A wheelie great time: taking a family cycle on the Limerick Greenway
Esther McCarthy and family at Rathkeale before setting off on The Limerick Greenway.
“We’re going to Limerick to cycle 40 kilometres over two days, hurray!” doesn't garner the enthusiasm I'm hoping for from my husband and three sons. The dog had the decency to look interested, but he's not coming.
I had to sell this one to the family, I won’t lie. Our kids cycle to school and back most days, and my husband runs a bike shop, they tend to prefer surf to saddles on their downtime. Ungrateful louts. I boss them into the car and punish them by choosing the playlist.
We arrive from Cork to Rathkeale in under an hour and a half, with Queen's I Want To Ride My Bicycle on repeat. We check into Rathkeale House Hotel, five of us humming Bicycle, Bicycle, RACE. We get a wonderful welcome. "We have cyclists from all over come to try out the greenway, even as young as you," manager Anne Madigan tells the six-year-old and you can tell she's a pro; she smiles benevolently as he does a fairly tuneless Freddie Mercury impression.
Hugh Flood from Limerick Greenway Bike Hire arrives and strolls us over to his container, where we get our helmets, pannier bags, bikes and we're off. We pose for a photo outside the old Rathkeale Station House, and Hugh tells us the Irish Palatine Heritage Centre is based here.
The greenway opened last July and follows what was once the old Limerick to Kerry railway line, linking the West Limerick landscape with towns and villages and more historic sites than you can shake a pump at.
On our first day, we put an easy 14km on the clock, getting from Rathkeale to Newcastle West, via Ardagh, where the iconic chalice was discovered in 1868. It feels like we’ve slipped into a parallel universe. We’re cycling at our leisure, not to get from a to b in the fastest possible time. It's a crisp autumn day, we glide through sun-dappled tree tunnels and stop to kick leaves around at a spot dotted with fairy doors, colourful bunting and painted stones.
We pass under five overhead bridges, check out the ruins of a 12th century Augustinian Friary and In Ardagh, we take a rest and visit the old station house.
On day two, Hugh shuttles us to Abbeyfeale trailhead car park and we start the second leg of our greenway adventure. It’s an easy 13km to Barnagh, a doddle to the six-year-old, as long we keep him chatting and stop for little breaks. We cycle through Tullig Wood, or Coill Tulaigh, I tell my gaelscoil-attending sons as they roll their eyes and speed away from me.
“A prize for who can spot the most willow warblers,” I thrill at their departing backs, you’d swear it was the tour de France they burst away from me so fast. The joke's on them. Another advantage of everyone being responsible for their own speed and direction - they think they’re getting away from me, but that was my plan all along.
Now I have the peace and quiet to enjoy the whispers of the hazel trees and the chiffchaffs twittering around the place. Suckers.
We regroup at Barnagh, one of the highest points of Ireland’s old railway system, where the old steam trains used to refuel. The Barnagh Hub is run by Olive Sheehan, it is perfect for a family-friendly stop, gorgeous lunch options in the Platform 22 Cafe, there's a bike shop and hire, artisan ice cream, a lovely playground and a crazy golf course that we have to drag ourselves away from. (I won, I want to have that on record.)
We make our way to the viewing point next, where we gaze out over the plains of Limerick towards our beloved Cork, you can see Clare and Tipperary too.
Back in the saddle and we go through the 115-metre long tunnel, another Victorian-era railway innovation and pass the station house, trundling along at our own happy pace past Ferguson's Viaduct, a cast-iron rail bridge that has stood over Garryduff since 1880, and freewheel down into Newcastle West.
We lock up the bikes, stroll around the 13th century Desmond Castle, get icecreams and walk up to Castle Demesne park. This is a gorgeous 100-acre garden, where the Earls of Desmond used to gallivant around, then we sit at The Square with a coffee, where Hugh shuttles us back to Rathkeale.
Over our two-day cycling sojourn, we pedal past placenames like Glendarrah, the glen of the oak trees, and the ridge of Mac Turrough. Magical names, evoking a simpler time. And that’s the beauty of a break like this, we can take our ease, stopping to pick fat blackberries, chatting away, we’re getting fresh air, spending actual quality time together.
We only had seven blow-ups, four mini-fights, and one meltdown, a new family record that I’m very proud of. And we all know the words of a new song off by heart. I won't have to convince them the next time, because we all had a wheelie great time.
We stayed in Rathkeale House, a boutique hotel in an incredible location, right on the greenway, with friendly staff and fabulous food. Five of us fit comfortably in one of their newly-renovated family rooms.
See http://www.rathkealehousehotel.ie/
Auntie Lena’s, Adare. Up there for contention for best wings we ever had. Keep the kids entertained exploring the old courthouse, it's up to you whether you threaten to lock them up there. It's a brilliant, family-friendly spot.
The restaurant in Rathkeale House Hotel is excellent, with an extensive menu. Dinner - the homemade pizza and the traditional beer-battered cod are winners. For breakfast, don't miss the homemade pancakes.
In Newcastle West, we had dinner at the Ballintemple Inn, Churchtown Road, again very relaxed, sound staff, great menu, and a very decent G&T.
Platform 22 Cafe at the Barnagh Greenway Hub had indoor and outdoor options. Find them on Facebook.
Try out lunch at O’Regan’s Cafè at the Foynes Flying Boat and Maritime Museum, and do not leave without having an Irish coffee, it was invented there by Joe Sheridan in 1943.
We got our bikes from Limerick Greenway Bike Hire.
Bookings need to be made in advance during the winter months.
For more on the Limerick Greenway, visit www.limerickgreenway.ie
We stopped off at Foynes Flying Boat and Maritime Museum, and we loved it. The aviation museum and maritime museum will keep the kids entertained, They get to ride in the cockpit of the world's only full-size replica of a B314 flying boat.
I loved the Maureen O'Hara Exhibition - her Oscar is there, pride of place. Note, some of the exhibits are closed for renovation at the moment, but there's plenty to keep you busy.
