Dave Byrnes' Adventures

Round Ireland - 2016
Overview     Planned Schedule     Map     Diary     Pictures
Day: 087
Date: Sunday, 19 June 2016
Start: Skerries
Finish: Dublin
Daily Kilometres: 30
Total Kilometres: 2439
Weather: Raining most of the day, varying from very light drizzle to steady rain.
Accommodation: Charles Stewart Guesthouse B&B
Nutrition: Breakfast:  Cereal, scrambled eggs & smoked salmon, toast & jam
Lunch:  Tuna, sweetcorn & tomato baguette
Dinner:  Pizza, ice-cream
Aches: None to speak of
Highlight: Having the company of Ciaran, a friend and fellow runner from Terrigal Trotters, all morning as we passed through the area where he grew up.
Lowlight: Wet weather and busy roads
Pictures: Here
GPS Track: Here
Journal: My running friend from Australia, Ciaran, met me at my B&B in Skerries and we set out towards Dublin just before 9am.  Ciaran had grown up in the area north of Dublin, so was very familiar with my route for the day.

It started out dry and overcast, but before long it started spitting with rain and proceeded to rain, with varying intensities, for most of the day.  The road and roadside grass verge got wetter and wetter, and there was a lot of noisy traffic.  As he dodged puddles and cars, and often walked in the wet grass verge to give me the better ground, I'm sure Ciaran was questioning his sanity in volunteering to join me.

Nevertheless, we chatted as we walked and the 17km to the town of Swords passed quickly.  Along the way we saw some historic round towers and lots of green fields, but as we got closer to Swords there were more houses and businesses and the roads were busier, though generally with somewhere we could safely walk.

Around 12:30pm we reached Swords, passing the historic castle on our way into the centre of town, and I parted company with Ciaran who was going to catch a bus to the nearby town where he was staying.  It was raining steadily, and I started looking out for somewhere I could take a break out of the rain.  A kilometre or two after Swords I found a service station with a deli and ordered a fresh baguette, which I ate sitting on a bar stool looking out the window at the wet and busy road.  Leaving the dry deli to resume walking in the rain and freshening headwind didn't have much appeal, but I knew this would be my last leg of the trip, and that helped me get out of the door.

From there my route took me through industrial areas and past Dublin Airport before I entered a residential area.  Despite the weather, there were plenty of people out and about and that proved a distraction from my tired feet and wet clothes.  Around 3:30pm I passed by the B&B I had started my journey from three months ago, and ten minutes later checked into my Dublin B&B.

It was a little anti-climactic, since I just wanted to have a shower and change into some dry clothes rather than reflect on my journey.  I guess, if anything, I felt mellow.

The weather, scenery and hospitality I have enjoyed for the past three months have exceeded my expectations, and my expectations for the latter two were high.  But, there was too much road-walking.  If I were to do it again, I would walk all of the quality trails, but catch a bus in between, which would be very doable.  I also think a bike (well-geared) trip around Ireland would be a great vacation.

I am booked on a ferry from Dublin to Holyhead tomorrow morning and then a train back to London where I will stay with friends for 10 days before flying home to Australia, arriving on Election Day.

Having survived the physical rigours of the last three months, more or less intact, I'm now contemplating a bigger adventure for next year, the Pacific Crest Trail in the USA.  It's been on my 'bucket list' for many years, and I think I need to do it sooner rather than later, given my ageing body.

ADVENTURE LIST

 

Round Ireland
(2016)

Hume & Hovell Walking Track
(2013)

Via Alpina
(2012)

Australian Alps Walking Track
(2011)

Land's End to John O'Groats
(2010)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2009)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2008)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2007)

Australia Tip to Top MTB
(2006)

Adelaide to Darwin MTB
(2005)

Sydney to Melbourne MTB
(2004)

Three Peaks Race
(2004)

Appalachian Trail
(1986)

Alpine Track
(1983)

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You can email Dave directly at dave@davebyrnes.com.au or subscribe to his Adventure Blogs here.

You can see Dave's Running Blog here.