WHIRL2026 Day - 5

Day 5 started not as expected but overcast, though still about 18 degrees. That would change as the day wore on, quite significantly.

The day was more a riding day, with only 3 stops. The first of those was to a particular house, somewhat in the middle of nowhere, a famous house, for those fans of the 90's sitcom Father Ted. The parochial house featured prominently in the series not least in the opening credits. It's a private property, so it was just a case of pulling up at the end of the drive and taking some photos. Catherine will be pleased. She was a big Ted fan before I even knew her.

Father Ted's Parochial House

Moving on, we were on the road for a good few hours, most of the time following the Wild Atlantic Way, which I have realised runs all the way up the west coast. It's Ireland's version of Scotland's North Coast 500 and well worth a ride/drive and is very well signposted. Some of the scenery is just superb and there's plenty to do along the way.

On our way to the next stops, what had been a nice 23 degree ride, in an instant, became a 30 degree ride. It was incredible, a 7 degree increase, instantly, as if someone had flicked a switch. It would remaion that way all the way to the hotel. We've encountered heat like this many times before, what I can't recall though, is ever having come across the tar melting on the roads, to the degree we experienced today. At one junction, it was impossible to put a foot down, with leaving a print in the surface and getting tar on our boots.

Our penultimate stop was at a viewpoint for Castle Classiebawn, once home of Lord Louis Mountbatten. I hadn't imagined it would be a big attraction but there were loads of cars and even a coach that we followed in.

Castle Classiebawn

Snaps taken and it was off to the next stop, just a few hundred metres down the road. This is called the Shadow V Memorial and is a memorial to those killed on the boat Shadow V, including the afrementioned Lord, when it was blown up by the IRA. There;s not a lot to it, a small plaque and cross. Nice that someone thought there should be one.

Shadow V Memorial

Another minute's ride and we were at the hotel, parking up across the road. Our room was a corner room, not only offering us a view of the bikes but also of the harbour and beach beyond. After freshening up, we took a walk along the seafront, ntoing that there were some menacing looking clouds gathering. Later on, those would bring thunder, lightning and heavy rain.

Not a bad view, eh?

Oh, nearly forgot, today was Grizzly's 74th birthday. I'd given him a card in the morning and happened to mention to the receptionist. When we went to the restaurant for dinner the waitresses wished him happy birthday, not before having asked which one of us was 74! Bloody cheek!

Continuing north tomorrow, we'll complete our last full day, of this stint, in Ireland. Check in then.