Solo van-life WaterWays Ireland and Boom Boom Boys

 I consider myself very lucky that I have the lovely Polly to share my motorhome trips with but sometimes for whatever reason when we can't get away together I have been known to go on a solo run. This varies from a couple of days and on one occasion putting Polly on a Ryanair while staying on in France by myself for 10 days.

The most recent of my solo trips was back in early October with the forecast looking promising I decided I would incorporated delivering the van to Derek Walsh's in Limerick for a small repair with a 3 day trip to the midlands. I loaded up a bike and hit the road there was no real plan other than to enjoy the late autumn sunshine and get a bit of exercise. 

 As most motorhome owners will know Waterways Ireland is one of the few government backed agencies that you could consider a friend to the motorhome/camper community with large amounts of government money invested into revamping the waterways for recreational use. I'm not sure if it was by design or purely by chance but the motorhome and boating community share very similar needs meaning that the inland waterways of Ireland provide an excellent opportunity for some off grid camping with the use of WaterWays Ireland excellent facilities. With this in mind I hatched a plan to wing it  down the M6 motorway and duck into one of the many trail heads along the Grand canal.

With the sun shining I was motoring along the M6 when I felt the need for a bit of lunch. I was just approaching J5 Kilbeggan I knew there was a decent deli counter in the village form previous visits so decided it would be worth another visit. With lunch in hand I got to thinking there must be somewhere near by that would be an improvement on a garage forecourt a quick thumb thought the park4night app told me that Kilbeggan Harbour was just around the corner this turned out to be a perfect spot, a large flat carpark with a well kept picnic area it even had a tap... I was a happy camper. 

After lunch it was time to get out the bike pull on the cycling gear and hit the trail. As I was filling my water bottle for the spin I got talking to one of the locals who told me that there was often vans parked overnight so at least this would be an option for somewhere to stay but more on this later. 

The Kilbeggan Harbour greenway is a spike off the main Royal Canal greenway. Kilbeggan Harbour canal itself is no longer available and is dry for the most part, however the towpath has been developed into a greenway that joins up with the Royal Canal after about 8km. My plan was a nice flat ride along the canal using what was left of the daylight. I managed to fit in a lovely 50km mix of gravel and tar on the car-free greenway. This makes for very safe riding plus the royal canal was looking stunning in the early winter sun. 

I arrived back to the van just as the light was fading it was time to pack up the bike and hit the shower, there was no services in the harbour so I used the shower in the van. During the day there was a steady stream of locals coming and going form the car park but as night fell I had the place to myself. It was now time to give some serious consideration as to where I would spend the night. This is one thing about solo van life that for me is different from when you have company there are places I would have no problem staying when both of us are in the van that I would be uneasy about when  traveling solo, the carpark was well lit but felt very remote if  there was a few other vans there I would have had no problem staying.  I'm sure it would have been just fine but I would have felt a little uneasy so you just have to trust your gut instinct on this. The number one rule on wild camping is...if it don't feel right move... besides I fancied dinner out and the walk back into town was a little too far, this was probably the real reason that prompted me to move !   

The last time we visited the Hudson Bay Hotel was back when we were coming out of lockdown, because of whatever restrictions where in place at that time we were unable to get a table.  As I was less than an hour away this would be a perfect opportunity to visit the bay again I could also get a meal and a pint by just strolling across the carpark plus there would be a good chance there would be a few other vans about. We have used this spot a number of times over the years there are no overnight parking signs but we have never been asked to move. On a side note it had been a while since I had driven the van in the dark it felt a bit strange, its just something you tend not to do in a Campervan. Anyway I made good time and landed in Hudson Bay carpark about 7.30pm sure enough there were 3 other vans there I took a place over looking the lake got settled and made my way to the bar after checking out the menu I decided to rewarded myself with a few pints and a chicken burger meal I have had worst days. 

I got back to van had bit of TV time and was wrapped up in bed by 11.30pm I wasn't long in bed when they arrived ....  you guessed it the boom boom boys with the loud music and even louder exhaust pipe. In fairness they didn't stay long so I got the head down about 2 hours as later they came back, again not staying too long but nonetheless a mild irritation. Considering that the upper carpark was completely empty you would have to assume there only reason for parking so close to the vans was to cause a nuisance but look boys will boys other than making of a restless night I didn't feel at any time I was @ any risk but on reflection maybe I would have been better off staying in Kilbeggan.     

Next morning I got chatting to one of my neighbours who said he was regular visitor to Hudson Bay over many years. He assured me that that was the first time he had experienced this here . Just a case of bad luck on my part visiting on the wrong night.We have experienced this type of behaviour before over the years as I said its just lads being lads just put it down to experience and don't let it put you off. 

Day 2 of my solo trip the plan was to find a nice little mountain walk. There is a little known mountain range in the midlands called the Slieve Blooms in recent years the area has got a face lift with a number of MTB and walking trails being developed this makes it a very attractive destination for us outdoor types. My destination today was the trailhead for the Giants Grave Loop walk in Cadamstown Co. Offaly.  I make the mistake of using goggle maps to make a route today in retrospect I should have used our truck GPS as this would have made a route away from the worst of the L roads whereas goggle will take you down the fastest route regardless of the road type this can make for some interesting roads. After arriving in Cadamstown I was plesently surprised to find a lovely new paved carpark at the trail head I got set up pulled on the boots and was ready for the off. There was a choice of 3 looped walks. My hike the gaints grave loop is 11 km. As I set off there was the threat of a shower but otherwise it was looking good. The Giants Grave itself was a disappointing pile of stones but the river walk at the end made the hike worth it the photos don't do it justice  if you're considering a hike in the area maybe consider one of the shorter loops as the route I  had chosen had a lot of uninspiring fire road. 

  I was keen avoid a repeat of last nights carry on so the plan for tonight was to head to the official motorhome aires in  Portumna Marina Co. Galway.  Portumna Forest Park is a beautiful park set in conifer forest with way mark walks the motorhome aires is in the park 1.5km from the village which has a number of bars and a supervalu super market it is well worth a visit. I arrived late afternoon even midweek in October I was happy to find a free space as the aire is very poplar and fills up every weekend. There is space for about 20 motorhomes it costs €10 per night there is also a Service bay and electric hookup which you will need a waterways Ireland card for. These cards can be bought locally there is also a toilet and shower block. This is a super facility that very much reminds me of the type of parking you can find all over France and Europe.  I can't understand why it can't be replicated all over Ireland but thats a discussion for another day.  On the plus side I believe that the Portumna Aire is to be extended . After a busy day it was dinner in van and an early night . 

For day 3 the Weather was forecast to change I was hoping to get out on the bike before the rain came but I had a bit of lie in,  by the time I got the bike out the rain had come. I'm keen but not keen enough to head out in the rain so my new plan was to head out after it cleared. Unfortunately it rained most of the day so the bike ride was abandoned. When it did eventually clear I took the opportunity to wipe down the van as it was covered in road dirt from the L roads  I drove on the previous day I'm always sorry I started this job as it alway takes 3 times the time I expected  but I was glad when it was finished I hate a dirty van.  As I needed to be on the far side of Limerick early the next morning my plan was to move a bit closer to the city. 

With the van nice and clean I packed up the chocks and headed to killaloe/Ballina on the Shannon. There are a couple of places to park in the area the one I used has a very narrow entrance. We have visited here many times before so I knew our van would fit. I had chatted with a couple in Portumna who said they were also going  to the same place so I knew I would have company to be honest I would have been happy to stay there solo it was still nice to have some company. 

With  it having rained all day stopping me from getting out on the bike I pulled on the boots and headed for a walk before dinner. Killaloe is a very nice old Heritage town with narrow streets and views of the Shannon. We have been here many times before but I never get tired exploring the area. After tramping about the  two towns I nipped into the Anchor bar for a pint before heading back to the van to make some dinner. After dinner I headed back out to a small bar on the Ballina side. I alway try to visit this bar when I'm in the area they do a decent pint of Guinness have an open fire and the locals always make me feel very welcome . I didn't stay to long with an eye on my early start it was back to the van by 11pm and went straight to bed .   

After a quiet night I was up early as I was keen to get on the road I had to deliver the van to the garage and get a bus in Limerick at 12 o'clock to take me home. There was a bit of stress in the rush hour traffic as I had to take a detour away from Birdhill as the road was closed with some major works going on with what looks like a new bridge over the Shannon?  I needn't have worried I made good time to Derek Walsh Camper Centre in Kildimo did the handover all that was left to do then was to cycle the 15 km back into Arthur's Quay in Limerick to get my bus back to the big smoke, the bus arrived on time I slid the bike into luggage compartment of the bus and settled in for the long road home. The bus arrived in Dublin Airport with just enough light for me to ride the 18 km home before it got dark. A very enjoyable couple of days in-spite of the broken nights sleep but being honest I much prefer when my copilot is on board. 

When I went back to collect the van I had to contend with a major storm on my travels home , but more on that next time .

https://www.coillte.ie/site/portumna-forest-park/   https://slievebloom.ie https://discoverloughderg.ie/killaloeballina-heritage-towns/

So until next time happy camping and don't forget to wave 

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