Roadtripping Ireland: Part Three

Irish pubs are world famous, to the point where you’ll find an “authentic” Irish drinking hole in any city across the globe. The one we found couldn’t have been any more Irish if it tried. Straight from the initial attempt to enter the pub we knew it was going to be just the right place to finish off the trip.

As Szymon, Kristof and myself made our way to the door a large marker-pen-scribbled sign declared “For Members Only”. Damn. The three of us spun around and started making our way back to the car.

A chirpy Irish voice chimed out: “Come in! The sign’s there for a reason — we thought you were the police”. What? The three of us looked at each other and made our way in.

The problem was Kristof, who’d initially lead the way into the pub, was still wearing his camera harness and dark fleece top. This apparently made him look like a local police officer, so much so that Dave the barman declared that “half the guys have scarpered out the back door!”. This was the sort of meat and potatoes Irish pub and banter we felt at home with. The Gap O’The North was to be our watering hole for the evening.

The remaining four blokes, who clearly had nothing to hide from the police, all sat at the bar, all drinking the black stuff and all looking like they were avoiding going home. Each gave us the once over — you could see the slight confusion come over them. Standing in front of them were two guys in lycra and one who, moments ago, had half the pub rushing for the back door. We weren’t the usual customers round these parts.

We were quizzed about what we’d been up to. The patrons knew of the imminent Giro stage passing through, but all they wanted to know was whether it would bring any good-looking women along with it. The reassurance that we gave them that a few Italian beauties may venture over here was greeted with a wink and a nod. Dave the bartender made a quick remark that most of the guys in the bar were used to another sort of giro.

The decor was just as you’d expect, plenty of dark aged wood, old Guinness posters, a gambling machine in the corner, and bottles of spirits sitting behind the bar looking like a trophy. When asked what they had won we were amazed to find out that it was actually there in memory of the previous barman who had passed away. According to Dave it was a reoccurring theme with every barman who stepped behind the pumps of the pub. They’d last a while and then “pop their clogs”. Dave claimed he was just waiting.

When asked if these guys classed themselves as Irish or Northern Irish we were amazed by two facts — firstly the Guinness had clearly limited any offence the guys might have taken, and secondly we found out that we were only just a pint’s throw from the border. We were still in Northern Ireland but the field behind the pub was the start of the Republic of Ireland. Everyone in the pub though classed themselves as true Irish gents born a bread, even if Dave the bartender liked to fool people with his Union flag embossed wallet and then his green, orange, white and orange cigarette lighter.

We couldn’t have asked for a better place to finish the ride and wind the trip down. The Guinness flowed extremely freely, probably a common occurrence at that pub from what we could tell. With pints appearing on the bar top even before the local customers walked in, you got the sense that it was one of the few remaining true Irish pubs left that was a meeting point for a community.

Come next week when the Giro passes the pub I’m sure the same four blokes will swivel round in the same chairs, have a quick “crack” about the garish Italian clothing flashing past the door, remark on the Italian ladies visiting the area, swivel back round again, knock the head off a thick Guinness and get bad to the business of avoiding going home.

It was an absolute pleasure discovering Ireland’s magical landscapes and getting lost along the way. Narrow roads twisting and turning like it’s some sort of amusement part for cyclists. By the end of this roadtrip we were certain that we had found one of the greatest places on Earth to ride a bike. And most of the breathtaking places were found completely by accident.

When watching the first three stages of the Giro d’Italia next week you’re sure to see some of the places we rode. However, many of the hidden gems are off the beaten path that no Grand Tour could ever visit. Get lost and discover them for yourself.

A very special thanks goes to Stephen Gallagher from Dig Deep coaching who gave us loads of recommendations and invaluable information. If you’re in need of personal or online coaching, Dig Deep has 25 coaches/specialists working world wide, so they’re worth a look. Stephen is a former pro cyclist, winner of the Ras, and spent two years helping design the route for the 2014 Giro d’Italia.

Most of all, thank you to Tourism Ireland for helping make this trip happen.