The Great Western Greenway

We woke to the sound of rain and checked 2 weather websites which gave contradictory weather reports. What to do??? We decided to go for it and it was gong to be one of those rarest of days, when you battle into wind to get to somewhere and when you head back the wind is in the same direction and blows you home. We cycled a short way to join the Greenway and then the rain started so out with the waterproofs but the rain quickly stopped. By the time we had cycled the first 10 km and reached Newport the sun was out. We stopped at Kelly’s and had delicious coffee, scones, jam and cream and struck up a conversation with another cyclist. He had lived here for 15 years having married an Irish girl and on his day off cycled to Newport for breakfast. He lived in Westport Quay and recommended The Helm for us to eat tomorrow evening and even rang his brother in law who worked there to check it would be open. He also recommended a cafe in the next place Mulranny which was 18 km away. We found the cafe and, as we had been told, there were magnificent views across the sandy beach and Clew Bay. Another coffee and shared scone. We continued on another 12 km to Achill, in fact just a little further, as there was no notice to say we had come to the end of the Greenway. Lack of public toilets drove us into another cafe for tea and a shared croissant but it was fortunate as the heavens opened when we were in the cafe.

The whole route had magnificent scenery and passed through rocky moorland, peat bog surrounded by hills, gurgling streams, tarns, sea inlets, beaches of golden sands, an array of wild flowers, cattle, sheep and a variety of birds. There was a “picture” at every turn. The track was mainly a disused railway route, traffic free, great surface and signage.

We returned back on the same route stopping at Mulranny station where we found public toilets so we’re able at last to eat our picnic. We stopped again at Kelly’s, eating inside this time to warm up and read a very interesting article about the father of Grace Kelly, the actress and later Princess Grace of Monaco, who was an emigrant from this area who settled in the US. Grace came back to Newport together with Prince Rainer and they bought some land and built a holiday home but sadly she never saw in completed as she died in a car crash.

55.26 miles cycled in total with 1,614 ft of climbing. When we got back we had supper, washed up and were ready for bed.Read more