Date: Saturday 15th June 2024

Start time: 06:00 (Sign-on from 05:30am)

Start Location: Clonmel, Co. Tipperary

Closing Date for entries: 11th June 2024

Organising Club: Audax Ireland

Organiser: Aidan Brosnan

E-Mail: aidanbrosnan@protonmail.com

Mobile: 086 2520548

Entry on Eventmaster only: https://eventmaster.ie/event/bo9Bs9AHjr

Entry Fee: €5. Cycling Ireland Licence is required. A 1-day Licence is available for €20 if required, this will be charged automatically on Eventmaster if you do not have a valid Cycling Ireland Licence.

Facilities: None.  This is a self-supported event

Route Description

Difficulty: *** and a half!

Myself and my wife Mieke devised this route in 2008 after our PBP adventure to help introduce some new routes to the Irish Audax calendar. It was mostly devised by joining up various cycles we liked to do together.  Its goal was keeping off main roads and introducing lesser known roads to the entrants. After many years off it has been altered slightly now to include the Dungarvan Greenway and to remove some short sections of main road. There is a very short off road section around 50m but it leads to a nice location.

Starting in Clonmel this route begins by crossing the foothills of the Galtee mountains with the small village of Anglesborough as the first control. From here the route climbs a bit more before descending to Kilbehany on the old N8 Cork Road.  From there the route climbs gently and then steadily to Arglin and then drops to Lismore. From Lismore the route follows the river Blackwater to Youghal bridge and then on to the seaside village of Ardmore for the next control.

A steady climb out of Ardmore brings a nice fast descent to Dungarvan.  Here you are recommended to join the Greenway and you will cycle the most scenic section of the Greenway with stunning views of the coast before plunging into semi-darkness of the Ballyvoyle tunnel. You will leave the Greenway now and follow some minor roads to Stradbally and then on to the next control at the seaside in Bunmahon.

With the turf well out of the way you will now do the surf part as you hug the Copper Coast and pass the old mine workings along the route.  In Annestown you will turn sharply inland and make your way to Waterford City.  The route will bring you right through the city and then onto minor roads to Carrick-on-Suir for the penultimate control.

After Carrick-on-Suir the route visits the old slate quarries for some unusual landscapes and then we make our way to the small village of Cloneen, for the last control, before returning to Clonmel.

The final route is linked below.   The route sheet will be made available before the event.

If you wish to pick up some of the locations on the Brevet Hiberniae the following five are available, some with minor diversion off route:

• Gortavoher Bullaun Stone: 4km there and back
• The Glen of Aherlow: 8km there and back but depends what you count as having seen the Glen!
• Ogham Stones Bunmahon (on the route)
• Reginald’s Tower Waterford (on the route)
• Sean Kelly Square, Carrick-on-Suir: <1km

2023 Route is here: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43160231

Please bring lights in case you are late back and because the lights in the tunnel, at the time of writing, are very dim.

Aidan

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