I'm getting bored waiting for the German HU meet and fancied a few days accross in Ireland in Early April. Has anyone ever travelled from Troon to Larne with P&O? Did you need your own ratchet straps or did the boat crew strap your bike down for you?

There are straps on the boat,
usually plenty about,
which way are you going to head when in Ireland ???

I don't have any plans to go to a particular area. I just fabcied a wee trip before the HU in Grmany (I'm getting stir crazy). It's only £80 return from Troon to Larne, that's almost as cheap as Ryanair Edinburgh to Dublin
Are there any wee 'ballykissangel' type villages with a nice wee hotel?

As The Celt says there is loads of straps and stuff on all the ferries to Ireland. Also there is plenty of help available if you run into any grief with securing the bike.

It's a good time to travel Ireland right now, days are getting longer and weather is getting dryer so you should have a great time. Keep to the B+B's if you want cheap accomodation. Ireland is getting famous for it's mad B+B owners at the moment, so you will have a good laugh, get good local advice and surely meet other travelers at the breakfast table. They are everywhere too so no hassle finding one and I have always found them bike friendly.

To be honest you can't go wrong and the pub's will always be full of people wanting to help you. Let me know if you need anything more specific and I'll do my best for ya.

By the way if you have time go to Tory Island, it's just off the coast of Donegal and is home to Irelands last King, his name is Patsy Dan and they are making a film of his life now so get there before the world finds out about it. I stayed on the Island 3 years ago for €10 a night and it really is like going back in time there by about 40 years. Irelands best kept secret and it's soon to be revealed. The best ferry route is from Mhachaire Rabhartaigh (pronounced maha rorty) and is not too far north of Letterkenny. Only other tourists there will be other people from Ireland so go and see it and keep it to yourself sshhh.

Have a good one.

Hi Jim,
you'll find plenty of wee villages like that all over,
If i was you id head up the Antrim coast road (fantastic road)
plenty of sites, then into Derry and then county Donegal and just get
lost you'll have a ball, plenty of offroad tracks in county Donegal.
Regards
joe

Howya Jim

like the boys say, there a re lots of people to help here. North is nice , beautiful in fact but the people you meet are the making of the trip.

I am 60 miles south of Dublin on the M7.
turn at Portlaoise for COrk ( N8) and the next town is Abbeyleix.
Small friendly town with a 150 year old pub called morrisseys.
There will be a bed in my house for you if you want, just let me know in advance.

Gary

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Life is for Living - so Live

Cheers.
That's very nice of you

Just took a 7 day bus tour through Ireland with the family. Great country and people. I was very suprised at the lack of motorcycles on the roads. The tour guide thought it was the raining weather. The rural roads are a bikers dream with a 100km/hr speed. An R1 might have trouble even averaging this on some sections we went through.
The Ring of Kerry was a highlight for me though I was stuck on a bus!
Have fun. Oh and take the counter clockwise direction on the ring, the buses take it this way. The car rentals that didnt take that advice would scare themselves silly as our bus came around another blind corner.

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To a man with imagination, a map is a window to adventure.
Sir Francis Chichester

Get off the ferry at Larne then follow signs for Coast Road. This is one of the most beautiful coast roads anywhere in Europe. you will follow little villages like Glenarm, Glenarriff linking each other. Stay on the same road and it will eventually take you to Bushmills, home of the supposedly famous Bushmills Whisky where you can have a tour of the distillery. keep going and you'll arrive at Portrush, Portstewart....all coastal roads and absolutely beautiful. More little villages than you could shake a stick at and you could do it all in just a few days if you wanted to.

Chris

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"Life is too short to drink cheap wine!"

Thanks sounds like a plan. I'm still stuck at work at the moment but in a few days I'll be free
Jim