Our Final Night in Ireland - Farewell Dinner

Welcome back Readers
Tonight we said Farewell to The Emerald Isle and it's inhabitants - Fintan and Conan are leaving us tonight as we are to board the Ferry to Scotland tomorrow morning at 7.35am.
Tonight's dinner was a celebration of our time together in Ireland - it was a fun night and everyone is sad to say farwell to our very good friends.
We had speeches, a quiz and presentations to Fintan and Conan but the highlight was the Tribe names that we were given by Dorothy and then the song she composed and sang. Enjoy!
FROM THE IMCA BAND OF THE GREAT IRON HORSE NATION
THE TRIBE:
JIM – BIG CHIEF LONG FACE
LYNDEL – BROKEN RIB SQUAW

NEVILLE – ONE HAT WARRIOR

CHRIS – LITTLE BURNT CLUTCH

SLOTH – SNOW ON BEARD MAN
ANNIE – WHISKEY WOMAN
RACHEL – PRINCESS PENNY SPENDER
STELLA – MANY SCALP PAPOOSE

PETER – BIG CHIEF BIRD ON SILL
TONI – SQUAW WITH WHOMPUM
MASON – YOUNG SILLY BRAVE
HANNAH – PRINCESS LOLLY FACE

DUGAL – MEDICINE MAN
DANIEL – LITTLE SHOT

PHIL – WHITE MAN’S NAME
HEATH – SON OF WHITE MAN’S NAME

BRETT – ONE BOOT COMMANCHERO
FRANK H – MIGHTY FUN WARRIOR
PETER – HAIRY TATTOO BRAVE
SHARON – BLUE EYED SQUAW
GERARD – BROKEN HEART
TESS – SQUAW WHO WANT TEPEE WITH BROKEN HEART

MICK – INDIAN BRACELET MAN
SUE – BLOG MAKER WOMAN
FRANK S – LONG FORK
MERREDITH – YELLOW TAIL
RON – NUMBER TWO WIGWAM
DOROTHY – WATER FORD
PHILLIP – EX-CHIEF BIG HORN

CONOR – BIG CHIEF BEE JEEZUS

To our brothers from the Celtic Lands we praise your leaders and braves who have made us welcome
TIM – LITTLE SCOUT BRAVE HEART
FINTAN – KEMOSABEE TWO TIRTY
CONAN – BIG CHIEF FIRE WATER

And from the Norse
JORGEN – CHIEF IKEA
KATARINA – SQUAW ON SIDE

We are sorry to go so soon,
You will always be welcome in our teepees
And in our riding grounds for many moon.

The mighty waters of the great oceans
May keep us far apart,
But the great spirit has made a lodge
For each of you in our heart.

We leave you now with this Irish ditty
In our dear ole Aussie way!

To the tune of “Running Bear”

BIG CHIEF PARKER called a POW WOW,
For all the BRAVES and CHIEFS around.
Time to leave the reservation,
For their SUMMER RIDIN’ GROUND!

POMMIE TIM was there to greet them,
As their party came ashore.
CHIEFS and SCOUTS were made all ready,
Full of petrol, full of ROAR!

(Refrain)
IMCA LOVES RIDIN’ INDIANS
WITH A LOVE AS BIG AS THE SKY
IMCA LOVES RIDIN’ INDIANS
AND THEY WILL UNTIL THEY DIE.

Pass the Palace and through the Tower,
All the teepees of London Town.
IRON HORSES and their RIDERS,
Saddled up and WALES bound.

THEN AUSSIE INDIANS went ridin’ IRELAND,
On a rainy summer’s day.
AUSSIE INDIANS they rode together,
FINTAN MURPHY led the way!

(Refrain)

IMCA LOVES RIDIN’ INDIANS
WITH A LOVE AS BIG AS THE SKY
IMCA LOVES RIDIN’ INDIANS
AND THEY WILL UNTIL THEY DIE.

As the TRIBE rode out of KILLARNEY,
They were headed for the shore.
At MUCKROSS PASS there was an ambush,
That began the Horse Shit War!

Riders scattered round the coaches,
But their chances they were slim.
PONY SOLDIERS led the red man,
Except for one PIL-GRIM!

(Refrain)
IMCA LOVES RIDIN’ INDIANS
WITH A LOVE AS BIG AS THE SKY
IMCA LOVES RIDIN’ INDIANS
AND THEY WILL UNTIL THEY DIE

Extra BOWS and extra ARROWS,
Phonin’ Conan could provide.
Winding roads and windy weather,
Made a rough and rowdy ride.

Stopping only to feed the ponies,
On their way to the MIDNIGHT SUN.
Drinkin’ GUINNESS and IRISH WHISKEY,
Huntin’ for BIG FUN, FUN, FUN!

(Refrain)
IMCA LOVES RIDIN’ INDIANS
WITH A LOVE AS BIG AS THE SKY
IMCA LOVES RIDIN’ INDIANS
AND THEY WILL UNTIL THEY DIE.

From County Cork to Bloody Belfast,
Miles and times were mostly ISH.
Hearty Soup and Soda Sandwich,
Was by now the preferred DISH.

SQUAWS and WARRIORS were ridin’ on now,
Leaving behind the Erin Isle.
When they return to the land down under,
They’ll be wearing a shamrock smile.

(Refrain)
IMCA LOVES RIDIN’ INDIANS
WITH A LOVE AS BIG AS THE SKY
IMCA LOVES RIDIN’ INDIANS
AND THEY WILL UNTIL THEY DIE

Written and performed by Dorothy Le Claire

A day in Dublin is a step back in time - to the Vikings and the Celts, to cobblestones and patriarchs. It's a thriving City that was thrust into the 21st Century with an economic wave of progress and prosperity for all. But the wheels of progress have come to a screeching halt as evident in boarded up buildings and half finished road works - much to our discomfort! A very expensive pint at the Guiness brewery, a stroll down the laneways of Temple Bar and a neck craning moment at Christ Church and St Patricks and we were back at Red Cow safely tucked into our Rose's and Shiraz and Baileys before bed.

Morning broke with a clap of thunder and Dublin wore a skullcap of grey overcast to greet the day. A light rain turned into a gale and our fearsome band headed out toward Belfast. Some twists, turns and roundabouts later, we were missing one back up van - Conan the Mighty Warrior had gone astray in the battle of the bottlenecks getting out of Dublin. Once found he was lost again by errant marshalls and lashing rain. A quick stop at Portmarnock Beach in time for Jim Parker to declare he saw a never before spotted penguin in the waters of the Irish Sea! Rare indeed as penguins hitherto were not known to exist in the Northern Hemisphere! Perhaps a few too many pints the night before added to the sighting....

The gail persisted and no amount of encouragement by our fearless leader, Fintan Murphy, could persuade the drenched riders to follow the beautiful coast line up towards Belfast. Instead we followed the lashing lorries and river of asphalt that is the sometimes on, sometimes off M1 and finally arrived at our hotel - Wellington Park Best Western in Belfast - just in time to see the sun break out and light the way to bed.

The young braves and Indian maidens of our band have been a terrific addition to the tribal experience of this summer ridin' grounds adventure. From Stella's beautiful hair extensions to Rachel's keen eye for photography; from the IT wizardry of Heath and penny ante poker of Daniel to Mason's insatiable appetite for both lollies and wrestling, they have been overall well behaved and a pleasure to have along. Mason was awarded the "Princess" banner for leaving his wallet on the Dublin Tour Bus but it was retrieved and all was well save his pride. As we faced the lashing from the Irish Sea yesterday though, it is Hannah Birthisel that should get a reward for her steadfast duty as a marshall and pillion on her dad's 48 V-Indian. She was finally pulled off the bike at our lunch stop in Carrickdale and flashed her sweet smile dripping with Irish rain.

A soft bed, a cup of tea and another day of this great adventure closes its weary eyes. Goodnight for now.

Galway to Dublin......

We departed this morning for a smooth ride to Dublin. We stopped at Clonmacnoise Monastery for a tour of the oldest ruins and it is believed the oldest book written in the world. The tour guide gave us a detailed run down of the history. We then rode on to Athlone for lunch. We lunched next to Athlone Castle and rushed down the road to see the oldest pub in Ireland only to find it was shut today. We then road on to Dublin and once again the gods were kind to us as we arrived safe and dry to our motel. The tartan award tonight went to Gerard for adjust the bolts on his head only to find in the end that it was some one elses bike.

Aran Islands

On Saturday 18th July we boarded a bus for a tour of the Aran Islands via a ferry first. It was a long day but well worth it. The iron horses were left to rest at the hotel while we explored the old Celtic villages on the ancient island. These are the oldest islands in Ireland which still speak the old language. We had one of the locals on a quick bus trip around the isle and we had to ask him to slow down so we could understand him. We walked about a klm up the hill to an ancient old fort which dropped to a sheer cliff. A bit daunting when there's no fence around the cliff and a sheer 500 ft drop. The guide had a wealth of info about the island including its only 9 mile x 3 miles and a population of 800. It is littered with stone fences everywhere and partly for boundaries but also to clear the land. The rock fences measure 7000 mile. (You have no idea)

This is where the original Aran knitwear comes from and there were a few bought by the ladies.

The kids enjoyed looking at the leprachauns houses scattered around the island. However, it was a battle dodging all the pushbikes which were hired by tourists.

We caught the last ferry back at 5pm and made it back to camp for dinner even though it was early to bed for most.

The tartan sash went to Phil White the next morning for coming to breakfast with his t-shirt back to front and inside out but the award almost went to Dorothy, for not dressing her partner correctly.

Killarney to Galway.....

Friday 17th July we departed for Galway city via the Atlantic west coast of Clare. The weather held out all day even though the clouds were threatening. The gods were with us as the rain started just as we stopped at the Bellbridge Hotel where the Spanish amada was sunk by Sir Francis Drake at Spanish Point.

After lunch it was on to visit the Cliffs of Moher overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The road there was just as rough as the ocean and a few pillions were a bit worse for wear. It was a long walk up to the famous cliffs made more difficult by the fact that the winds were blowing a gale. Still it was worth the walk and the views were spectacular.

On to the Menlo Park Hotel for two nights. We had our usual dinner together and the tartan princess award went to Finton (our irish guide and Conor's brother) for holding us up in the morning because his bike had a flat tyre.

Exciting images from incidents of interest from Day 5

Welcome back readers - here are a few images from Peter B's camera showing Peter Van S sizing up the mad locals

Here are some more of the images we promised you from the other day's events

Dr Neville Frankenstein after the electrical meltdown

Due to technical difficulties we are unable to bring you the anticipated video of Peter snotting the Irish Gits ... maybe later

This is Dr Neville after the electrical meltdown

Peter Van S having a "chat" with the protestors

Here we see Peter off his bike and interacting with the locals - this is after he took the swing at the bloke in the wagon.

Today's ride (Friday) from Killarney to Gallway was SPECTACULAR and a guest blogger will enlighten you all as to what happened to who when in the next couple of days.

Day 5 of the Irish Leg - Free Day to do what ever you like.....

Greetings from Killarney valued Blog Readers to a run through of today’s events. Day 5 of our Irish Leg Itinerary reads “this is a free day to do what you want” and that is exactly what everyone did. Some of us stayed in Killarney and took in the sights of scenery and shops and others took the option of a ride into “Ryan’s Daughter” Country- the highlands of the area around Kenmare and the Healy Pass with a lunch stop at Teddy O’Sullivan’s Pub on Bunaw Pier in Killmakillogue. (Try saying that when you have had a pint or 2 of the local brew – Phew!)
The ride commenced at 11 am after a bit of tinkering with machines – Chris needing to do a full rebuild on clutch and both primary cases - he had done a little bit of work on the machine back in Cork and some studs broke off the clutch basket and made their way out of the Primary cover leaving a hole which leaked a very large puddle of oil in the carpark at the previous night’s accommodation. The bike now needs 2 new primary cases and a cush drive. This has taken the pressure of Steve Kavanaugh’s bike being the “parts donor” bike. Needless to say Chris has had a lovely ride with Conan in BV1 today watching the day’s events unfold. About 2/3 of the group took the ride/ drive option and as said, off we went at 11am with the Murphy Bros. leading the way again. Marshalling now down to a fine art, we motored along some very bumpy roads with the rigid frame bikes really feeling the speed a little bit – so the pace at times was slower.
First incident of interest today:
As Merredith told you yesterday there was a protest happening on the road out of Killarney by angry locals objecting to laws about horse poo – or near enough. They had formed a picket line on one the main roads that we navigated through yesterday and they were at it again today. Unfortunately they had not had a good brekky and were very angry with the world and that included our little band of merry riders. Phil P rode through to the ire of the horse and wagon owners amidst boos and yells. Jim was involved in a mêlée and as he was next was nearly assaulted by 3 of the protestors – Sharon jumped out of the car to assist Jim but the Garda were there and they moved the men so Jim could get by. Annie, with Sharon now aboard but hanging out of the window watching Peter Van S at the rear, was driving the Black Car and she too was able to get by but by this time we at the back were being jostled by the protestors as they reversed their horses and wagons in our way. This blogger was quite concerned about being dragged from her bike so kept as close to the car as possible. Conor turned off his bike and pushed it through with Fintan trying to talk to the locals to make them see reason. Peter Van S was threatened by the men and he got off his bike and took a swing so we are told, and Peter B has the photos to prove it. Jim, who had got through first kept going and that was the last we saw of him until we met at the lunch stop at the little pub on the Atlantic. Needless to say the tour did not return to Killarney by that route this afternoon.
Second Incident of interest today:
Frank Hutch got a rear flat tyre and was put in BV1 – a little hairy for him as the road was narrow and potholey but he didn’t lose it – well done Frank. Readers please take note that the bike Frank is riding he bought in 1961 and has been riding it ever since (so he already knows what a flat feels like!)
Third Incident of interest today:
6 riders took the option of driving the Healy Pass on the Beara Peninsula – a high rocky mountain pass that is the home of goats and sheep that have NO road sense and then through Glengarrif (“where Fintan’s wife’s parents had their honeymoon”). On the way down we had a stop and Neville left his bike running as we regrouped to which the vibrations caused the bike to topple – this Blogger was riding down the road pointing to the bike as it fell in slow motion to which Neville gaily stood and waved back! And then you should have seen him run! No damage – just a nomination for Princess. We also passed Dugal coming the other way as we were heading in to Glengarrif – caught up with him when we got to Kenmare.
Fourth Incident of interest today:
The roads we have been travelling on are narrow but 2 cars or even a bus and a car can pass each other – with a spare centimetre or 2 tolerance! But when a little old lady in a little silver car just props in the middle of the road to give way to another car FOR NO GOOD REASON what is a little blue scout rider to do but fish tale down the road completely locked up?! And then when she is just about out of it to be rammed from behind by Brett’s BlackHawk because there was no where for him to go – I have to ask you reader, what is a girl to do? Well you just put it into the ditch – yes! So when the others stopped all they could see was Brett getting up from his bike and Lyndel was pinned underneath both bikes laying comfortably in the only bit of clearing there was along the stone wall lined route! So, Brett has a swollen ankle and a bent front end and Lyndel has a bruised rib, bruised ankle and a bent rear end (guard that is). Both riders and bikes took the 4 wheel option to return to base camp. As this blog is being written the mechanic I have brought along with me for this trip is doing a bit of panel beating and straightening of before mentioned machine in order for this factory rider to resume the tour tomorrow.

Fifth Incident of interest today:
Peter B rode out in his Vindian this morning but returned to Base after 2km to swap said Vindian, because it was running like a piece of #*@+!,with the ’38 he has brought as his “spare” bike. I have been reliably informed by Dorothy that he had a minor breakdown on the way home with the splinter group who did not do the Pass ride. Flat battery and then carby trouble – luckily there were many Phils there to give him “sound advice” and it was back on the road in minutes – about 30.
Sixth Incident of interest today:
Neville has exploded 2 ignition coils – yes reader not one but TWO ignition coils. BREAKING NEWS! This is now a major electrical meltdown – graphic images to follow!
So cherished Blog Reader – to this point in time we can honestly say the day has been eventful, memorable and not withstanding absolutely sensational riding. County Kerry may have crazy inhabitants but the country side and its breathtaking changes of scenery have made today a day to truly remember – ouch, my poor ankle!!!!
Post Script: Today’s Blogger has just been examined by Dr Dugal and the diagnosis is a cracked rib – ouch my poor rib!!!!! Brett has retired the bike and is now limping off to dinner.