After 15 days and 408 miles I'm still smiling!

Quigley's Point to Malin Head - Sunday 26th April

The final push, about 22 miles, weather looks unsettled but is dry as I leave in the morning. The roads are very good, some of the best yet. The scenery gets more beautiful by the mile. I'm happy and grinning as cars flash and people wave at me. Word is out having been interviewed on a local community radio station on Friday morning. Once I near Malin the Atlantic comes into view and scenery takes my breath away.

With less than a mile to go to Malin Head on a short steep downhill, I come off, making a mess of my hands and (as I now know) breaking the little finger on my left hand. My helmet has some nice deep scratches too, don't leave home without one!

I call in at the nearest house and they let me wash and help me bandage my hands with kitchen roll. I'm back on my way as my Aunt and Uncle pass me stopping to say "Hi" before leaving to wait for me at Malin Head.

At about 1.00pm I reach Malin Head to be greeted by my Aunt and Uncle. I stand with hands throbbing, blisters burning and legs aching and look out over the Atlantic, it doesn't sink in what I've done. I can't quite believe I have made it, approximately 408 miles in 15 days.

Derry to Quigley's Point - Saturday 25th April

So all caught up I boarded through Derry under grey skies, going through the walled city and along the banks of the Foyle. The scenery was great today as I headed out along the River Foyle and then the banks of Lough Foyle. I unfortunately had to cut short my day, just as I was heading inland, when the sole of my right trainer started to fall off! So I found a B&B, Clunelly House, and grabbed a taxi back into Derry. where I hobbled round on my very painful left ankle and purchased some new trainers!

Thanks to Clunelly House B&B for their €5.00 donation.

Omagh to Derry - Friday 24th April

Today can be summed up in one word...WET! It rained all day. The roads were good for the first 20 miles then turning bad for the last 20 as I boarded up the west side of the River Foyle. It was a hard day. The highlight being a stop at Tony Currys Barbers in Strabane, for a cuppa, a donation and a supply of Dragon Tiger Balm! That came in very useful in what was my longest day on the board, helping my tired muscles recover overnight.

As I approached Derry the rain became torrential and a very kind soul picked me up, delivering me to the B&B Janine had booked for me earlier in the day. I would have a little back tracking to do in the morning.

Two days left and 40(ish) miles to go, should be good for a finish on Sunday!

Clones to Omagh - Thursday 23rd April

Today was sunny to start with but clouded over as the day wore on. It's now raining as I sit in the pub with my pint of Guiness.

It was a day of two huge climbs that were hard but resulted in two nice long descents. The last third into Omagh was just perfect, especially the part where the road was closed as it was being resurfaced. It was smooth and quiet a little bit of boarding heaven!

In Omagh it took me a good hour to find a B&B, including a visit to a hostel for alchoholics, I was lucky they believed my story about skateboarding Ireland for charity and that I honestly hadn't been hitting the bottle! Was getting worried I might actually have to break the tent out.

Mrs Douglas my landlady was a star, running me to one of her friends for navigation advice for the following day, then driving me round to show me where the various options were. She also donated £5.00, so a big thank you to her for everything.

Rest Day - Wednesday 22nd April

Well having had to take a days enforced rest, I made good use of my time!

My Uncle ran me into Belfast to pick up some new bearings and then took me on a miny tour of Belfast, showing me the place my Dad was born.

I also got a chance to see my 98 year old Granny Smyth which was great, she is still so sharp!

Thanks to Rodney Slane for his £20.00 donation

Killashandra to Clones - Tuesday 21st April

Today was a dry, wet, dry day, the roads were good in the morning. In the afternoon however they took a turn for the worse, as did my luck. By about 3.00pm the 'heavy' Irish roads had taken their tole and the bearings of one of my rear wheels had disintegrated locking the wheel up.

Having carried my board into Clones I contacted my Aunt and Uncle who drove from Co.Armagh and picked me up. I will need to take a day out to get replacement bearings from Belfast. The silver lining is that my feet and legs are glad of the day off and a chance to see 98 year old Granny Smyth.

Hopefully this gives an indication of just how rough the roads have been on my journey.

A huge THANK YOU has to go to my Aunt Betty and Uncle Alan for their help, without them I'm not sure how I could have continued.

Thanks also to Pauline, my boss, for allowing me to extend my holiday by a day (I will complete a holiday form on Tuesday).

Longford to Killashandra - Monday 20th April

Today was another sunny day, the route however was a bit of a roller coaster, steep, steep hills. The tread on my right trainer is completely missing with all the foot breaking! I'm hoping there is enough tread left to get me to Malin Head.

Highlight of the day was meeting Martina and Padraig Tiernan and their family. Martina helps run the Killashandra Foroige Club for children aged between nine and eighteen. Foroige means 'learn by doing'. Martina had contacted me prior to arriving in Ireland as the children were interested in my journey. On arrival at the club I was presented with a cheque for the IHF for €200.00 which the children had raised.

I went for dinner with Martina and family and was very taken with the sense of community that thrives in Killashandra in a way I have not experienced in mainland UK.

A very big THANK YOU to the children and adults involved in the Killashandra Foroige Club, there fundraising was amazing and will make a real difference.

Thanks also to the Shamrock Inn Bed & Breakfast for their €10.00 donation.

Athlone to Longford - Sunday 19th April

Another day of blue skies and sunshine, Ireland your spoiling me! Roads were pretty good most of the time and scenery was nice, passing through rolling farmland for most of the day. Had some close encounters with various dogs today, some friendly, some not so!

Sadly managed to lose my camera on the roads between Athlone and Longford, I took the R390 from Athlone then left off it through Pishanagh Cauran, Ardnagath Curraghbane Rath Upper, Dunnamona, Doonamona, Tonlegee, Corbrack and Tang. Onto the N55 and off left towards Garrynagh and on through Shrule, Shrule Glebe, Darogue, Castlecore, Moigh, Cartronboy, Moneyfad and onto the R392 at Lissanisky. I finished the day in Longford but I'm sure that I lost the camera by the time I got to Lissanisky. So if anyone comes across a Nikon Coolpix camera in a blue and grey case please get in touch. My contact details are on the website.

Birr to Athlone - Saturday 18th April

Wow, blue skies and sunshine as I leave Birr. My joy is short lived however as I develop a migraine after approximately ten miles. But as if by magic an Irish Waterways worker stops and offers me a cup of tea. Having discussed the workings of the Irish waterways, rested my weary legs and cured my headache it's back on the road.

Feeling better and with the sun shining sixteen miles down the road I happen accross a bed and breakfast.

So here I sit with sore knees and blisters on my blisters but happy with the distance travelled today and the weather forecast tomorrow.

Thanks to the Grennan family, owners of the Four Seasons Bed & Breakfast, for their €5.00 donation.

Tomorrow off to Longford...

Nenagh to Birr - Friday 17th April

Today was a much better day, weather was overcast with light rain early on thankfully not coming to anything.

Roads were good, straight and with some nice down hill sections which will much welcomed.

Today on 'Ache Watch' is my left knee!

Look forward to reaching half way mark at some point tomorrow.

Off now for a much deserved shower.

Limerick to Nenagh - Thursday 16th April

For a number of reasons today was the hardest day yet. Firstly I encountered the worst roads to date on my trip, at one point finding myself rolling to a halt in a inch of mud and cow muck. Lovely!

Secondly for those of you who went to Goodwood last year, remember that headwind?
Well it paid me a visit today, wasn't that nice of it!!!!

Finally my legs and feet have suffered today, the heel of my left foot blistering and my right achilles was very painful, hurting with every push.

I now know I will have aches and pains every day of my trip, just the location changing day by day.

That said I was happy with the distance I covered, and the weather forecast is better for tomorrow.

I also had my board cleaned at the local car wash, you have to show your board some love now and then.

Charleville to Limerick

Guess what?

You’ve got it wet again!

Now I actually don’t mind the rain except it is wrecking my feet.

I’m rapidly losing all the skin off my heel of my right foot, ouch!



That apart today was fun, quiet roads and really enjoyed the crack, couldn’t really see much in terms of scenery as it was quite dark and misty all day. It was mainly flat as I travelled through farm land most of the day, cows rushing to stare as I boarded past.

Thank you to Mora at Innisfree B&B in Charleville for her 10eur donation.

A special thank you to Janine for booking me into the Jury’s hotel in limerick to night.
Great views of the Shannon.

I dictating this to Janine from the bar of the hotel enjoying the first Guinness of the trip!

Kanturk to Charleville

Today was yet another day of wet, dry, wet and up, down, up, down. It was a short day to let my calf recover but a very good day until the head wind I encountered on the run in to Charleville. Still finding the work rate required just to move forward even on a downhill quite incredible.

Thank you to the lady who stopped me out on the road on Freemount and donated her loose change €0.72, every little helps!

Tomorrow will be another short day into Limerick, and after that I will push the mileage back up. Current mileage to date is approx 113 miles, over a quarter distance done. Will be running a day behind schedule by tomorrow night but have days in hand still.

Macroom to Kanturk

OK, so I set off in the morning and it's dry but the skies are grey overhead. I ask a lorry driver "Is this the road to Kanturk?", "Yes" he replies, 20Km later in pouring rain having almost lost it trying to foot break on a river cunningly disguised as a road. I have an epiphany, well not quite. Actually what happens is a passing motorist stops and asks if I'm OK? I ask him if this is the road to Kanturk, he says no that's north your heading west! He turns out to be my saviour getting me back on track and will accept nothing for his trouble. This is typical of the people I have met so far, they are all so incredibly helpful.

So back on track, and from soaked to topping up my sunburn, the sun has made an appearance. It seems I have left the mountains behind, for now, the horizon looks relatively flat, not Cambridge flat, but good enough for now.

The day ended much better than it started and all is well with the world.

To top it all off the Arigle Lodge B&B in Kanturk donate €10.00, thanks Helen!

Drimoleague to Macroom

Today was much like yesterday in terms of scenery. I have never seen so much gorse as I have in the last three days and the lake full of dead tree stumps was a most peculiar sight. Weather was good found myself with sun burnt legs after a misty start.

The roads are hard work, even on the flat you need to work very hard to keep moving. As a consequence my right calf suffered today so I will slow my schedule for the next few days into Limerick to give it time to recover.

Big thank you to the guys at Dormey's bar who stopped me out on the road and between them stumped up €100.00 before sending me on my way. They did offer to buy me a pint but didn't want to get caught boarding under the influence.

I cannot fault the welcome I have received, or the way people have reacted to me, most motorists give me a wave although a passing motorist did stop to give me an L plate...

Goleen to Drimoleague

Today was long, lots of ups and downs, tried to rain on and off all day but never seriously. Again the scenery was amazing. Had a nice pub lunch, Cajun salmon, to break up the day. I never realised there was so much water in Ireland, Dave get over here with your kayak. Left the peninsular behind today so 'No Sea 'til Malin Head'

Thanks to the woman in the white Nissan Micra who stopped and told me she had read of my journey and proceeded to donate €20.00.

I think Ireland might be the only country in the world where you have to push your board downhill, forget foot breaking just head for a rough patch and before you know it you have not teeth let alone fillings left and you have rolled to a stand still.

Mizen Head to Goleen

Hail showers en route to Mizen Head had me wondering what skateboarding on marbles would be like. Luckily by the time I reached Mizen Head the sun was out, then in, then out...you get the idea! This becomes a theme!

So my first six miles on Irish soil, and yes I do mean soil, those roads sure were muddy, least I think it was mud. It was up and down and I'm glad I was only doing six miles (due to the 2.00pm start). Not because wasn't enjoying it but because it would have taken me too long as I couldn't help stopping every ten minutes to stare at the stunning scenery.

Thanks to the ladies in the Mizen Head visitor center cafe who kindly bought my lunch for me.

Thanks also to David and Pauline, members of ther Oxford Fiddle Group, and fellow guests at the White House B&B, they donated €10.00

7th April 2009

Hi I'm Janine and I will be updating Alan's Blog throughout his trip.
I look forward to updating you soon.
Bye for now

Kit List Update!

Hi

A kit list update!

I missed of or have added the following:

• Pen


• Nokia N95 8GB


• Torch, this is on the wind up radio


• Scholl Pressure Point foam padding


• Asics running shoes

If there is anything else I'll have to get it over there!!!

Three more sleeps and I'm off!!!

Alan