After a good breakfast at the Rossmore (special pancake with apples, ham, onions, and peppers), we got a fairly late start to Westport. We spent a good bit of time getting the GoPro camera mounted to Josh’s helmet and learning how to work it. We passed the resting place of poet WB Yeats – well, in true Jones fashion, we pulled into the church, made a circle around the parking lot, and kept on riding. Our next stop was Ceide Fields and the Minnaun Cliffs. Ceide Fields are the oldest stone-walled fields and village in the world, built over 6000 years ago. During the succeeding years, the area became covered with bog (essentially mud), some 6-8 feet deep. These fields overlook the Minnaun Cliffs, presenting a stunning view of the Atlantic Ocean.
We continued on the Ballycroy National Park, a conservation area that contains Europe’s largest expanse of Blanket bog. The visitors center at the park provided educational and easy-to-understand information about the history and potential causes of the bogs.
From Ballycroy, we rode narrow, twisty roads with great ocean views through Mallaranny and several other quaint towns to Westport. Josh got some really good videos from his helmet-mounted GoPro camera. We experienced some true Irish weather today, as it rained intermittently throughout the day, making driving the twisting back roads that much more challenging. It was a blast, but we were happy to make it to Westport for the evening and settled in at the Glenderan Inn. We had a nice dinner at the Towers restaurant, and for ice cream cones for dessert. A little background on the ice cream cones – it appears that the Irish must really like them, as almost every small store or gas station we pass carries them, designated by a sign made to look like a giant cone. They were pretty good – a slight step up from McDonald's – as they are simple vanilla cones with a piece of chocolate jammed in the top. Tomorrow we head to what the folks at Celtic Rider call the “best ride of our lives.” Stay tuned.
