3 minute read
Cycling through Lyre
Cycling through Lyreacrompane
Kieran Stafford
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I left Kenmare this morning with a smile on my face. Josephine had not charged me for the B&B and indeed she even made a generous donation as did her other guests. If you are ever in Kenmare, stay at Cloghereen Cottage, Josephine is one of life’s good people.
Out from Kenmare I headed for Killarney over the MacGillycuddy’s. When you do this type of journey on foot or on a bike, you really realise how beautiful this place really is. The scenery up in those mountains kept my mind in the clouds and away from the physical pain that I was enduring trying to push that bike up nine miles of a climb. Coming down the other side I stopped at Lady’s view for coffee and a chat with some tourists, I even persuaded one of them to take my picture.
I got to Killarney and cycled a little through the National Park, went down to Muckross House and then the Abbey and drove the jaunty’s mad cycling on their trails. Anyway it was too touristy in there for my liking so I hightailed it through the town and headed on for Farranfore. It was here that Mid-West radio rang me and did a slot recording with me which they are airing throughout the day – very cool and very good of them.
I tried to get off the main roads today because I was being murdered by the non stop traffic and today was my first day to battle the lorries, sweet Jesus the lorries!!! They mow you down at speed, so dangerous, especially on Ireland’s main roads with no hard shoulders. At Castleisland I decided to go cross country to Listowel. On the map I noticed a backroad route that took me more or less straight to Listowel, the map had a small hill drawn along the route so I was expecting some minor climbing – that aint what I got though. What followed were the three single most horrific climbs that I have ever cycled – ever! (Later at Jim and Nora’s in Listowel, Jims son told me that the hill is known locally as Lyracrumpane and the first climb is classed as a professional cycling grade 1 climb. Anyheeeeww, I did not cycle the dam thing. I aint got no racer, I have a big heavy bike with big heavy panniers so I pushed the bike for some of it – even trying to walk the climb nearly killed me. I cycled the other two climbs though in "air" gear.
The weather caught up with me today, I met thunder and hail coming out of Killarney and when I was up in Lyracrumpane, I ran into two heavy showers. I invested in a new cycle jacket last week and it was tested today. It works well, totally waterproof and fully breathable. Well worth the money.
I’m at Jim and Nora’s in Listowel now for the evening. Just had a shower and rejoined civilisation. God it feels great, and wouldn’t you know it the sun has not stopped shining since I got myself indoors. I’m gonna walk into town later for some food, need high protein nosh as I am burning 1500 calories each day according to my cycle computer. Bye bye spare tyre – hopefully. Weather forecast for tomorrow is awful and I am still plagued with that head wind, but hey – I’m happy singing along there to myself on that bike.
Listowel Petty Sessions
Nov. 1918. Kerry Sentinel. Constable Scully summoned a man for not having a light attached to his donkey’s car. The defendant who did not appear had, the Constable stated, the lamp on the car and the candle in his pocket (laughter in court). The defendant was fined 2s 6p and costs.
John Carroll, bailiff, summoned a man named Flaherty for abusive and threatening language. Carroll stated that on the night in question he was employed at Tierney’s Merry-go-round in the Square when Flaherty wanted to get up on it while it was in motion. He (Carroll) prevented him from doing so and the defendant and others with him called him a bailiff, (which he was!!!) and threatened him. Flaherty was bound to the peace.
