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The first trip is to Clare. This week long holiday is primarily for the 5th class boys,
who started cycling the previous Easter. There are some of the older boys on the trip, to
help the younger ones, and plenty of adults. We normally total 60 to 70 people for the
trip.
The group meets in Heuston train station and travel on an early morning train to
Limerick. Once in Limerick the boys divided into groups and cycle from Limerick, through
to Ennis. We normally stop in Ennis for Lunch, and it is at the point that some of the
boys start to wonder what they have let themselves in for. However after a short rest and
some lunch they are raring to go again, as can be seen in the photographs below.
    
Leaving Ennis, we travel on to
Lahinch, and finally arrive in Liscannor in the early evening. It's fair to say that this
first day's cycle is probably the most difficult of the entire week, due to the miles and
the undulating terrain on the approach to Lahinch. Needless to say, we are all very happy
to arrive at the Hostel for a welcome shower rest and dinner. Christine Smith's expression
captures our joy at the end of the journey. This fellow looks like a fairly happy camper
too ! |
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We stay in a Hostel in Liscannor, run by
Patrick Blake and his family. The Hostel is ideal for our group, and Patrick and his
family turn somersaults to accommodate our every need. Here is a Picture of Patrick to the
left. |
As anyone who has been away of a cycling holiday will know, food is very important.
Both quality and quantity. Patrick excels on both counts. He hires a chef to cook and
prepare our breakfast and evening meals. Breakfast consists of cereals, toast and
sausages, etc for the kids. For the adults its much the same, but with a full cooked
breakfast provided. Just what's needed before a long days cycling.
A packed lunch is provided for all during the day.
For dinner the kids are fed copious quantities of food that they like, such as chicken
and chips, burgers and chips, etc, etc. There is usually soup to start with and a desert
to finish with as well.
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The adults, it has to be said, are very well
looked after when it comes to dinner. As the picture below shows, the setting is more like
a restaurant than a hostel. There is always a choice of starter, main course and desert,
with a strong sea-food presence. Lobster and crab claws are not unusual choices. |
Every day the Christy try's to arrange to cycle to somewhere of interest. For instance
on one of the days last year we cycled to Spanish Point, and all the lads had a go a
bodyboarding and surfing. See the pictures below.
   
| Later in the same day, we stopped off in Lahinch,
on our way back to Liscannor, at the local amusements. Before we went in Christy gave his
"The best place for your Helmet, is on your head" speech. The lads had a chance
to spend all that money that was burning a hole in their pockets. |
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The cycling club then paid for the entire group try out the bumpers.
| On another day we went to the
Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs are a short cycle from the Hostel, about 5 or 6 miles.
Unfortunately the day was exceptionally windy, and the boys were not able to enjoy the
cliffs as much as they might. They did however have the unique experience of throwing
stones over the edge of the cliff, seeing them disappear, only to have them reappear back
over the edge of the cliff, and fly back over their head. Such was the strength of the
wind blowing up the face of the cliff. |
 
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| While the kids are walking up to the top of the
Cliffs with the other adults, Paul Tracey takes a moment to enjoy the spectacular views of
the cliffs. On our cycle journey up to the cliffs, we were passed by a convoy of identical
sports cars, which the boys had a chance to admire in the car park. |
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After visiting the cliffs the boys returned to Liscannor during the early afternoon for
the annual soccer matches against the local school.
The first game was against the Liscannor schools 3rd team. Our lads were up to the job,
but were troubled and not a little surprised by the skill and physical ability of the
opposition, in particular the girl members of the opposition. Some of our bigger lads were
shoved off the ball by female opposition on more then one occasion, much to their surprise
and consternation.
The second game was a hard fought affair. Despite the opposition being quite small in
comparison to ourselves, they more than made up for their lack of size, through greater
levels of skill. In spite of our teams best efforts we came sencond in this encounter by 3
goals to 1. To see some acrobatic goal celebrations and some shots of the action, see the
pictures below.
So 1 game each going into to the final encounter. Liscannor brought out their big guns
for this one, but in to be fair Christ resisted the temptation to put out the Willow
Wheelers second years, who would all have been a year older than the Liscannor boys.
| This was quite a physical but nevertheless
skillful encounter, which was well controlled by our referee for the 3 games, Tommy Breen.
The spectators were enthralled by the encounter, and some members of the crowd managed to
get a better seat to watch the action from than others. |
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We fought hard, but despite our physical commitment, brave challenges from our goal
keeper (David Pomeroy) and periods of sustained pressure in the oppositions goalmouth, we
were overcome by the better team on the day, by 3 goals to 0. After the game boys enjoyed
sweets, biscuits and minerals which were generously provides by the Liscannor school.
     
So to the Liscannor school, who won by 2 games to 1, well done. But watch
out, we'll be back !!
| On one of the days, usually towards the end of
the week, we do not cycle at all. On this day, Christy takes the opportunity to bring the
boys to places of interest that are too far away to reach by bike. One of these places in
the Ailwee Caves. The caves are located in the Burren area of Connamara, and as can be
seen from the photographs below, they set deep into side of large stone hill. |
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This is a very popular tourist
attraction, so while we wait for our group(s) to be called, the boys amuse themselves by
taking in the spectacular views across the countryside out to Galway Bay, and by consuming
the usual large quantities of sweets and ice-cream. |
| Once inside our tour guide explains to the kids
what to expect in the caves, while some of the adults take to opportunity to have a
welcome tea/coffee break, watched over by one of the less friendly former residents of the
caves. |
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The caves are a unique experience. As we travel through the tunnels made
by underground rivers which have long since disappeared, we are shown the remains of the
bears that used to inhabit the caves. Staligmites and staligtites are also to be seen, as
well as a spectacular underground waterfall. The true darkness to the caves is revealed at
the end of the tour when out tour guide turns off the artificial lights, and you can't see
your hand in front of your face. Despite the relatively educational intent of this part of
the holiday, the boys always enjoy the caves immensely.
| With so many boys on the trip its
not unusual that someone's birthday would fall during the week. Given that we travel
during the same week each year, its has been Morgan Slattery's pleasure to spend his
birthday away with the Wheelers for the last number of years (although this year he'll
have the pleasure of spending his birthday doing the Junior Cert, ha, ha !). Last summer
was no exception. Mairette (Morgan's mom), herself a regular traveller with the Willow
Wheelers arranged for a magnificent birthday cake, which was big enough to satisfy the
biggest of sweet tooth's and the entire Willow Wheelers group. Here's the pictures of
Morgan doing his birthday thing. |
 
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| All good things must come to an
end, as did our holiday. On the last day we cycled from the Hostel to Galway City, were we
got the train from the station in the centre of the city, back to Dublin. On the train the
boys arranged to present Christy with some gifts as a token of their thanks to him for
providing them with such an enjoyable week. James McFlynn used his much practised
political speech making skills to recall some of the highlights of the the week that that
the boys had enjoyed, and to preside over the presentation itself. As you can see from the
pictures Christy was presented with an elaborately decorated cutting of Liscannor slate
(which the area that we stayed in is famous for). He was also presented with a golf shirt,
which James quipped,.... "might serve as a suitable substitute for some of Christy's
more eye-catching Hiiwian shirts". |
 
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Christy was most grateful to the boys for their generosity. He took the
opportunity to thank the boys for their excellent behaviour during the week, and remarked
that for him, it had been his most enjoyable cycling holiday yet. In his final remarks to
the boys he stressed how proud he was, and how proud the boys themselves should be, of the
achievements that they had made during the week, not least that they had cycled the best
part of 280 miles in six days. No mean feat for a group with an average age of 11 years.
Well done to all !!
| Before the train journey ended,
Christy had the opportunity to discuss with Rob Nolan the circumstances around the
sighting of a full moon (very unusual in the early afternoon, unless its wintertime) from
the back of the mini-bus as it left the Ailwee Caves earlier in the week. Rob was quick to
point out, much to Christy's surprise, that there were several of his colleagues at
the back of the bus who ably contributed to a positive sighting at the time in question.
Indeed the few cyclists who were following the bus as it began its journey, were also able
to fully verify the sighting, as they probably had the most unrestricted view of the
spectacle. |
 
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That matter put to rest, the group enjoyed the rest of the lazy journey
home. The boys were met by their parents at Heuston station and headed off home, to sleep,
for most of the next day. Some of the older boys only had one day to recover as they were
to head off to Donegal the day after next for another weeks
cycling.
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