Incredible Irish Roads

[T S Magnum]

I have just returned from a simply awsome 1600 mile tour to/around South West Ireland (the also happened to be my honeymoon ).

Anyone who's been will know what I mean, anyone who hasn't- I cannot recommend it enough. Kerry/Cork are stunning. Gorgeous scenery, lovely people, perfect Guiness, gob smacking roads, even the weather was perfect!

The roads were easily the best I've experienced (Cumbria, Snowdonia, Isle of Man included). We went via Holyhead and did A5/EVO triangle on the way home- didn't feel the same after those roads. Can be VERY potholed in places but well worth it. One road had such tight hairpins I had to do three-point-turns each time to get her round .

Highlights were:

Moll's Pass (pic. 2)
The N70 near Waterville (pic. 4)
The Healy Pass (pics 5 & 6)

I will definately be returning and would be very interested to hear of anyone else's experiences.

Thanks

[PS the new Mrs Magnum enjoyed it too]

[icb]

Great pictures, Healy Pass looks a must do. Went to Galway and Connamara 2 years ago in a Griffith. Roads were great, no police, cameras etc. Recommend S. Ireland to anyone.

[Ianeire]

The Healy Pass is a gem of a road, largly undiscovered! How often did you drive it!?

Molls Gap the majority of the time is slow coming up from the Killarney side due to tourist traffic. Heading back down the other side into Kenmare can be much quicker if you get a good run.

Have a look both here:
http://www.octane.ie/news/index.php?id=123 

Here for a quick preview:
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=F2XuwAVUY00 

[up-the-dubs]

@TS Magnum: Healy pass is incredible isn't it! Never even knew about it until Ianeire above organised our mini hoon down to it (yes that's my mondeo in his first link!). Truely stunning, and your clio is the perfect car for it. Healy is quite a way off the beaten track, but believe me, the greatest road I've ever driven and if anyone is about the Cork/Kerry area, it's a must.

Edited by up-the-dubs on Tuesday 30th October 12:46

[Shropshiremike]

Was over there last Autumn for a wedding - did the Kerry Ring/Killarney area - as you say, fantastic driving roads.
The EVO triangle is OK but it's not the be-all and end all of Welsh roads imo

[Ianeire]

The view that your greeted with as you pop over the top of the Healy Pass...

[Ranger 6]

Molls Gap is a very famous stage on a couple of rallies.

Obvious when you drive roads like that how they can be used in competition

[T S Magnum]

up-the-dubs said:

@TS Magnum: Healy pass is incredible isn't it! Never even knew about it until Ianeire above organised our mini hoon down to it (yes that's my mondeo in his first link!). Truely stunning, and your clio is the perfect car for it. Healy is quite a way off the beaten track, but believe me, the greatest road I've ever driven and if anyone is about the Cork/Kerry area, it's a must.

Edited by up-the-dubs on Tuesday 30th October 12:46

That hoon was the exact journey I did a few times as we were staying in a cottage right near the Healy (and totally unplanned, very lucky). Looks like you had fun!

[T S Magnum]

Ianeire said:

The view that your greeted with as you pop over the top of the Healy Pass...

Very nice shot that. Recogise the spot. Gorgeous.

[T S Magnum]

Ranger 6 said:

Molls Gap is a very famous stage on a couple of rallies.

Obvious when you drive roads like that how they can be used in competition

Wow. Never realised that, but yeah see what you mean.

[F.M]

Kilarney Historics...
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-5597435...

[Ianeire]

Molls Gap run from Killarney to the top would be one of, if not the best known rally stages in Ireland.

Personally I prefer driving the Healy pass. There's less tourist traffic and it's far better sighted.

[T S Magnum]

F.M said:

Kilarney Historics...
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-5597435...

Awesome! Nasty weather then. Thanks for that.

[Bob Loblaw]

Molls Gap is fantastic, though often clogged with tourist busses, as has been said. It's great when you get a clear run though, i especially like the high speed limits..

I'm doing the Healy Pass for the first time on saturday in a fiesta

Edited by Bob Loblaw on Tuesday 13th November 16:37

[patmahe]

Shh... stop telling everyone where our hoon roads are, bloody top gear'll be here next

[matchmaker]

All great roads...........but I did the Healy in thick fog one year. That was no fun

Also round the Dingle Peninsula is a nice run - just make sure you take a map as nearly all the road signs are only in Gaelic

[patmahe]

matchmaker said:

All great roads...........but I did the Healy in thick fog one year. That was no fun

Also round the Dingle Peninsula is a nice run - just make sure you take a map as nearly all the road signs are only in Gaelic

This is something our genius government decided to do - there are designated areas in Ireland where Irish (Gaeilge) is spoken called Gaeltacht's, almost everbody in these areas is bilingual. It was decided that to prevent the Irish language dying out it was necessary in Gaeltacht areas to remove English from the signposts. (Most places here have both English and Irish on signposts) Despite the fact that most of these area's rely heavily on tourism and the massive protests from the locals they changed the signposts so only locals can read them.

Genius

[matchmaker]

patmahe said:

matchmaker said:

All great roads...........but I did the Healy in thick fog one year. That was no fun

Also round the Dingle Peninsula is a nice run - just make sure you take a map as nearly all the road signs are only in Gaelic

This is something our genius government decided to do - there are designated areas in Ireland where Irish (Gaeilge) is spoken called Gaeltacht's, almost everbody in these areas is bilingual. It was decided that to prevent the Irish language dying out it was necessary in Gaeltacht areas to remove English from the signposts. (Most places here have both English and Irish on signposts) Despite the fact that most of these area's rely heavily on tourism and the massive protests from the locals they changed the signposts so only locals can read them.

Genius

I managed to cope - with the help of my older son who was studying (Scottish) Gaelic at school

[mylesmcd]

dont forget the causeway coast, from belfast to derry. simply stunning, alto the law are alot stricter there,