It’s official, The Athenry Castles Heritage Cycle Tour has been launched. Thank you, Brendan Smith, for making this happen. This event is run by Cumann na BhFear as one of their heritage cycle routes.
Tour Times/Dates: To be announced.
Duration: circa. 6-7hrs
Start location and route: Athenry Castle, continue onto Monivea Bog, to Monivea village, then onto Castle Ellen and finish up at Athenry Castle.
The aim of this pioneering heritage tour Is to open up a new heritage route that will allow visitors to experience these wonderful timeless features and environment by way of a leisurely cycle through a representative section of east Galway that could act as a catalyst in the development of a network of Greenways. (Source: Speedies Blog)
The circa 30km looped cycle tour will start at Athenry Castle(above) and then travel on to the Monivea Road before turning right approximately a mile outside Athenry in the direction of Graigabbey. (Source: Speedies Blog)
The participants will then cycle through the farmlands and bogs ofBengarra, (above) on into the village of Newcastle, along a botharín through the Monivea Bog with its fascinating flora and fauna; to the Monivea demesne with its collection of historical sites that was for centuries the home of the renowned Anglo-Norman fFrench family, one of the famous merchant tribes of Galway. (Source: Speedies Blog)
This will be followed by a stopover in the quaint plantation village of Monivea.
From there the tour will continue onto Castle Ellen (below) for a picnic on the lawns of the famed Georgian mansion that was formerly the residency of the Anglo-Irish Lambert family. After a guided tour of the demesne by Its owner Michael Keaney, participants will cycle onto towards the town of Athenry to finish up at Athenry Castle. (Source: Speedies Blog)
(Source: Speedies Blog)