Royal Canal on a Road Bike

KevRossi · 06-07-2021 11:34pm

Duplotastic wrote: »

Fantastic info there. Thanks a million. Always easiest to motivate the troops when there's the promise of good grub along the way

Can highly recommend a visit to Corlea Trackway as well.

Duplotastic · 06-07-2021 11:48pm

KevRossi wrote: »

Can highly recommend a visit to Corlea Trackway as well.

Oh we saw that on Nationwide a few weeks back alright. We'll have to add it to the list.

jrar · 16-07-2021 10:42pm

Somewhat unplanned, when I hit Mullingar on a spin earlier today, I came across the greenway in the town and decided that lunch in Mary Lynch's in Coralstown would be perfect to fuel me for the remainder of my journey. Cycled on in to Kilcock using the canal path and found it brilliant. Some of the crossings over the local roads are a little hairy in places but the signposting is excellent (by Irish standards ! ), there was a nice mix of surfaces, and the kms flew by as I negotiated the approx. 43kms in question. Met lots of other cyclists in both directions, plus walkers so it's an amenity that certainly seems to be attracting use. Might look at doing it from Cloondara/Tarmonbarry another day to see what the Longford section is like.

Sure beats risking life and limb on the busy N4 !

Bluejohn1 · 16-07-2021 10:49pm

Anyone know what the craic is with gettin a train out to Longford from Connolly? When you click add bike on irishrail no tickets are available at all online. Was hoping to get a spin in back to Dublin some weekend before the end of summer.

Mercian Pro · 17-07-2021 6:14pm

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117622276#Comment_117622276

Couple of things: You can only book up to 90 days in advance and adding a bike should appear as an option after you select the particular train and ticket type and click Buy Ticket. A few weeks ago, booking a bike appeared as an option on the first screen but you were better ignoring that. This is all based on booking on a PC and could be quite different on a phone or tablet.

Even if you do get to add a bike, there is no guarantee that one of the two spaces will be free as I found out in Thurles on Wednesday, but the ticket collector was okay with me leaving the bike in the corridor opposite the bike rack.

Bluejohn1 · 17-07-2021 7:58pm

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117625000#Comment_117625000

Well that puts a dent in gettin home in one day and keeping the woman happy. Cheers for the info.

RunDMC · 29-07-2021 9:53am

We booked tickest to Longford from Connolly last Monday morning, including 2 bike spaces. When we arrived there were 4 other people with bikes getting on. The conductor checked who had pre-booked bikes (us) and put us in the bike spaces. The other 4 bikes were stashed somewhere where else on the train. A 7th bike got on at Drumconrda. I was surprised at how helpful the conductor was, given what's been posted here and elswhere. Having said all that , the train was not busy.

Three days and about 200km later, we were back in Dublin.

R

Seth Brundle · 29-07-2021 10:34am

Three days and about 2000km later, we were back in Dublin.

2000km? That's great going in three days! 😏

beggars_bush · 29-07-2021 12:40pm

Can recommend Mullingar Pewter for lunch along the way between Mullingar and Coralstown

Lovely lunch food, right beside the canal and can cater for groups

Macy0161 · 10-08-2021 10:39am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117419648#Comment_117419648

Down in Athlone for the weekend, so planning on Gap --> Maynooth --> Mullingar --> Old Rail Trail. I don't have the 4 seasons on (4000 on the back, 5000 on the back). I'm assuming that'll be ok on both?

I could go on the Topstone, but that would make the road over to Maynooth a bit of a slog tbh.

CapnHex · 10-08-2021 11:04am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117732083#Comment_117732083

The surface from Maynooth to Athlone is pretty good. Perhaps some very fine gravel sections, but nothing that a regular tyre couldn’t handle in my experience. Unless you’re bike packing with some extra weight on board.

Macy0161 · 10-08-2021 11:20am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117732211#Comment_117732211

Only extra weight will be on the way back, if I get the pass too, from over indulgence (particularly the evening we've booked at Dead Centre!).

CapnHex · 10-08-2021 11:43am

I had to google Dead Centre. A new brewery to me and another reason to visit Athlone. Cheers. I enjoyed Sullivan’s Taproom in Kilkenny recently, if ever down that direction.

Macy0161 · 10-08-2021 12:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117732425#Comment_117732425

Yep, been to Sullivans a few times. Last time before the last Tour de Kilkenny (long line from Dundalk where they actually brew though!). Brewery Corner is owned by O'Hara's and has a great line up.

deadlast · 24-08-2021 11:59am

Food stop recommendation please!?

Anywhere nice for a dinner on the greenway near Mullingar, preferably the Longford side?

Thanks

Duplotastic · 24-08-2021 9:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117732294#Comment_117732294

Didn't realise Dead Centre had such a nice gaff! That sounds like a fab destination to aim for 😁

Tuttlinghorn · 25-08-2021 7:54am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117419648#Comment_117419648

Hi - was it a sunny day & Were there many walkers on the route ?

I’m Planning a similar trip soon but didn’t think that speed would be possible due to pedestrians on the path…

tnegun · 05-09-2021 11:41pm

Word of warning to anyone planning on using the train, myself and 7 others were put off a near-empty train at Maynooth this morning. The bikes presented a safety hazard and could impede a safe evacuation. We offered to remove the wheels and place them in the many empty luggage racks but the guy was having none of it in fact he insisted that the one bike which was already dismantled and placed in the rack be removed from the train too. We had planned on cycling back from Longford but Irish Rail certainly weren't going to take us!

*Edit I should say it wasn't a group of 7 but 3 smaller groups.

Steoller · 06-09-2021 10:22am

I wonder would there be any money in renting a bus and offering a shuttle service to the ends of the greenway, if irish rail aren't keen on the fares.

TooObvious · 06-09-2021 4:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117800328#Comment_117800328

Late reply:- it was an overcast day, cool at the beginning but warmed up.

We averaged 25kmh moving average from Maynooth to Clondra with a 10kmh headwind. We bumped that up to 27.3kmh average for the whole journey on the way back with the prevailing tailwind. You can't avoid the walkers, and we were respectful at all times when passing them by, going in single file etc. To be fair, the canal is most busy between Maynooth and Kilcock, after that there is a lot of canal where you will meet nary a walker.

If you haven't done it already - enjoy.

beggars_bush · 07-09-2021 7:26am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117796741#Comment_117796741

Very little food between ballymahon and mullingar

Abbeyshrule has the Rustic Inn

Red Earth in Mullingar is close enough to the canal

Same for Annebrook hotel in town

traco · 07-09-2021 12:07pm

Thinking about a leisurely spin from maynooth with herself. Whats a good spot to stop for a bite and turn back. Was thinking about Fureys in Moyvalley? Any other good spots before or after. probbaly looking to make it a 4/5 hour leisurely day for her to bed in her new bike.

Ta!

Fian · 11-09-2021 11:46am

I am about to head with one of my kids. Previously I have cycled to the canal and cycled along it, this time planning to drive to Maynooth with the bikes and just pop on. Any recommendations for where to park in Maynooth?

Seth Brundle · 11-09-2021 3:54pm

Probably too late responding now but you could park along the R148 Kilcock Road, and cycle the short and quiet stretch to Jackson's bridge

beggars_bush · 12-09-2021 12:00am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117857777#Comment_117857777

Fureys don't do food on certain days.

Mercian Pro · 21-09-2021 11:04pm

Jesus wept - yet another delay to Dublin City Council's plans to upgrade the section of towpath between Cross Guns Bridge, Phibsborough and Ashtown. Multiple signs along this stretch advise that a new consultation period has started on plans to modify the 2015 approved planning permission. While the earlier plans indicated that a strip of land would need to be acquired from adjoining industrial units to widen the towpath, it is now proposed to narrow the canal instead. Hopefully this will be a faster and more cost effective solution but early signs are not good. The notices say that the plans may be inspected on www.dublincity.ie but I can find no sign of them under Consultations or anywhere else despite the 4 week consultation period having started on 16 September. If anyone else has found them please post a link here.

It really looks as if Dublin City and Fingal are in a slow bicycle race to see who can cause most delay to the completion of the Royal Canal Greenway.

VonLuck · 22-09-2021 7:54am

Can it not be split into smaller phases? Why delay the other (and much longer) sections for this one area? At least it would enable construction to get started and then once (if) the Cross Guns Bridge section gets approved the appointed contractor can commence in that area.

Mac-Chops · 22-09-2021 8:58am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117921956#Comment_117921956

It's there under Planning Ref 3513/21, albeit limited information.

https://planning.agileapplications.ie/dublincity/application-details/146158

"It is proposed to amend the design of Phase 4 of the scheme such that widening of the existing towpath is achieved by narrowing the canal channel along the sections of the route:

1. West of Lock 6 over a distance of approximately 600 metres

2. West of Broombridge over a distance of approximately 345 metres

3. West of Lock 8 over a distance of approximately 85 metres"

Documents link is blank and note at the top that "The consultation period for this application has expired", even though submissions allowed until 28th October.

Seth Brundle · 22-09-2021 9:04am

it is now proposed to narrow the canal instead. Hopefully this will be a faster and more cost effective solution but early signs are not good.

I'd also be concerned about how they actually implement this. I can visualise a horrible concrete intrusion on the canal that removes all canal bank vegetation and wildlife.

Mercian Pro · 22-09-2021 10:11am

Thanks MC for the link although, without plans being uploaded, the only information is the description that is also on the public notices. There is no indication of the extent of the widening of the towpath or whether cycling and walking will be segregated or mixed.

Photos of the three sections involved are attached.

Royal Canal on a Road Bike

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