2023 Foray No.5 Limerick Greenway

 

My track from Limerick to Tralee

Total track statistics over two days whilst cycling: 117.7 miles, average speed 11.1mph, elevation gain 1062m, maximum altitude (at Barnagh) 247m.

Home to Heuston station 24.6 miles, Limerick to Banna 69 miles, Banna to Tralee 8.6 miles, Sallins to home 15.5 miles 

It will be clear by now that these "forays" I describe are going to be mostly about railways and the recent spate of "greenways" that have sprung up around the island of Ireland. The amount of money that is being spent on these is insane and I am riding (literally) on this generosity as there are no entrance fees and even the train fare is free with my free-travel pass. The Limerick Greenway follows the path of the former Limerick to Tralee railway line, and has been paved in smooth tarmac the whole way.

My plan was twofold: to ride the Limerick to Ballybrophy branch line, and to "do" the Limerick Greenway. Within this plan the major challenge was biking from Limerick to Tralee via the Greenway, overnighting in the dunes at Banna Strand. I had been planning it for several weeks and circumstances meant that it had to be this week or else delay for at least a month. But the weather forecast was disturbing and so I vacillated like the Mock Turtle's will you, won't you? with every change of the forecast. I made my final decision to go ahead the day before departure and once I had done so I had better (though it turned out to be largely unfounded) peace of mind. Lewis describes this act of making a decision rather well in Perelandra:

The thing still seemed impossible. But gradually something happened to him which had happened to him only twice before in his life. It had happened once while he was trying to make up his mind to do a very dangerous job in the last war. It had happened again while he was screwing his resolution to go and see a certain man in London and make to him an excessively embarrassing confession which justice demanded. In both cases the thing had seemed a sheer impossibility: he had not thought but known that, being what he was, he was psychologically incapable of doing it; and then, without any apparent movement of the will, as objective and unemotional. as the reading on a dial, there had arisen before him, with perfect certitude, the knowledge 'about this time tomorrow you will have done the impossible'. The same thing happened now. 

I remind myself of the principle every time I go to the dentist.

I knew, without much doubt, that I would encounter rain and wind, even though the total daily amount of precipitation looked reasonably low in the forecasts. And rain and wind are the enemies of biking.  

It was deceptively dry on all but the last half hour of my journey to Limerick. To catch the one and only morning train from Ballybrophy to Limerick I had to take the 08:00 inter-city from Heuston heading to Cork, and this in turn implied biking to Heuston (Dublin), and leaving home no later than 05:30. In the event, and due to my habitual nervousness about missing boats, I left shortly after 05:00 giving me plenty of time for the loo and to purchase some Club Orange.

At Ballybrophy (the first stop) I transferred to the awaiting branch line two-coach train.  Although all Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) trains are to a high standard, this service is like another world. It pootles along at between 30 and 45mph, repeatedly sounding its horn before frequent farm crossings. There are still semaphore signals (see my pictures below) although I am not sure whether they are in use - after all with only two services in each direction per day the line hardly needs signals.  Although passenger numbers may be low and the service is slow (it takes almost an hour longer than travelling from Limerick to Dublin via Limerick Junction), the line was recently upgraded to CWR (welded rail - see video) so it looks like there are no plans to terminate the service. I hope not anyway: I enjoyed every minute and I'm hoping some enterprising driver will make a cab view video.

Upgrading the line to CWR

As the train neared Limerick it started to rain so I donned my rain jacket before venturing from the station. And so started the real challenge: getting on for 8 hours with long periods of persistent though not heavy rain. But heavy enough to saturate the jacket. And a head-wind to boot.

The Greenway does not disappoint (apart from the weather). It is paved all the way in smooth tarmac (why are these cycle ways called green?) and, speaking of ways, it is advertised as "starting in Rathkeale, on through Ardagh, Newcastle West, Barnagh, Templeglantine and finishing in Abbeyfeale" but in fact it continues past Abbeyfeale "to the Limerick / Kerry border". I cycled on wondering what might await me at the border. To my delight and some amusement the greenway continued on, only now under the name of "Kingdom of Kerry Greenway". The Kerry website purports this goes "from Listowel to the Limerick border" with not a suggestion that it in fact seamlessly connects with the Limerick Greenway! Likewise the Limerick website has no mention of the Kerry Greenway. 

There's an old railway tunnel to explore at Barnagh. Incorporating it into the greenway (where strictly it belongs) appeared to have been an afterthought, with the original greenway running parallel to the tunnel section. Coming from the Limerick direction it is necessary to cross the busy N21, but a fence bars the way and there is no formal crossing. Even after risking one's life to get across it is not immediately obvious how to reach the tunnel. But after traversing the tunnel to its west end a purpose built underpass under the N21 returns the rider to the greenway proper.

Barnagh tunnel diversion

Since the internet was strangely silent on the subject, I provide the map above (OpenTopoMap excerpt annotated in blue for the original greenway, and in purple for the necessary diversion to the tunnel). Note - it is necessary to overshoot in order to avoid climbing over the fence between greenway and N21. Click on the image to enlarge it. The black rectangle is the Barnagh Greenway Hub which might have served me tea and buns had I the inclination (literally) to climb the very steep access from the tunnel greenway after already climbed the incline to Barnagh.

After Barnagh there is a well earned downhill section down to Abbeyfeale. And thence to Listowel where the now Kingdom of Kerry Greenway deposited me in Listowel within a few hundred yards of an Aldi and a Lidl. The latter provided me with fodder (scones, fruit cake and orange juice). 

My legs being now weary, the rain persistent, and the wind in my face, it seemed like an eternity until I at last found the first sign for Banna Strand. I prayed for a remission in the rain and thankfully one came, just long enough for me to erect my tent, climb inside and strip off to dry. I did not read, watch a video or listen to music. I ate my fodder with due thankfulness, then fought cramp (took some magnesium tablets, drank, consumed chocolate for its sugar content and did leg exercises), then climbed into my sleeping bag and slept the sleep of the just.

My camp site

Morning came and it was still raining. I had planned to explore the beach, maybe even swim, but the wind was cold, the rain wet. I snuggled in my bag a little longer then took my breakfast (more of the same) and prayed for remission and, when it came, hurriedly struck camp and set off for Tralee. It started to rain again, heavily enough. The number of heavy goods vehicles on that road is biblical, and there is no hard shoulder. One wonder where in Kerry can all that traffic be going?

And thus I arrived at Tralee Casement train station and settled down in its waiting room with a hot mug of tea and a book from the station "library" (there were only three books to choose from).

And the rest is history - the Tralee Mallow line (see my photo at the level crossing which I had photographed from the road in my last post), the intercity to Portlaoise, the commuter service to Sallins and Naas, thence the final bike from there to home.

My pictures can be seen here.