Day nineteen: Warrenpoint to Holywood

After breakfast we headed for Newcastle and our final hole at Royal County Down. Despite a rather eccentric weather forecast the night before on tv predicting the warmest day of the year, we got soaked as we pedalled through what can only be described as a torrential sea mist. After twenty odd miles of this, the weather lifted as we arrived in Newcastle at Royal County Down and we were met with some bemusement as we tried to explain what exactly we were trying to do. They very kindly agreed to let us play the ninth hole and even provided a buggy and driver (Jimmy) to take us out to the tee. Jimmy halted play so that we could tee off and gave us advice on where to aim etc and even spoke to us as if we were proper golfers, but spent most of his time searching for our golf balls in the rough.
Our largest crowd of the tour (Stephen's parents, Pat and Eddie) gathered around the green to watch us finish and we shook hands on the end of the golf and Stephen's victory (and course record). With only the cycle home to complete, we had lunch then set off. Neil's eccentric mounting (of his bike) resulted in a gashed ankle and dislocated saddle. It was agreed that while spectacular it was not as entertaining as his "James Brown...I Feel Good" mount.
On the way Neil did a live interview with George Jones on the radio just outside Ballynahinch. Little or no offence was caused, and a man in a yellow van let Stephen and John listen on his radio. Celebrity status did not seem to affect Neil's cycling and we continued knowing that by the time we got to Carryduff it would be downhill almost all the way home.
We survived the horror of the Forestside junction and arrived back at Holywood Golf Club to be met by our loved ones blowing horns and with lots of balloons. We had a couple of drinks in the by now hot summer sun before going home.

And so for this trip, no more golf, and no more cycling......

Today: 58 miles

Final total: 1182 miles

If you have been following our blog, let us know at cycle@tourofireland.co.uk, and don't forget we are trying to raise money for The Breast Cancer Campaign so go to www.tourofireland.co.uk to donate.

Thanks for following our progress, we will continue to update our fund raising progress in the coming weeks.

Cheers

John, Neil & Stephen

Day eighteen: Malahide to Warrenpoint

A day filled with golf and cycling (unlike yesterday).
The day began with the intrepid team cycling from Malahide to Portmarnock before breakfast. This turned out to be a bit further than we thought and nobody there knew anything about what we we doing. They let us play our hole (the 14th) which we played almost like proper golfers.
We returned to Malahide for breakfast and tearful farewells with families before departing.
Dissapointingly the next course we were heading for was only a good 3 iron from Malahide in a straight line (not one of our 3 iron shots then), but that was across a bit of the sea. So we had to cycle the long way round (about 10 miles) to get to the Island Golf Club. Golf and a bit of lunch there before heading on. Stephen now had a commanding lead in the golf he would do well to lose.
We left for Baltray, which we took a rather roundabout route to get to, but the welcome was well worth it. After playing their first hole they treated us to an excellent meal although, not surprisingly, they didn't let us anywhere near the Lady Presidents lunch.
With a detailed hand drawn map from the pro off we went again, spirits high as we would be arriving home tomorrow.
Realising we still had a fair distance to go to get to Warrenpoint by dark, it was heads down as we passed Dundalk and across the border to Newry. Downhill into Newry and completely flat to Warrenpoint helped considering it was just short of 100 miles for the day. The captain of Warrenpoint golf club bought us a drink in the bar (our celebrity status having spread far and wide). A pint of Guinness and a gravy chip later we went to bed.

Today: 98 miles
Total: 1124 miles

Day seventeen: Malahide

Day seventeen was another excellent day: no golf and no cycling.
The day was spent either at Dublin Zoo, sightseeing in the city centre or in Stephen's case repairing the Moulton (aka "The Heap of Junk").
After a swim with the wives and kids and a meal out at the local Chinese restaurant all retired to bed. Apparently summer holidays can be like this....

Day sixteen: Gorey to Malahide

Day sixteen began well with the discovery that Des had removed our damp washing from the washing machine and had hung it in front of the fire to dry (after returning from a party late the previous evening). It turned out that in the absence of firelighters he had used a blowtorch to light the fire. He then got up the next morning to make us breakfast.
All ready to go Des thought he had seen the last of us as he waved us goodbye. Unfortunately at this point Stephen's Moulton bike completely fell apart, the skewer holding on the rear wheel breaking. This seemed like a startlingly original way of not having to do any more cycling by Stephen, but Des had other ideas. After trying to use parts from his daughters bike he decided the best plan was for Stephen to use his mountain bike. Stephen was overjoyed that his odyssey was not yet over.
And so we proceeded to the European Club at Brittas Bay, where we were met by the owner, course architect and president (the legendary) Pat Ruddy. The hospitality wa excellent, the golf poor before we cycled on to Malahide to meet our families.

Day sixteen: 75 miles

Total: 1026 miles

Day fifteen: Midleton to Gorey

A long, long day cycling with not much else. To keep our spirits up Neil designated this "International Day of Song". This followed the previously unannounced "International Day of Drivel", "International Day of Nonsense", "International Day of......".
We left Midleton and cycled via Youghal, Waterford, New Ross and had tea in Enniscorthy. Realising that we would not make our intended destination, Neil phoned his friend Des who let us stay in his house in Gorey. Unfortunately he was going out to a party so he met us on the road to give us the key. Despite a puncture in Neil's tyre (see picture) we made Gorey before nightfall, and then to bed.
An otherwise somewhat dull day was improved by the discovery that the big news was that the world record for a gathering of people dressed as Smurfs had been broken in Castleblayney Co. Monaghan with a total of 1253 people. Front page news (honestly!).

Day twelve: 54 miles
Day thirteen: 75 miles
Day fourteen: 40 miles
Day fifteen: 125 miles

Total: 951 miles

Day fourteen: Old Head of Kinsale to Midleton

After breakfast we cycled to Old Head Golf Club (all three of us this time) On arrival we were greeted with lots of apologies for our treatment the previous night and they couldn't have been nicer on what turned out to be one of the best days of the tour so far. Old Head is a fantastic place and a wonderful golf course and we were allowed to play a complete round rather than our usual one hole. They lent us sets of clubs each (in pink bags of course) and two buggies and gave us lunch afterwards.
Only a bit of cycling to do....
We left later than we had hoped but headed off towards Waterford via Cork. In Cork we got a bit lost and decided to call into the local Garda station for directions. They decided that the best way would be through the tunnel but then realised that bikes were not allowed. After deciding that it was just too difficult to describe the route through Cork the best idea seemed to be that we would follow a squad car through the tunnel! So we then chased a police car along the streets of Cork (with blue light flashing). At one point John hit a bump in the road and his panniers fell off so our friends with their blue light had to wait while these were retrieved.
Luckily we made it through the tunnel unscathed if a little breathless and headed on to Midleton where we stayed at a B&B.
All of the team are now sporting ridiculous suntans...tanned on arms with white hands, and tanned on legs from cycle short length down to just above the ankles with white feet. Very sexy I'm sure.

Day thirteen: Killarney to Kinsale

Day thirteen began with a trip to The International Hotel and a go on the virtual golf there in order to sort out Neil's disintegrating golf swing (with limited success).
On we went up and down various hills and an excellent lunch along the way in Mills Inn. On reaching Bandon we stopped for directions (plus bananas, snickers & drink, which has become our most common meal), and then cycled on for the Old Head of Kinsale. Having eventually found out that we had cycled past where we were staying (Neil having decided not to ring earlier) Stephen & John decided to go on to the golf club in the hope of a free sauna or some such thing. Neil decided he had had enough and announced he was going to have some Hool-a-hoops then go to bed.
On arrival at the golf club, Stephen and John were point blank refused entry by a man on the gate. Perhaps he had a problem with pink lycra. They then went straight to the local for dinner and a pint.
Arriving later at the B&B, Neil was found asleep in bed. I believe it was almost 9:30pm.