TURLOUGH O’BRIEN, from Carlow, is CEO of Carlow Voluntary Housing Association and manager of the Carlow Senior Football Team. He developed a love of cycling as a teenager and has cycled extensively in Ireland, England, France, Switzerland, Italy and USA. With a deep interest in ancient pilgrimage routes, he has cycled the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Rome, as well as cycling the Camino de Santiago on many occasions.

Stay up to date with the author at:

@TurloughCarlow

www.rotharroutes.com

Downhill to Old Leighlin, County Carlow

Crossing the bridge over the River Nore at Inistioge in County Kilkenny

To my wife, Mary and our sons Cian, Darragh and Ronan

Contents

Acknowledgements

Map of Route Start Points

Quick-Reference Route Table

Introduction

How To Use This Book

Routes

1. The Curragh of Kildare

2. Timahoe Loop

3. Castledermot Circuit

4. The Hidden Sky Road

5. To Arthur’s Way and Beyond!

6. Barrow to The Nore Loop

7. Bilboa and Back

8. Ring of Hook Bike Route

9. Durrow Loop

10. East Carlow Circuit

11. Johnstown Castle Ring

12. Sallins Loop

13. The Bog of Allen Circuit

14. Vicarstown/Emo Circuit

15. Carlow Town Loop

16. Abbeyleix and Wolfhill Route

17. Ballitore/Glen of Imaal Circuit

18. On the Trail of the Saints

19. Rebel River Route

20. Lap of the Lakes

21. Dunbrody Trail

22. Bagenalstown/Drumphea Route

23. Paulstown Route

24. Tour of the Blackstairs

25. Inistioge Route

26. North Kilkenny Cycle Route

27. The Three Sisters Tour

28. Ollie Walsh Way

29. Slieve Blooms – The Three Peaks Challenge

30. Follow Me Up to Carlow

Acknowledgements

A task such as this could not have been completed without the help, advice and support of many.

The seed was sown by Dermot Mulligan, curator of the wonderful Carlow Museum; but for his encouragement the opportunity would have passed me by.

Behind every good man is a good woman and my wife, Mary, was not only as supportive as ever but was also my cycling partner on many of the routes. In the earlier routes she really tested my levels of fitness as she chatted freely while I could hardly draw breath!

My sons Cian, Darragh and Ronan goaded, prodded and cajoled me in equal measure to keep going and to focus on completing the book, one route at a time.

Thanks to my brother Dermot and old friend John Owens for cycling some of the routes; it was so much easier with company.

Map of Route Start Points

1. The Curragh of Kildare

2. Timahoe Loop

3. Castledermot Circuit

4. The Hidden Sky Road

5. To Arthur’s Way and Beyond!

6. Barrow to the Nore Loop

7. Bilboa and Back

8. Ring of Hook Bike Route

9. Durrow Loop

10. East Carlow Circuit

11. Johnstown Castle Ring

12. Sallins Loop

13. The Bog of Allen Circuit

14. Vicarstown/Emo Circuit

15. Carlow Town Loop

16. Abbeyleix and Wolfhill Route

17. Ballitore/Glen of Imaal Circuit

18. On the Trail of the Saints

19. Rebel River Route

20. Lap of the Lakes

21. Dunbrody Trail

22. Bagenalstown/Drumphea Route

23. Paulstown Route

24. Tour of the Blackstairs

25. Inistioge Route

26. North Kilkenny Cycle Route

27. The Three Sisters Tour

28. Ollie Walsh Way

29. Slieve Blooms – Three Peaks Challenge

30. Follow Me Up to Carlow

Quick-Reference Route Table

Cúl na Sneachta and beyond, Mount Leinster, County Carlow

Introduction

My interest in cycling grew out of my family’s involvement in the GAA. My father, Jim, was County Secretary when I was a young teenager. During the summer holidays I was enlisted to deliver the post by bicycle to all the club secretaries across County Carlow. I quickly got to know the beautiful townland names and the shortest routes along the back roads of the county. And it went from there!

For years I’ve been cycling the back roads of south Leinster and working out the best routes to open up this unspoilt landscape for fellow cyclists and visitors. The biggest difficulty has been deciding what to omit: there is unbelievable variety in the south-east, serviced by a terrific network of local roads – over 14,000km of roads in Counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Laois, Kildare, Wicklow and Wexford. This guide covers just short of 2,000km and involves almost 20,000 metres of climbing!

Whether you like the challenging gradients of the mountains or freewheeling in the flatlands, this guide has you covered. No matter which route you ride, you are sure of a memorable cycle.

Ernest Hemingway said, ‘It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.’

As I meandered along the boreens of Kilkenny in particular, his words rang true. Kilkenny is far from flat, as you will discover!

Cycling heightens the senses. One of the many joys of cruising along the back roads on your bike is hearing songbirds in the hedgerows and trying to identify which birds you hear. And the sense of smell is stimulated with the earthiness of freshly ploughed fields, the musky scent of fields of rapeseed or the smell of freshly cut silage.

I have been amazed, as Mike Carter observed in his 2011 book One Man and His Bike, published by Ebury Press, at ‘how much I could tell about a vehicle approaching from behind: how big it was; how quickly it was traveling; how aggressively it was being driven, even … being able to extrapolate, from all that noise, how much room it was likely to give me while passing’.

The network of back roads is one of our great cycling assets, particularly valued by urban dwellers. It allows the mind and body to relax and enjoy hassle-free cycling for mile after glorious mile. Nothing beats the feeling of effortlessly ghosting along on these quiet roads with a wind at your back. There is a great sense of a true journey, where every turn in the road, every hill climbed becomes a milestone, a feeling that can never be obtained travelling by car.

I loved every aspect of writing this guidebook: researching routes and local history, identifying places of interest that are off the beaten track; then cycling the routes, mapping and photographing them and writing descriptions. I have aimed to provide you with ready-made routes that will provide you with hours of fantastic cycling in one of the world’s best cycling environments and all in stunning locations.

These hidden gems are unlocked by the marvellous network of local roads across the region; with this guidebook in your backpack all you have to do is get out there and enjoy the beauty of south Leinster.

The routes are circuits to allow you start and finish at the same place, and are of varying distances. Many of the routes intersect to form a necklace of routes, allowing you to combine routes if you desire to extend your cycling.

South Leinster is part of Ireland’s Ancient East and the region is abundant in heritage sites. There are so many points of interest on all routes, it is like travelling in a time machine as you are transported through the ages.

I wish you a fair wind for your cycling across south Leinster!

How to use this book

At the beginning of each route is some key information of the route characteristics: the location, grade, distance covered, the height gain of the route, duration and my verdict of the route. There is also a ribbon listing the towns and villages visited. For example:

Bagenalstown

Bagenalstown – Ballinkillen – Drumphea – Altamont Gardens – The Fighting Cocks – Bagenalstown

Grading

The routes are graded as follows:

Gradings are subjective but are consistently applied. The shorter the distance, generally the easier the cycle. I have factored in the amount of climbing and the recovery between climbs, which is indicated on the elevation charts supplied.

Obviously, inexperienced cyclists should begin with the shorter distances and not be too ambitious, especially in tackling hilly routes.

The routes utilise the local and regional road network as much as possible. I have tried to stay off national routes, indeed sometimes the routes are extended to avoid busy sections of national routes.

Because many of the routes follow local roads in remote areas it is best to have a cycling partner along in case of mechanical problems or accidents. At the very least, always let someone know where you are cycling and at what time you expect to return.

Principal road numbers are shown on the maps. I recommend bringing the appropriate OS Discovery maps, which can provide greater detail than the illustrative maps here in the guide.

Comfort and Safety

The number one thing that turns many a novice cyclist off cycling is … a sore bum! Wearing padded shorts is essential when cycling for any significant distance.

A comfortable saddle that is a good fit will also help.

You don’t have to be dressed like a competitor in the Tour de France but I do recommend wearing bright clothing on a bike. Being visible is vital, especially when weather conditions deteriorate or light fades. There are lots of cheap and sensible options available now to ensure you are kept both warm and visible.

I recommend layers; you can put them on or take them off as conditions dictate.

Don’t leave home without a helmet. All cyclists experience a fall at some stage and a helmet can be life saving.

Cycling gloves do more than keep your hands warm: they are padded to reduce friction between your palms and the handlebars, dampen vibrations and prevent numbness. They are also used to wipe sweat away from your brow and are very handy if you are unfortunate enough to have a tumble!

Good footwear is as important when cycling as when walking or running. Many cyclists use dedicated cycling shoes and use clip-less pedals which attach them to the bike. These assist in a more efficient cycling technique, which is very beneficial on longer routes. At the very least, I recommend a runner with a hard sole for comfort.

There are all kinds of lighting options nowadays. Most lights are removable to prevent theft and you should always bring lights with you; it’s not worth getting caught out because a cycle took longer than anticipated or light conditions deteriorated.

It should really go without saying, but I will, anyway: obey the rules of the road. Keep well to the left but be careful because of drains, potholes and debris. If cycling as part of a group, two abreast is recommended but not when overtaking. Use clear hand signals when turning and approaching roundabouts while being careful to keep control of the bike.

A rear-view mirror is a useful addition. These can be handlebar- or helmet-mounted.

A set of panniers or a small backpack are very useful for carrying snacks and fluids, additional clothing – the weather can change suddenly and there is nothing worse than a drenching on a long-distance cycle – and possibly a camera.

It’s all about the bike

There have been spectacular advancements in bicycle technology and design; there are purpose-built bikes to choose from – racing, mountain, commuter, hybrid and even recumbent bicycles. Don’t feel it is necessary to spend a fortune to acquire a bike capable of completing the routes in this book. The first time I cycled the Camino in Spain I did it on a town bike!

There are a few essential requirements to ensure cycling is safe, comfortable and efficient. Make sure you have the right size of bike: frames come in different sizes and it isn’t a case that one size fits all. Make sure to get this basic right, regardless of the type of bike you use.

Most modern bikes come with plenty of gears. This is important as you will be cycling on a lot of hilly routes and you need to be able to select the gear that allows you to pedal at a comfortable rate. The gear you use is down to personal preference and you will want to be able to select a gear to suit the terrain and weather conditions; cycling into a wind requires much more effort than having a tailwind. Good gear selection reduces the effort required to maintain a comfortable cadence.

All these routes can be completed on almost any type of bike – as long as the bike is well maintained. Have it serviced regularly.

Equally important is to give a pre-check before you leave the house.

• Check your tyres for wear and tear, and check the air pressure. Proper air pressure is really important; under-inflated tyres create a drag and slow you down – and are more likely to puncture.

• Inspect your brakes – really important on these hilly routes! Worn brake pads should be replaced; you are playing Russian roulette on wheels if you are not inspecting them.

• The chain should be oiled and lubricated (lightly). Ensure the gears are not slipping and that gear shifting is smooth.

• Check pannier racks are secure and that nuts are tightened.

• Make sure you have a good pump, spare tubes, a puncture-repair kit, tyre levers and a multitool in case of emergencies.

Useful websites

My website, www.rotharroutes.come has lots of information on cycling at home and abroad.

Tourism

http://carlowtourism.com

www.kildare.ie/tourism/

www.southlaoistourism.com/activities/cycle-trails/

http://visitkilkenny.ie/kilkenny_trails

www.visitwexford.ie

http://visitwicklow.ie

Heritage

www.heritageireland.ie/en/south-east/

www.megalithomania.com

Transport

www.buseireann.ie

www.irishrail.ie

www.jjkavanagh.ie

Cycling

www.connect.garmin.com

www.cyclingireland.ie

www.cyclinguk.org

https://cyclist.ie

www.irishcycling.com

www.ridewithgps.com

Climate