Five Country Tour

Seriously, a lot of the roads along the west coast are regional roads. Not bad but narrow and twisty. Factor in busloads of yanks, tractors and the odd herd of cattle/sheep. Your average speed ain't gonna be much.
You can make up time jumping onto motorways but theres no fun in that.
Drop the Grand Tour ideas, start in Dublin and work your way round to Galway or Westport and then ferry back to the UK from Dublin.
Enjoy the pubs and towns, I recommend Cork, Dingle, Doolin and Galway is a great town.

 

I have to agree with @Harry Bell and @Tomo76, it’s a big trip to do what you’re planning in just 1 week. Split it in two and do the other half next year.

Anyway, I have heard of a Hall’s Gap where they hold bike rallies but it’s not in Ireland. It’s in the Grampians. There’s just one problem however, it’s not the Grampians in Scotland but in NSW, Australia. I think that might be really pushing it to include that in the tour .

On a serious note once you’ve decided your route let us all know, there’s a few Ducatisti in Ireland and we can make some suggestions/give advice.

 

Errrr. There’s a big difference between Moll’s gap and Hall’s gap!

For starters the #me too brigade have insisted ‘Moll’s Gap’ is changed to ‘the person of indiscrimate gender who has a larger than normal space between their legs when standing upright Gap’. But the people of Kerry said ‘feck off with your hipster PC shite, the only PC we recognise is the one we watch the porn on!’ - they’re like that in Kerry.

For seconds, it is a very scenic and beautiful road from Kenmare to Killarney, or vice versa, and well worth taking, much better than the main road.,Plus you can stop at Moll’s Gap (top of the hill) and have a coffee in the Avoca store which is in the middle of nowhere (a classic example of ‘build it and they will come’) and buy your other half something nice to make up for the fact youre on a road trip for a week.

 

There's a back road through the Black Valley to the Gap of Dunloe. Nice spin but probably not for a Panigale.
Anyways I tried to find a couple of years back and inevitably got lost.
Ended up pulling up to some sheep farmers house in the back of beyond. Out comes this lad who hadn't seen a razor, scissors or hair brush since birth. Couldn't understand a word he was saying! Could have been speaking Swahilli for all I knew.
Found The Gap eventually.....

 

@Tomo76 is right about the back road, you’ll miss out all the Ring of Kerry traffic but still get stunning scenery.

As you’ll be approaching Moll’s Gap from the south (Kenmare side), when you get to the top and the Avoca store hang a left, then take the first right. That’s the road Tomorrow mentions. It’ll take you down into the Black Valley and out past Kate Kearney’s cottage and eventually you’ll join the N72 Killarney to Dingle road, having by-passed Killarney.

However....whilst scenic, and not much traffic, even in summer, it’s a single track for most of it, you’ll be lucky to hit 50km/h. But then again, in the summer, you won’t hit 50km/h on the main Ring of Kerry road - too much traffic.

One last thing, for now, if you’re fitting new tyres to your Pani for the trip, Supercorsa’s are not a good idea for roads like the one above.

 

I wondered what happened to you! What's the final route then?

 

Would have been part of the way around this by now except my recent illness meant I had to cancel the trip. Maybe next year.... Have a great tour and post plenty of pics to make us jealous.

 

You've picked some good towns there, enjoy the trip. It looks like the weather is going to play ball too.

 

Great to see the plan is still on, what's your proposed route to Dungarvan, then Dungarvan to Killarney and Killarney to Kilkee, I'll see if I can give you any pointers. I'd meet up with you somewhere on route but I'm working Sun, Mon & Tues next week so it depends where you are when. Have a great trip

 

From Dungarven to Cork is the N25, on the outskirts of Cork take the N40 and go through the Jack Lynch Tunnel, it’ll probably be signposted Cork South or for the airport. Follow signs for the airport. Turn off the N40 onto the N27 it will definitely be signposted Cork Airport & Kinsale. Go straight on at the airport roundabout and that’s the R600 which will take you into Kinsale.
Don’t take the N71 it’s a mess of roadworks at the moment, there’s a much better road which is twister has little traffic compared to the N71 and is more fun.
MTF

 

From Kinsale take the R606 & R605 to Inishannon, there join the N71 to Bandon. Head for the Town Centre and when you come to the T Junction with the Methodist Church in front of you turn right. With luck it’ll be signposted Dunmanway. You want the R586 through Enniskeane, Ballineen, Dunmanway & Drimoleague. It will rejoin the N71 just before Bantry.

If you want to claim your pint you’re more than welcome but it’ll have to be after 5.15pm as I’m working on that Monday and 5 is the earliest I’ll be able to get away If so, where the R586 joins the N71 you can turn left, signposted Skibbereen N71. Go over the hill and at the end of the road (12km) turn right into Ballydehob, Schull is 7km after Ballydehob. Let me know and I’ll be there.

To get back on the route to Killarney you’ll have to retrace your steps back to the N71 then Bantry, Glengarriff, Caha Pass, Kenmare.

From Kenmare follow the signs for Ring of Kerry and Moll’s Gap. When at Moll’s Gap (you’ll know you’re there coz there’s a massive Avoca outlet there), follow the signs for Killarney and it’s a beautiful run down the mountain, past the lakes and into Killarney. If you time it to be on that stretch of road after 5.30pm you’ll miss all the coaches as they’ll have dropped their loads of Americans back in Killarney for supper by then.

If you need anymore info just ask

 

Sorry Rich, I’ve got to work . Any other day and I’d have ridden part of the route with you. Still, if you turn up in Ballydehob, the pint’s on me, I chef in a restaurant there so I could always pop out for 5 mins