"A bike ride across Inishmore - 4" Top 5 Page for this destination Inishmore Travelogue by Alain_Smeets

We said goodbye to that friendly Irishman and went ahead on our trip. Our next goal was dun eoghanchta, another ruin on this island. We took our mountain bikes up the small road and after a few hundred metres it was or flipping to our backside or leave the bike or walk further. Why? Well the road was going up very steep here and when you set power on your pedals and pull your steering wheel, you feel that the front wheel is lifting all the times a few centimetres and it gets more and more. So we decided to leave or bikes next to that stone wall and walk further towards the fort of dun eoghanchta. We have to cross a few stone walls before we can enter the meadow where the fort is located.

Dun Aengus (photo Dirk)

Not a lot of people visit this fort, the pad is walked a lot but no people are here. We are alone to visit this fort and to walk around. The central construction is on his highest point 5 meter high and at the entrance (lowest point) 3 meter high. The wall is 3 meter thick and consist of 2 layers and it contains some stairs where you can get on the walls. So we use the stairs to stand on the walls and this gives us a very good view over the entire island. A view that you don’t have from Dun Aengus and Dùn Dùbhchathair. So do they have a different function, who knows? Even the archaeologists and historians don’t know it yet. But have a look for yourself, the two most famous and most visited forts have no view over the island or surrounding land from the central construction. So are they forts or a mystical place for ceremonies, history knows and future will tell us. When we go back, we meet an America couple who is exploring the whole island and they also enjoy the rest and quiet and are wondering where the other tourists are.

Aonghas points the way

Our next stop is Dun Aengus, but we have a big thurst from riding beneath the burning sun and we stop at the inn or pub just outside the visitors center to have a cold coke and lemonade. I do here what I always do, fill my water bottle on the toilet. Just use the tap and fill it. I don’t fall without water with this weather. The rest of our visit to Dun Aengus you can read in my T-logue Mysterious Dun Aengus

View from Dun Eochaill (photo Dirk)

Well we have a deadline to meet, our ferry is leaving at 19h30 and it’s the last one and we don’t want to be stuck on Inishmore without any accommodation. So we ride back towards Kilroran, but first we wanted to visit Dun Eochaill (Dun Eochla), but we almost missed it. So we asked a local and he pointed us in the right direction. We arrived at a sort of modern castle and followed the Aran way, but we came into a dirt track and headed back to ask a woman who was feeding her young baby. She told us that the fort was behind this “castle” and that her husband and son where there. So we walked around the castle and through some fields before we came to this fort. It’s a huge one, the walls are almost as high as the ones at Dun Aengus and when you are standing on the walls, you have an amazing view over the island.

View from Dun Eochaill (photo Dirk)

Well we still have more then one hour before we have to catch our ferry. So we decided to drive to the east passing Powermore beach where there were some people walking. I talked Dirk into going to Dùn Dùbhchathair. I read about it on VT and I wanted to see it. We drove our bikes over the road that was covered with small stones and I can tell you it’s no easy ride, but it’s fun to test our steering skills. When the road gets to steep, we put our bikes against the stone walls and we walk further towards the cliffs.

The cliffs at the Black Fort (photo Dirk)

It’s a longer way then we thought it to be and after walking over a rock bottom with cracks, we see that they end at the cliffs and the fort is another 500 meters further. But we have our dilemma, the time is running out on us. So we have a close look at the cliffs and see how deep they are. I follow Dirk and look over the edge. That’s something I never do, because I have fear of heights and I want to know that there is enough rock beneath me to be save. And in this case it went straight down, so on overhanging rock. They are high and unfortunately there is no time anymore to see Dùn Dùbhchathair with our own eyes. We had a great day here, but we have to go and return our bikes.

The cliffs at the Black Fort (photo Dirk)

After returning our bikes, we have some time to have a drink, but then we are talking about our plans for this evening. Do we stay in Rossavael or what are our plans. Well in Rossavael we have the same change as a snowball in hell to find a place to stay so we decide to drive towards Maam Cross and see it from there. But then we need something to eat first, because otherwise we are really running late. Across the road there is a sort of fast food local restaurant and we order a hamburger and some fries to go. But we are in a hurry, only 20 minutes left before our ferry is leaving.

The cliffs at the Black Fort (photo Dirk)

20 minutes is a lot of time, but not when you are waiting and 10 minutes before our ferry leaves we get our order. We take it and walk out of the door towards the pier and yes, the boat is laying at the other side of the harbour so we have to walk that whole piece. But we are not alone we see in the distance still some other people walking and we walk in a fast pace. We arrive at the ferry and 5 minutes later they leave Inishmore. It’s a great visit we had here and we loved our time on this island. On the ferry we eat our fast food and we enjoyed the memories off the island.

When we arrived in Rossaval, we took our car and drove in one track towards Clifden were we arrived at 21h30 in the evening and the first B&B we stopped had vacancy.