Royal Canal: Dublin - Mullingar.

poochiem

Apols if not worth it's own thread but thought some of you might find the info useful. Took the trip from town to Mullingar along the Royal Canal on Saturday.

Joined the canal at Clonsilla Railway after a nice spin by the Strawberry Beds. You can take the canal from Croke Park but there are a couple of sections just prior to the Clonsilla Road crossing where the surface and width is a bit dodge.

The surface varies from stretch to stretch all the way to Mullingar. I'm told that the very good surface coming into Mullingar continues quite a way on towards Longford.

I used a cross bike (Canondale CAADX) that I'd fully loaded for bikepacking as a test ahead of a tour later this month. Definitely wouldn't be bringing a road bike down this journey. Stones, roots, bog and gravel convinced me you'd be in trouble with a road bike. I'd 35mm semi-slicks and a high BB clearance.

Beautiful day out; bird song, the odd train and only had to take to the road for a couple hundred yards to cross the old Dublin - Galway road at Furey's Bar. I covered about 95k by the time I got into and out of mullingar to the campsite by Lough Ennell.

devonp

poochiem wrote: »

Apols if not worth it's own thread but thought some of you might find the info useful. Took the trip from town to Mullingar along the Royal Canal on Saturday.

Joined the canal at Clonsilla Railway after a nice spin by the Strawberry Beds. You can take the canal from Croke Park but there are a couple of sections just prior to the Clonsilla Road crossing where the surface and width is a bit dodge.

The surface varies from stretch to stretch all the way to Mullingar. I'm told that the very good surface coming into Mullingar continues quite a way on towards Longford.

I used a cross bike (Canondale CAADX) that I'd fully loaded for bikepacking as a test ahead of a tour later this month. Definitely wouldn't be bringing a road bike down this journey. Stones, roots, bog and gravel convinced me you'd be in trouble with a road bike. I'd 35mm semi-slicks and a high BB clearance.

Beautiful day out; bird song, the odd train and only had to take to the road for a couple hundred yards to cross the old Dublin - Galway road at Furey's Bar. I covered about 95k by the time I got into and out of mullingar to the campsite by Lough Ennell.

well done on the cycle, i commute part of it from Louisa Bridge in the summer(fast approaching....)
so to come up from the strawberry beds did u have to haul up one of the hills? sommerton, rugged or tinkers hill??

poochiem

I actually missed the turn for Porterstown road and ended up taking, I think it's called, Mount Joseph? and kinda looping back a bit. I wasn't pressed for time at all so wasn't bothered.

devonp

poochiem wrote: »

I actually missed the turn for Porterstown road and ended up taking, I think it's called, Mount Joseph? and kinda looping back a bit. I wasn't pressed for time at all so wasn't bothered.

ok ,tinkers hill, thats tough enough w/o any baggage

Mec-a-nic

poochiem wrote: »

Apols if not worth it's own thread but thought some of you might find the info useful.

Thanks - I'm planning to do this exact trip this summer but I'll be on MTB and baggage (& family) will be sent ahead on the train. Did you cycle the return trip?

Pdoghue

Sounds great. I have gone as far as Enfield so far, but aim to go as far as Mullingar soon.

How were the grassy sections last Saturday after all that rain on Friday?

miketv

Hi poochiem,
I also did a good chunk of that canal on Saturday. Yes I highly recommend it also and the weather was great as you said. I continued around Mullingar along the canal and path before going back to Dublin on the normal road. The canal section was the best bit for me also. I'll be doing it again.
I did not know there was a campsite at Lough Ennell. How was it and where are you doing your tour later in the month?

poochiem

Mec-a-nic wrote: »

Thanks - I'm planning to do this exact trip this summer but I'll be on MTB and baggage (& family) will be sent ahead on the train. Did you cycle the return trip?

I didn't as I'd hoped to get some online work done Saturday evening but had no reception in the campsite.

Pdoghue wrote: »

Sounds great. I have gone as far as Enfield so far, but aim to go as far as Mullingar soon.

How were the grassy sections last Saturday after all that rain on Friday?

Some parts were quite boggy the further I got, also worth mentioning that the narrower undeveloped parts of the towpath can be quite slippy where there are lots of exposed tree roots.

miketv wrote: »

Hi poochiem,
I also did a good chunk of that canal on Saturday. Yes I highly recommend it also and the weather was great as you said. I continued around Mullingar along the canal and path before going back to Dublin on the normal road. The canal section was the best bit for me also. I'll be doing it again.
I did not know there was a campsite at Lough Ennell. How was it and where are you doing your tour later in the month?

The campsite is grand. It seemed to be mainly Dubs in hard stand mobile homes there were only two other tents. Decent shower block. They have a shop and cafe going on at reception where they do fry ups and that kind of thing. A tenner is a bit much for a patch of grass, the equivalent in france would probably be 2-5 euro; showers were clean and hot and meter takes €1 coins. There was byob bingo in the common room that the whole campsite seemed to be at.

Supposed to be doing Roscoff to south France and back via Velodyssey but looking at the weather forecast now I'm in two minds.