My hosts are teetotal , so I just had the one , not wishing to disgrace myself with too much alcohol .
However , within 24 hours I was ashamed to be asked to leave a crowded pub . It was the bike that was misbehaving , not me . I ’ m an ‘ if it ain ’ t broke , don ’ t fix it ’ person but prior to the Ireland trip had decided to give the bike a treat . I ’ d taken it to a mechanic for the carburettor to have a go in one of those ultrasonic cleaners which heat up degreaser and agitate the grease and dirt particles off with high pressure sound waves or some other sort of magic . After eighteen years , I thought it deserved it . But , unused to such disturbances , the bike didn ’ t like it and leaked petrol . During questions following my talk in Seán Collins Bar in Adare , the landlord noticed a strong smell of petrol and told me to get the bike out before I blew up his pub . Later , I was able to replace the gaskets , and all was well .
Staying to have a look around Limerick before heading north-east to Northern Ireland I passed pretty cottages on roads empty apart from farm tractors , many of them Massey Fergusons .
It was Harry Ferguson , an Irish engineer who invented the hydraulic three-point linkage system which revolutionised modern agricultural machinery .
Home-made quiche at Tyrellspass and afternoon tea in a comfortingly dark , old pub at Ardee where I was given a whole plate of fig rolls and Garibaldi biscuits by an enthusiastic young woman who admired the bike .
Postboxes changed from Irish green to British red , prices were in Pound Sterling instead of Euros , and British number plates were on cars otherwise I wouldn ’ t have known I ’ d crossed the border to Northern Ireland .
At the time of my visit , this was a huge obstacle in the Brexit negotiations . With hundreds of little roads and tracks between the two , it seemed an impossible task to separate Eire from Northern Ireland and even now in 2021 , I ’ m not alone in my confusion about how it has been done , or even if it has been done at all . Highly emotive Yes / No abortion posters disappeared to be replaced with ‘ Jesus Saves ’ and ‘ Repent your sins before it ’ s too late ’ signs .
The mountains of Mourne rose as I approached Newry on my way to Killyleagh in County Down where I was going to stay with the friends who had invited me to join them for the Táin Donegal Run .
Intrigued by the name , I was told that the first club-run sixteen years previously had followed the Táin route that Queen Maeve of Connacht had used when attempting to steal a bull from the Cooley Mountains in centuries gone by . The legend goes that she wanted Ulster ’ s Cooley Bull , which was greater than her own prize bull , so formed an army to march north to capture it .
Queen Maeve was a formidable character , described as strong-willed , ambitious , and cunning . She was also a great warrior queen who had at least five husbands but , after failing to get the bull , she retreated leaving with an undying contempt for Ulster . Legend it may be but her hatred for the place only added to its mythical misfortune of having supposedly previously received a divine curse .
There was a day or two to prepare for the Donegal trip . White gloss paint was found , and I wrote IRELAND on the battery box , now so crammed with the names of countries I have ridden , there is little room for anywhere new .
My new hosts were not teetotal and on a visit to the supermarket I was amused to see some humour down the alcohol aisle revealing more of what I supposed to be craic ... an Irish whiskey called Quiet Man and bottles of Feckin ’ Unbelievable
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