Bridge 20 of 20 - the Sound Bridge, Kenmore with other Kerry Bridges on the way.

Mission accomplished!  I have now biked 20 bridges, with quite a lot of others thrown in along the way.  I have had great fun, had the company of great people and was able to talk to lots of new people about the Mamie Martin Fund.


For the final bridge I went to Ireland.  With my sister and two close friends we started at Ross Castle in Killarney where we travelled the first section by boat, with the bikes. We crossed Lough Leane, stopping briefly at Inisfallen, and then went under Brickeen bridge to the Muckross Lake. Our boatman, Robbie, skillfully navigated between the rocks, where the water was very low.  Then we went through the Meeting of the Waters and up to The Old Weir Bridge, where we had to get out of the boat and pull it against the current to the other side.  


Robbie had assumed that he picked the short straw getting four women passengers with their bikes but we proved our worth so well that he changed from calling us 'Maam' to 'girls'.  This might not be an improvement in normal circumstances but indicated acceptance in this situation. 

We motored up the 'Long Range'' for five miles before reaching  The Upper Lake and our destination, 'Lord Brandon's Cottage'.  So many of the places around Killarney are leftover from the British occupation that  it feels quite weird when you are not used to it.

Support team at top of Gap

After a lovely lunch we laboriously cycled/pushed our way up to the Gap of Dunloe and took a victorious photo at the top.  At this stage we had long been overtaken by a walking group going the same route.  But victory was ours as we freewheeled all the way down the other side.  Even allowing for stopping to take photos at each bridge we crossed, we still beat them to Kate Kearney's Cottage, even if only just!


After a well-deserved refreshment we cycled the remaining 8 miles to our starting point, braving the scariest road situation which I have ever cycled.  If on a bike between Fossa and Killarney, be very careful and think about just walking, although even that is dangerous on that road.  It's the nonsense of the random bike lane markings which make is so dangerous.  I was far too terrified to take a pic.

The Sound Bridge in Kenmare

We headed off to Kenmare for the evening and that's a lovely town to visit if you are in the area.  Next morning, half the support team left to get on with their weekends and Eilish and I went out to the 'Sound Bridge' which I duly biked.  I think the story of it being 'sound' as opposed to 'unsound' is a bit of blarney, because that stretch of water was marked as a sound on the map and the nearby road is called the 'Sound Road'.  There is a lovely stone sculpture of a musician group nearby.

So that's the completion of this project.  Thanks to everyone who supported in a wide range of ways.  Check my donations page for updated information on the total raised - it is not quite complete as yet.