Cycle Trail (3 km).
88 km ~ Avoca.
94 km ~ Woodenbridge Hotel, Vale of Avoca.
A Touring Trip to Killarney.
Day 2.
0 km ~ Woodenbridge Hotel, Vale of Avoca.
23 km ~ Gorey.
43 km ~ Fr. Murphy Centre
58 km ~ Enniscorthy.
80 km ~ Roche’s Tower, Wexford.
85 km ~ Wexford.
A Touring Trip to Killarney.
Day 3.
0 km ~ Wexford.
(+ 7 km ~ Possible Excursion: Johnstown Castle).
44 km ~ Post Office, New Ross.
52 km ~ Glenmore.
(South East Greenway cycle path under construction).
70 km ~ Reginald’s Tower, Waterford.
70 km ~ The Tower Hotel, Waterford.
A Touring Trip to Killarney.
Day 4.
0 km ~ The Tower Hotel, Waterford.
(Waterford Greenway cycle path).
47 km ~ Dungarvan.
49 km ~ Lawlor’s Hotel, Dungarvan.
A Touring Trip to Killarney.
Day 5.
0 km ~ Lawlor’s Hotel, Dungarvan.
23 km ~ Cappoquin House & Gardens.
24 km ~ Cappoquin.
(⛵ Blackwater Boating canoe tour available).
30 km ~ Lismore Castle & Gardens.
40 km ~ Dromona Gate.
42 km ~ Dromona House & Gardens.
45 km ~ Villierstown.
(⛵ Blackwater Eco Tours 90 min boat ride available).
62 km ~ Clashmore.
71 km ~ Youghal.
84 km ~ Killeagh.
99 km ~ Midleton.
130 km ~ The Imperial Hotel, Cork.
A Touring Trip to Killarney.
Day 6.
0 km ~ The Imperial Hotel, Cork.
40 km ~Macroom.
56 km ~Inchigeelagh.
74 km ~ Gougane Barra.
74 km ~ Gougane Barra Hotel.
89 km ~ Carriganass Castle.
100 km ~ The Stuffed Olive cafe (was Vickery’s Hotel), Bantry.
A Touring Trip to Killarney.
Day 7.
0 km ~ Bantry.
1 km ~ Bantry Bay Boat Hire.
~ ⛵ Bantry Bay Charters Marine Tour – 3 hours.
2 km ~ The Stuffed Olive cafe (was Vickey’s Hotel), Bantry.
19 km ~ Glengarriff.
37 km ~ Turner’s Rock Tunnel.
57 km ~ Cromwell’s Bridge, Kenmare.
57 km ~ Kenmare Stone Circle.
58 km ~ The Lansdowne Arms, Kenmare.
A Touring Trip to Killarney.
Day 8.
0 km ~ The Landsowne Arms, Kenmare.
28 km ~ Muckross House.
29 km ~ Muckross Abbey.
31 km ~ Castlelough Castle.
34 km ~ The Great Southern Hotel, Killarney.
38 km ~ Ross Castle.
~ 🚌 Coach to Kate Kearney’s Cottage.
~ 🚶🏻♂️Hike Gap of Dunoe to Lord Brandon’s Cottage, Gearhameen.
~ ⛵ Gap of Dunloe Traditional Boat Tour to Ross Castle.
41 km ~ Killarney House and Gardens (no cycling).
42 km ~ Glebe Car Park, Killarney (site of Graham’s Glebe Hotel).
A Touring Trip to Killarney.
Day 8 Alternative.
0 km ~ The Landsowne Arms, Kenmare.
28 km ~ Muckross House.
29 km ~ Muckross Abbey.
31 km ~ Castlelough Castle.
34 km ~ The Great Southern Hotel, Killarney.
47 km ~ Kate Kearney’s Cottage.
49 km ~ Gap of Dunloe.
58 km ~ Lord Brandon’s Cottage, Gearhameen.
(⛵ Return to Ross Castle possible on Gap of Dunloe Traditional Boat Tour with bikes, or continue cycling…)
87 km ~ Muckross House.
91 km ~ Old Weir Bridge.
98 km ~ Muckross Abbey.
104 km ~ Ross Castle.
108 km ~ 🚶🏻♂️Killarney House and Gardens (no cycling).
109 km ~ Glebe Car Park, Killarney (site of Graham’s Glebe Hotel).
A Touring Trip to Killarney.
Day 9.
0 km ~ Glebe Car Park, Killarney.
4 km ~ Muckross Abbey.
9 km ~ Cormacs Haggard.
~ 🚶🏻♂️Hike to Mangerton Mountain summit – 5 hours.
~ 🚶🏻♂️Return Hike to Cormacs Haggard ~ 4 hours.
12 km ~ Muckross Park Hotel, Killarney.
16 km ~ Torc Waterfall car park.
~ 🚶🏻♂️Walk to Torc Waterfall ~ 15 mins.
18 km ~ Muckross House.
26 km ~Ross Castle.
29 km ~ Glebe Car Park, Killarney (site of Graham’s Glebe Hotel).
A Touring Trip to Killarney.
Day 10.
0 km ~ Glebe Car Park, Killarney (site of Graham’s Glebe Hotel).
4 km ~ Reen Pier.
(⛵ Boat trip to Innisfallen Island – min. 1½ hour).
35 km ~ Benner’s Hotel, Tralee.
38 km ~ Meadowlands Hotel, Tralee (former home of John G Hodgins, publisher of Irish Cyclist and Athlete).
A Touring Trip to Killarney.
Day 11.
0 km ~ Meadowlands Hotel, Tralee.
104 km ~ Adare.
105 km ~ Desmond Castle, Adare.
107 km ~ Adare Old Station House.
119 km ~ Chapel Russell, Pallaskenry.
(Dublin Dick’s relatives would have been Annie Emily Mecredy and her aunt Anna Eaton – daughter of Rev. M. Eaton, former Rector of Chapel Russell – who lived on a farm in Pallaskenry).
121 km ~ Pallaskenry.
A Touring Trip to Killarney.
Day 12.
0 km ~ Pallaskenry.
22 km ~ Limerick.
24 km ~ King John’s Castle, Limerick.
40 km ~ Castleconnell.
70 km ~ Nenagh.
106 km ~ Roscrea.
Brown’s Hotel (previously Victoria Hotel) was on Castle Street.
(Dublin Dick’s cousin was Richard B. Eaton, St Cronan’s, Roscrea).
A Touring Trip to Killarney.
Day 13.
0 km ~ Roscrea.
17 km ~ Ballybrophy.
144 km ~ Heuston Station, Dublin.
146 km ~ 40 Lower Ormond Street, Dublin.
A TOURING TRIP TO KILLARNEY.
“We were loth to leave Woodenbridge on Tuesday morning. Indeed, so attractive was the feminine company into which we had been introduced before breakfast, that one susceptible youth suddenly discovered that his crank was bent so badly as to necessitate its being sent to Dublin for repairs, while he waited at Avoca for the afternoon train.
Gnashing our teeth with vexation to think that such a dodge had not occurred to us first, we took an affecting farewell of the beauteous damsels, whose images were destined to occupy our hearts for quite several minutes ; and with good roads under our tyres and fair skies overhead, we found the day very cool and refreshing!”
– Two Trips to The Emerald Isle, by Faed, 1886.
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