Pedal a peaceful path through Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands
The tranquil beauty of Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands is the perfect setting for a cycling holiday.
Family cycling, Royal Canal Greenway, Co Longford
As well as beautiful waterside and woodland trails, and routes through picturesque towns and villages, there are history-laden waymarked paths that reveal Ireland’s rich heritage.
Whether you want to explore on your own or join a guided cycle tour, a great place to start is at Midlands Cycle Hub, a family-run bike hire centre in Clondra, County Longford. Offering a range of hybrid, electric, mountain and children’s bikes and accessories, the centre will ensure you are fully equipped to embark on your cycling journey.
Midlands Cycle Hub is located at one end of the Royal Canal Greenway, a 130km that runs eastwards from Clondra to Maynooth and is divided into 14 sections. It is a mostly flat, off-road route following a former towpath for horse-drawn barges through a mix of rustic and industrial landscapes featuring rolling fields, quaint waterside villages, operational locks and local landmarks.
Bronze shoes, National Famine Way, Trail, Co Roscommon
The Midlands Cycle Hub offers guided tours and self-guided multi-day itineraries that include accommodation, breakfast and dinner, transfers between hotels and all cycling gear. Its Midlands Historical Bicycle Tour is a five-day, 80km guided cycle that visits a number of historical sites. These include the 2000-year-old bog road and museum at Corlea Trackway, a thirteenth-century Norman castle and the National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park.
The museum tells the story of the Irish Famine of the 1840s through compelling, interactive exhibitions. It is also the start of the National Famine Way, an accredited 165km heritage and arts trail that traces the journey of 1,490 famine emigrants who were forced to walk from Strokestown Park to Dublin to board the emigrant ships.
Cyclists can follow this trail through six counties and along the way discover the stories of these emigrants and the history of the region. The trail is punctuated by over 30 sculptures of bronze children’s shoes marking key points along the route. You can sign up for the official National Famine Way package which includes a passport on which to collect a stamp as you complete each of the 14 sections. Those who complete the trail with a fully stamped passport will receive a completion certificate at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin.
The National Famine Museum, Strokestown, Co Roscommon
Among the other tours offered by the Midlands Cycle Hub is a five-day self-guided Famine Way Cycle Tour which includes hand-picked accommodation along the route. The hub also specialises in family-friendly tours that follow routes that are easy and safe for children. The accommodation selected for these tours is geared towards families who would like to enjoy entertainment either within or near the hotels where babysitting services can be booked.
Whether pedalling solo, or with friends or family, a seasoned cyclist or just looking for a leisurely ride, Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands offer the ideal cycling location where, with every turn of the pedal, you’ll uncover gorgeous landscapes rich in history. Time to get on your bike.
www.ireland.com