Sunday , april 15th 2001
Kilorglin-Killarney (86 km)
Sometimes a raindrop, but not to much. I cycled trough the 'Gap of Dunloe', which is a beautifull narrow road trough the MacGillyCuddy's Reeks, the highest mountains in Eire. The only problem were all the tourists and horses with tourists on top of them, all the time walking in my way.The last part went trough Killarney National Park which is told to have the most beautifull view of the whole country. I had to take pictures of that ofcourse, but I didn't have a lot of film left, so I took a little detour to Kenmare to buy some more film. Back towards Killarney N.P. I took a small track, west of the N71 with all kinds of flowers along it. The part of the route inside the national park went downhill so I could take full advantage of the gorgeous view without having to do something (I only had to break a couple of times for a sheep or goat on the middle of the road.)
Finding a campsite at Killarney wasn't a problem, and when I arrived there with my bike and tent, the owner asked if I needed water and electricity (????) I didn't think so.



Monday , april 16th 2001
Killarney - Kilkee (103 km)
This was a bit a boring day trough hills and farmland. I cycled via the forrest between Castleisland and Listowel. There were a lot of sideroads, but no sign telling were they went. But fortunatly there are always friendly Irish people around; went I turned over at a crossing because I had no clue where to go, not one but two cars stopped to help me. From Listowel to the ferry across the Shannon in Tarbert went along the N69, which was again a bit boring, always straight ahead and lots of (fast) traffic. Once I arrived at the ferry landing, the ferry had (ofcourse) just left and I had to wait for the next one, so I used the time to eat something.
The ferry took me across the Shannon (which is about 3 km wide), and I cycled to the campsite at Kilrush, but it was closed, so I had to cycle to Kilkee where there was another one. But the one in Kilkee was also closed, and the owner told me that the youth Hostel was the only place to stay that was open. When I wrote my address (in Eindhoven) into the guestbook, the owner joked: "Eindhoven? PSV! You're not welcome here!" After having myself distanciated from our local soccer club I was again welcome :-) In the youthhostel I met a frenchmen who was already for a year in Ireland (Illegaly ofcourse :-), and we went that evening into town to drink a couple of Guinness'.