Ireland Tour 2015 Diary - Day 5 - Dublin to Rosslare

Today's diary follows the last day of the group's trip in Ireland as we head down to the port town Rosslare, if you missed Sunday's diary you can read that here.

And on with the diary..

Monday 10th August

We got a mini lie-in today which was definitely needed but still not long enough! In the morning, about half the group decided to ride around the peninsula but I was in the half that decided to stay at the hotel and relax for an extra half an hour.

The group then headed to south to Rosslare on yet more small, winding roads down the coast around Dublin Bay before heading inland to the Wicklow Mountains and onto the fantastic, if slightly uneven, Old Military Road.

We then joined Sally Gap - which is another brilliant road and a definite must-do if you're in the area - and passed the most gorgeous spot where we had to stop and take in the views along with taking a few photos too!

Irish scenery rarely disappoints

The valley at the bottom of the waterfall

Some of the bikes glistening in the sunshine

Taking in the scenery

Once we got to the bottom of the pass, we stopped at a small cafe (it definitely makes a roaring trade from anyone coming from or going to Sally Gap) for a light bite to eat and an ice cream. We then headed back out towards the coast line to get to Rosslare. The roads were definitely better surfaced than the Old Military Road but, then again, that really doesn't take much beating!

When we eventually arrived in Rosslare we ended up having a bit of a ride around Rosslare due to not being able to find the B&B in which we were staying, including a brief trip to the port. We definitely knew we'd gone the wrong way then! We settled in and showered before getting ready to enjoy our final night in Ireland.

We walked for about 15 minutes back away from the town to a pub someone had spotted on the way in and later scouted out as a group for some food as our hotel didn't serve food. However, they said they couldn't fit us all in so we walked to the one next door instead who said "21? No problem, give us one minute to check if we can do that" and then took us to the back of the pub where we filled the little room minus 2 tables who looked a little put out by us all arriving - I'm still not sure why we look so intimidating. Maybe it's just the power of numbers.

The pub was absolutely excellent in getting us all served at roughly the same time and the waitress was amazing remembering basically perfectly what everybody had ordered. Although, in saying that, the majority of the group did order fish and chips.

After dinner, we stayed in the pub for a few drinks as one big group to enjoy our last night in Ireland and the stories were flowing and the laughter just kept going and going. It was a brilliant night to end a brilliant trip.

Stories and laughter made the last night Ireland a fantastic night

The ferry was at 8am in the morning which mean one last early start so that we could head home. The final instalment of this diary will follow our journey home to complete the route.

Until then, ride safe
TFB