Northern Ireland for road cyclists - Ireland's north: Few road cyclists, lots of greenery

County Donegal in the far north-west of Ireland is part of the Republic of Ireland. Although historically part of the province of Ulster, poor Catholic Donegal was the only county in the province to be annexed to the Free State in 1921 when Ireland was partitioned, rather than to British, predominantly Protestant Northern Ireland. Malin Head on the Inishowen peninsula is the most northerly point in Ireland. Letterkenny, the starting point of our tours on the River Swilly, is the largest town in the county with a population of 17,000. Its approximately 1,200 kilometres of Atlantic coastline consists of windswept peninsulas, deeply indented bays (Lough Swilly, Lough Foyle), high cliffs (Slieve League, Horn Head) and beautiful, secluded beaches. The Blue Stack and Derry Veagh Mountains are criss-crossed by long, narrow valleys and reach heights of over 600 metres. The highest mountain is Errigal Mountain (751 metres).

There are constant ups and downs in the centre of Donegal. Sky pro Philip Deignan from Letterkenny characterises the area where he discovered his love of road cycling as a teenager as "rolling roads". Double-digit gradients are not uncommon, but they are short-lived. Our tours only occasionally exceed 200 metres in altitude, for example at Muckish Gap, Cark Mountains, Derryveagh Mountains, Lough Salt. However, the large number of climbs, often coupled with strong headwinds and rain, sap our strength. The main roads are in very good condition and motorised traffic is kept within tolerable limits. Nevertheless, caution is advised: Some Irish people would rather brake for a sheep than for a cyclist, we were told with a wink. The side roads are narrow, the surface is rough, the puddles in the potholes are mysteriously deep and moss and grasses grow between the lanes in places. And: Ireland drives on the left!

The GPS data for these tours can be downloaded below:

- Tour 1: Through the interior of Donegal (107 kilometres, 1,360 metres in altitude, max. 14 % gradient)
- Tour 2: Atlantic coast (128 kilometres, 1,450 metres in altitude, max. 13 % gradient)
- Tour 3: Climb to Lough Salt (108 kilometres, 1,320 metres in altitude, max. 17 % gradient)
- Tour 4: Lighthouse at Fanad Head (113 kilometres, 1,330 metres in altitude, max. 14 % gradient)

Downloads:
GPS data: Ireland, Donegal