Tour de Munster 2012

The ‘Tour de Munster’ (TdeM) is an annual cycling challenge that has been running for the past ten years and has to date raised 100’s of thousands of Euro for various charities.

For 2010 the chosen beneficiary was the Munster branches of Down Syndrome Ireland (DSI) and that’s where my involvement began. To those that don’t know I am the proud parent of three children two boys and a girl. Our daughter Robyn was born in 2005 with Down syndrome and ever since I have done my best to raise badly needed funds for the organisation through a variety of events but mainly through our Rev-up4DSI motorcycle challenge (which BBG kindly supports). It came as no real surprise to me then that when the ‘Tour’ first appeared on DSI’s radar screens that it was handed to me to assist the organisers.

Now those that know me will attest to the fact that I am no cyclist, so I decided that the best way to help on the event was to attend on a motorbike and see where best I could be of use. So on Wednesday 11th of August I found myself en route to Cork with my good friend Arthur tagging along for the ride …and what a ride it turned out to be.

The event itself didn’t kick off till the following morning so we took the corporate decision to go the scenic route to Cork. BMW Motorrad had been good enough to loan me a brand new R1200RT (thanks Steve) for the week so comfort was never going to be an issue and in no time at all Dublin was a distant memory.

After we reached Tullow on the N81 we veered off for the small towns of Ballon (after Arthur’s GPS had taken us into someone’s driveway that is!!), Feenagh and Muine BHeag and although the surfaces were at times ‘challenging’ we made great progress on to Kilkenny. After Kilkenny it was onwards to Clonmel which is the gateway to what I would term as one of ‘the’ best biking roads in Ireland. The road linking Clonmel to Dungarvan (R671/R672) is a road I have had dreams about since I first rode it five years ago. It has a bit of everything, fast sweepers, up and downhill sweepers, positive and negative cambers and all surrounded on either side by the Monavallaugh and Knockmealdown mountains. I led this section and to say it was Nirvana on two wheels would be an understatement but all too soon I found myself in Dungarvan with just the boring (after the R671/R672 most roads are boring!) main road to Cork ahead. After a hearty steak dinner in the Silver Springs Hotel, we had a few cold ones in Cork City before getting the head down, all the while wondering what lay in store for us over the next four days.

Thursday broke to dark skies that looked like we had offended the Munster drinking God’s with our semi early night but that was not going to subdue the fervour of the 120 cyclists now gathering in the car park of the hotel. After a briefing with the TdeM organiser Paul Sheridan, it was off to City Hall under Garda escort for the official send off in front of the gathered masses of media. With minimal fuss, as is Paul’s way, we were off again in no time, this time across the River Lee to Glanmire and onwards to the small town of Conna.

After a quick break we followed the River Bride to Tallow before meeting up with the local fire service for an escort into Lismore town which is overlooked by a fabulous castle. At this stage ‘Ambassador’ for the tour and former World Champion, Sean Kelly decided to swap ‘chariots’ with one of the firemen and travelled in the cab of the tender waving to the gathered crowds.

With the cyclists once again stopping, myself and Arthur decided to continue on the route to another legendary road ‘The Vee’ with a view to finding some photo opportunities. Having ridden this road many times in the past I knew what to expect and it didn’t disappoint! The route is stunningly scenic as well as full of twists and turns as you climb higher into the Knockmealdown Mountains before navigating the most famous hairpin in Ireland as you swoop downhill to Clogheen.

After a brief refreshment stop in Clogheen, ‘The Cheats’ as myself and Arthur had now been christened (due to our use of engines), headed on through Cahir and Tipperary before stopping for lunch at Pa McGrath’s pub in Boher. Having worked for many years in the pub trade I am not a fan of what I call the ‘Flat pack’ or ‘Super’ pubs that now seem to be becoming the norm in Ireland but Pa McGrath’s establishment will never fall into these categories! From the thatched roof and white washed walls on the exterior to the massive fireplace that acts as a centre point to the small bar, this is what Irish pubs are meant to be like.

Once the cyclists had caught up with us, we escorted them through Newport, Birdhill and onto the picture postcard town of Killaloe on the banks of the Mighty Shannon for an overnight in the Lakeside Hotel. With dinner over, the ‘cheats’ wandered into Killaloe itself to stretch our legs and of course to ‘oil’ the elbows. We settled in a bar overlooking the famous multi arched bridge and no sooner were we perched on the high stools than we spotted a ‘#45’ sticker pinned up behind the bar alongside all sorts of nick nack’s from shores near and far. Now to those that don’t know the #45 is synonymous with the late great Irish road racer Martin Finnegan and it turns out that the owner himself (I am sorry but the name eludes me, blame the quality of his beer!) is a former road racer and was good friends with Martin and Richard Britten, small world or what!! After one or two cold beers we duly bid farewell to this fine hostelry, with the sounds of live traditional music still wafting through the warm summer evening as we headed back to the hotel for a nightcap.

Friday beckoned all too early (more for some than others, eh Arthur?) and after once again crossing the Shannon it was up the West Coast of Lough Derg before going cross country to Ennis and on to Limerick for a civic reception with the local Mayor and DSI branch.

After the civic reception things took a twist for the worse as Arthur and I were asked by the Gardai to hold junctions so all the cyclists could remain in one pack as they made their way out of the city. Unbeknownst to us however, the participants intended stopping at a local bicycle shop whose proprietor is a sponsor of the event so as I rolled onto a cross roads to relieve Arthur, behind us and out of Arthur’s view the pack stopped. Luckily I had noticed so I waited further up the road for the participants all the while hoping Arthur would reappear. With the good grace of the local car driving population and no small amount of luck, I managed to steer the pack through the busy streets all the while keeping my eyes peeled for my sidekick.

With a lunch stop arranged for the Woodlands Hotel on the outskirts of Adare I pushed on ahead of the pack to try to get my breath back as the distance between junctions thankfully increased. With only one small roundabout left to negotiate before the hotel, who should I see coming in the opposite direction and with the navigational skills of a dead pigeon only the bold Arthur! Apparently he had sat directing traffic on the wrong road for about fifteen minutes before realising we weren’t coming; I am sure his rather splendid Terenure accent went down well with the irate car drivers!!

After Adare it was pretty much plain sailing on the N21 through Newcatlewest, Abbeyfeale (where we found a shop that sold life size plastic cows…why???) before once again being joined by the local Gardai for a parade to the Fels Point Hotel in Tralee.

After the pandemonium (self created I might add) of the day, ‘Nemo’ (as in ‘finding’ as Arthur was now christened) and I decided to skip dinner and have a wander about the town. The day had run a lot later than was expected so it was now approaching 10pm and most places had stopped serving food, but with a nose like a Columbian sniffer dog, ‘Nemo’ found us a Kebab shop that at first glance didn’t look too bad. Unfortunately we didn’t realise they were actually serving roadkill so after doing our utmost to destroy our digestive system we decided the only thing to do was nullify the effects of the ‘food’ with porter! Now although Nemo can’t find a junction even with a GPS, he does seem to be able to find ‘odd’ characters! No sooner had we found a fine watering hole just off the main street than Nemo found himself being chatted up by a rather ‘friendly’ local gentleman, much to my merriment of course. It was all going swimmingly until said gentleman started dropping money at Nemo’s feet, at this stage, and with tears of laughter streaming down my face, we beat a hasty retreat back to the hotel.

Leaving Tralee on Saturday morning we skirted the town of ‘Camp’ (quite apt for Arthur’s new friend I thought) with the Slieve Mish Mountains on our left and Tralee Bay on our right en route to Stradbally. All the way down the Dingle Peninsula is stunning but from Stradbally to Dingle through the Conair Pass is just mind blowing. The foreboding rock faces that climb into the clouds with sheer drops leading down to Lough Adoon and the Coumanare Lakes would inspire anyone to write. Unfortunately for us the clouds were very low and as such Arthur and I were frozen as we climbed the rock faces to gain photographic vantage points (thank God for heated seats and grips!)

As I sat on a rock overlooking the windswept valley below I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the cyclists as they struggled up what is a seriously steep climb to the top in appalling conditions but as these Lycra clad lunatics reached us all they wanted to do was make sure we got the ‘shot’! As I said, lunatics one and all and I doff my hat to them.

After getting them all past Dingle we again went our separate ways with us pressing ahead towards Annascaul before taking the coast road (R561) to Inch. We decided as we had plenty of time we would stop at a nice wee pub overlooking Dingle Bay for a bite of lunch and we soon found one advertising ‘Good food all day’. Unfortunately for us it obviously wasn’t all day this day as we were told they could phone for a chef!! After making our excuses we jumped back on the bikes and headed inland to Castlemaine and Milltown before taking the R563 to Killarney.

In Killarney everyone gathered once more for a break at Deenagh Lodge which is just inside the National Park. Deenagh Lodge is a restaurant with a difference as aside from its thatched roof and beautiful surroundings nestled amongst the trees, it also gives employment to over 20 young adults with Down syndrome so it was great for the participants to get to meet some of the people that their fundraising efforts will directly affect.

With energy levels replenished it was back on the road, again with Garda escort through the town and out onto the N71. At the foot of Torc Mountain the Gardai held the traffic behind us as the participant’s were about to take part in what is called a ‘Hammer Drop’! A hammer drop is basically every man/woman for themselve’s and so Arthur and I led the way waving to oncoming traffic to slow down and move to their left so as not to hit the cyclists behind us. Now as neither Arthur nor I know anything about cycling, we were taken aback to say the least at the pace that the lead cyclists were climbing the mountain and as such had to be ever alert to leave them a decent gap behind us (you should try riding up a mountain one handed in low gears whilst keeping someone constantly in your mirror!). At the top of ‘Moll’s Gap’ we unbelievably found a DSI volunteer out bucket shaking to add to the funds the event had already raised. Now the local DSI branches were out in force all along the routes shaking buckets and cheering on the cyclists but this solitary figure on top of a mountain deserves special praise and mention!

With the cyclists deposited at the top of the ‘Gap’, we decided we should have some fun too and headed downhill on what is so twisty a road that looking at it on a map would give you the bends! However no sooner had I rounded the first couple of corners than I saw a figure dressed all in black making rapid progress behind me. All the TdeM cyclists wear bright official jerseys so the all black outfit of this guy momentarily threw me but on closer inspection I realised it was the legend himself, the aforementioned Sean Kelly! Now before setting off on the TdeM I had had some good banter with stand up comic PJ Gallagher as it has been his lifelong ambition to cycle with Sean and he was pencilled in to participate before filming schedules had him pull out. I of course being the sympathetic sort that I am took great pleasure in rubbing his nose in it. PJ was gutted, he calls Sean the ‘Irish Chuck Norris’ meaning he is an unbeatable machine and let me tell you after sharing a descent with him I can now only wholeheartedly agree! The descent off Moll’s Gap into Kenmare is 10 kilometres and it absolutely flew past, all I could see was him right on my tail grinning in my mirrors as he pulled some lean angles that defied belief! When we pulled up outside the Lansdowne Arms Hotel (our base for the evening) I shook his hand and told him if cycling doesn’t work out for him that he might do all right with an engine beneath him!

Arthur and I were lodging in a B&B just outside town and on first inspection we were well pleased with its mansion-esque exterior, perched on a hill overlooking the river. When our landlady told us she had no booking for us though we probably should have taken it as a warning, but no, your dynamic duo were unperturbed and were duly deposited in a room that had to have been an architects after thought! Where else would you get a wardrobe that links your bedroom to the en-suite??

After an evening of merriment in Kenmare (where said Landlady’s chicken’s very nearly got kidnapped) it was back in the saddle as we once again hit the N71 to Glengarriff. If Molls Gap and the Conaire Pass had been scenic then the Caha Pass was just awe inspiring! Bedecked in beautiful sunshine the view over the Caha Mountains and Bantry Bay was breath taking and lent itself fabulously to photography. Twist after twist with stone walls and sheer drops on either side and with pitch black tunnels thrown in for good measure make for a road that I will most definitely be back on before the end of this year!

I have to hand it to the Paul Sheridan, the guy knows how to pick his roads and the road from Glengarriff through Ballylickey to Gouganebarra didn’t disappoint! Running alongside Bantry Bay before heading inland through a forest with its myriad of corners as the road quite literally cuts through cliff faces.

After lunch at Gouganebarra it was back on the R584 towards the fortified town of Macroom. It was here that I had a slight faux pas as I sent the lead group of cyclists into the town instead of on towards Ballincollig, sure they were going too fast anyway!

After the briefest of stops for water and to allow all the cyclists gather up once more, it was back on the road and on through Ballincollig to the Carrigrohane Straight just outside Cork City to meet up with the local Gardai for an escort through ‘The Real Capital’!

The mile long parade brought Cork to a standstill but the real fun was only beginning as the finale was to be a Hammer Drop up Patricks Hill! Now most sane people wouldn’t even contemplate walking up Patrick’s hill but this bunch of loonies were positively excited at the prospect of cycling up it!! So with the Gardai blocking off all roads and the hill thronged on both sides with onlookers and DSI bucket shakers, the first group of ten set off with Paul shouting encouragement at them from the start line. At half distance the second group were let away and so on as Arthur, myself and the whole of Cork watched on in amazement! The 23% gradient looks nothing on paper but standing on Patrick’s Bridge looking up I have to admit to being lost for words (you will probably never hear that sentence uttered in my direction again), it almost looks like the hill is going to fall backwards on itself! Legendary cyclist Lance Armstrong still raves about this hill after he got to cycle it a few years back and it’s easy to see why! Every cyclist made it to the top either by pedal or by foot and everyone was cheered over the line equally. It really was a fitting end to a great event that will have raised in excess of €100,000 for DSI when it’s done.

I will leave the final word to one of the cyclists, Damien Schmid:

“A nice, humbling and apt finishing touch, considering the charity involved. Everyone has their uphill struggles to overcome, but with some hard grind, help and encouragement from their friends it can be overcome no matter how daunting it looks.”