Ireland the North 2. Day 9. Downings

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Ireland the North Day 9 Downings.

The weather is getting better and better with a good forecast for all this week. We were born lucky. At least we weren’t hampered by the hordes of people today that were in Ardara yesterday to attend the ’graveyard mass’ in the nearby churchyard.
The Atlantic guest house can be recommended for a self catering stay in Ardara in plush rooms and modern kitchen.
The hill heading north straight out of town was a rotten trick hitting us before my legs had warmed up and the gears were working overtime on my Kinesis to cope. Rolling hills were the pattern for much of the day apart from one long hill in Glenveagh National Park with a wonderful descent down the other side with a tail wind. We manage to find traffic free country roads with lovely smooth surfaces and an excellent cycle path alongside a major road north to provide a pleasant cycling experience. The Irish roads have great surfaces for cycling and are in stark contrast to those in England. We must pray harder. At our coffee stop we had to wait for the kettle to boil which was a bit of a disappointment when we had to have that instant stuff and not what we now call proper coffee. The toilet was a similar standard being a gravel track behind the shop. As we were about to set off a wanderer cycled in with front panniers and bags and looking like he had been left out in the sun for months. He was from
Washington DC on his 9th trip to Ireland on his old steel bike with rat trap pedals doing a 31 day trek zig zagging around. Lunch was at a cattle trailer conversion called Kibbon Coffee which served sausage rolls and cake with vegan options for those who don’t believe in proper food. The day was warming up so off with my base layer shirt discreetly so as not to show off my six pack to the unwary. Up and down more hills and stopping to photograph even more waterfalls and the remains of a railway viaduct, and a memorial, at Owencarrow where a train derailed in 1926 killing 4 people.
Doe Castle is in the Downings Bay, a castle owned in the past by the Mac Sweeney clan. Legend has it that Aileen Mac Sweeney jumped from the highest window of the castle after her father murdered her lover, who was the son of his bitter enemy. The Irish Romeo and Juliet.
Whilst Lorna is off swimming in the very cold sea we are now settled into Cuan na Long guest house getting our washing done. Magic.

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Photos

Lunch stop
Kibbon Koffee

Doe Castle
Downings