A Ride Around Lough Gill

A much better weather forecast today, no rain all day, back on with the cycling clothes and bike out ready for the day’s ride. No rain, the route put into the garmin and we were off. Must have been operator error that had gavster instructing us to do a u turn continuously for the first 5 miles but then he got the hang of it and to be honest we had a map so he was only really needed to record the journey.
It was a scenic ride so only one stop of significance, Parke’s Castle, which had been extensively renovated after 300 years of abandonment and decay. There was a very good audio visual presentation about this site and other ancient sites around the area, burial mounds, Irish tower houses etc.
The guided tour was delayed to let us finish the AV presentation, but then the 4 people on the guided tour were the 4 in the AV theatre. Seamus, the guide, told us all about the castle and it’s beginnings with O’Rouke family, the leader being executed for helping a Spanish Armada captain and crew to get back to Spain in 1588. The castle was then given to a Captain Parke of the English army together with 1000 acres on condition he protected it for the crown. His daughter, who inherited the castle, and her husband decided it was too difficult/dangerous to live there and abandoned it to live in their other home, Lissadell House. So started the 300 years of decay.
Continuing around the Lough, stopping for picnic lunch and back home to complete a 37 mile ride.Read more