[Guest]

Decided to head to Achill for 2 days staying in B&Bs but when i mentioned it to Phoneix it changed to a 3 day camping trip. Great! :lol:

We met in Lisburn on Wednesday and had to wait on my brother for a change! Phoneix and i were there for the site, and my brother Phil and another friend Paul on his Triumph Tiger. ChrisHXS joined us on Achill from Kerry direction.

Here's us just about to leave my parents house

This is us setting up camp in Achill

This was Chris's first time camping i think and a dry run for taking his son out camping on the bike. As with all decent camping trips every day was started with a good fry. Phoenix was our resident cook, and even had a think for his fairy liquid!

Phoenix and the washing up! (the big pansy he is :lol: )

The weather was great but a bit cold during the nights. The only on-site facilities was one running tap as the campsite was offically closed!

We spent the Thursday just riding around the Island taking pictures and relaxing. There is a large hill with a mast on it which you can ride up to. We got up and then there is a 1/2 mile hike to the top of the hill with brilliant views. Phoenix and I decided to ride up to the top but gave up after about 1/4 of the way. On the way back i got stuck in the mud and left a rather large trench! As Phoenix shows with his size 14 in it!

We all then walked up, but on getting back down to the bikes Phoenix realised that he had left his gloves at the top and had to run all the way back up again. Oh how we laughed!

Views from the top:

We spent the rest of Thursday looking for the deserted village on the island. After asking several people including the local Garde, we found it. As far as we know it was deserted during the potato famine all those years ago. The trail up to it proved rather great fun so here are some pics of us playing on it.

We decided to leave early on the Friday and it was Phoenix's wife's birthday and he didn't want to be too late home. We got up early and had a fry as usual but still managed to leave by 8:30! It was hard to leave though as the morning proved lovely if a bit cold.

Some early monring shots.

Chris and my brother got some pictures too and they might be added later.

This was the best trip i've been on so far on any bike. It was made it by the people on it. We spent both evenings in a lovely local pub with a local session on the wednesday night. Rather a lot of drink was consummed by all on the Wednesday night and it did take Chris a while to decide that his breakfast was going to stay down. Phoenix even managed to shower us all with a mouthful of cider as a result of one funny comment! Thanks mate!

 

[Guest]

Fantastic. In my opinion that's what bikings all about.

 

[lootch67]

Loverly! Now all I need to do is find out where this island is. Hope it's not too far from where I live.

 

[Guest]

Loverly! Now all I need to do is find out where this island is. Hope it's not too far from where I live.

This is were it is. Its well worth a visit, but give us a shout if you do venture this way.

http://makeashorterlink.com/?Z62C3280D

 

[Maverick]

Loverly! Now all I need to do is find out where this island is. Hope it's not too far from where I live.

It is on the west of Ireland and really stunning, was there last year on our Ireland weekend trip. The island is very quiet and some stunning views. My digital camera card packed up on the trip but still got some film I need to scan in that I took there.

 

[Guest]

Yippee!! I'll only be 100 miles from there in July when I spend a week based just outside Athlone.

 

[Chad]

amazing shots simon thanks for sharing it with us

 

[Carport]

Nice pics chaps :thumbright:

 

[piguglyshandydrinker]

WOW, superb stuff guy's.

I really must get over there sometime.

Phil

 

[ChrisH]

It was great to meet you all.... brilliant few days, really enjoyed it :lol:
Got a few pics, but with the dial-up speed we have it may take a while to post them, got some good panoramas. Here's the sun rising before we set off for home....

ps never ate so many sausages in such a short period of time :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[ChrisH]

A few more pics:
The camp

Breakfast (sausage, sausage and more sausage.....) The building behind (Kitchen) housed state of the art stainless steel work surfaces/sinks/hobs, all facilities....... firmly locked and completely Out of Bounds! But who needs that sort of luxury anyway!!

Deserted village, an amazing place with possibly 30+ houses with the old ridged potato beds still visible in front of the houses

 

[cabbage2404]

That looks great lads

 

[lootch67]

This is were it is. Its well worth a visit, but give us a shout if you do venture this way.

Thanks Simon. Sadly I don't see how I'll be able to visit the island in the near future on the bike. Will definitely give you a shout when I find myself in you valley though.

 

[samih]

Looks like you had a great trip. Pity my holidays were all planned for the year. Give us a shout if you plan another trip over a weekend.

Achill, can't beat the place. The athmosphere is just unbelievable. Love that ghost village and Keel Camping.

 

[fawcettpark]

Have you ever been to the Valley Bar on Achill, its an old manor house thats run as a hostel. The owners are all into music and the place is full of nutters from all over the world. Most nights of the week you can guarantee music and drinking till 4am. They do camping and beds in the hostel for a couple of quid. Pretty rough and ready but after a few hours of guiness, whi cares. I've been to the west coast four times on the bike and always gone back here. You will have so many stories to tell when you get away from there. The last time we went we played pool with Father Jack. He was the spitting image. I have promised the wife I'll take her there to show her the real Ireland. Do you suggest anywhere else on the coast.
Cheers

 

[Guest]

Have you ever been to the Valley Bar on Achill, its an old manor house thats run as a hostel. The owners are all into music and the place is full of nutters from all over the world. Most nights of the week you can guarantee music and drinking till 4am. They do camping and beds in the hostel for a couple of quid. Pretty rough and ready but after a few hours of guiness, whi cares. I've been to the west coast four times on the bike and always gone back here. You will have so many stories to tell when you get away from there. The last time we went we played pool with Father Jack. He was the spitting image. I have promised the wife I'll take her there to show her the real Ireland. Do you suggest anywhere else on the coast.
Cheers

Anywhere on the westcoast. On down towards Kerry and Cork, the Dingle pinnisula. If you're free at the end of the month, 30th June to 3 July 4 or 5 of us from the site are heading down the west coast for a few days camping if you can join us

 

[GeoBloke]

Lovely place, innit? I hired a bike 3 years ago(from predictably named Northern Ireland Motorcycle Hire. Good blokes. Not far from the airport. They'll even pick you up) to attend my best mate's wedding in Connemara and made time to ride the whole country, including Achill. Top place to ride, Ireland. Beautiful scenery (especially the west coast) and absolutely top people. Lost count how many times I got "adopted" at some pub or invited in for tea. Worst hangover of my life achieved after a night in Baltimore sampling every whiskey on the shelf with some fishermen. Against my liver's wishes, I keep going back to Ireland.