#39 Co. Down

7-in-7 challenge – Day 7

I had learnt the lesson from my previous self catering stop and piled in the calories for the morning with porridge and toasted soda bread. The weather forecast was pretty grim with the days early climb in the Mourne mountains promising to be a damp, windy affair but nothing would dampen my mood, one hundred miles stood between me and the finish of a challenge that had dominated my thoughts for months since following Kevin Sinfields amazing 7-in-7 ultra marathon challenge. My challenge was on a different scale but personally meant a great deal to me and smashing the £777 fundraising target with a total of £1842 was very pleasing.

I had lost Baby Nik in the bags of discarded bike clothes ever since Co. Fermanagh so was determined to dig him out for the final county in Northern Ireland. In the car park in Lisburn I rummaged around until the little fellow was found and then got on my way.

The weather was somewhat better than I was expecting which augered well for the climb into the Mourne mountains.

The climbing started from the moment I left the car park, 23km and 270m ascent later I was celebrating cresting the final big climb of the challenge, looking forward to freewheeling down to the coast. The climb had been a steady affair with few steep ramps and fabulous open views on offer throughout, it was the perfect climb to finish the week’s tour of seven counties.

Time flew by and despite deteriorating weather conditions the gradual descent down to the promenade at Newcastle was a breeze.

Looking back along the promenade to the mountains I had just crossed was a satisfying moment which of course was rewarded with a dose of caffeine and essential carb loading in the form of passion fruit cheesecake. A lively gathering of local pensioners were shielding from the strengthening wind at the seafront cafe and were great company, telling me tales of times gone by in Newcastle and taking interest in my travels around Northern Ireland.

My route now headed east along the coast for 50km and the moment I left the cafe I knew I was in for a gruelling couple of hours. The headwind battered me remorselessly, coastal views and thoughts of completing my 7-day challenge kept spirits high.

The information board at twelve arches bridge suggested the area was of historical and spiritual importance playing a role in Irish legends from prehistoric burial tombs to St Patrick killing, salting and eating an untameable bull before ultimately restoring life to the beast terrifying the local chieftain into getting baptised who then lived out the rest of his days at the summit of Slieve Donard.

The ruins of Saint Johns church stood alone on the road to St Johns point lighthouse, built in the 10th or 11th century, excavations in the 1970’s revealed burials and a well but little else.

The wind continued to do it’s best to make the flat coastal route just as demanding on the legs as any climb I had encountered in the past week.

Hunters chicken and chips may not be the food of champions but I figured the halfway point of the final day warranted a feel-good lunch, the little cafe at Ardglass Harbour was nothing posh, but satisfied the pangs in my belly.

The Strangford ferry runs every half hour from 7:30am to 10:30pm everyday barring Christmas day. I was tempted to jump aboard and cross to the eastern side of Strangford Lough, but ultimately with the wind still driving hard from the South East the planned route turning West to Downpatrick was irresistible.

The impressive collection of sculptures on Scoth Street in Downpatrick are guaranteed to grab the attention of any passer-by. The silent dog from local writer Lynne Doyle’s story of the same name is called Juno, named by a lucky local boy who won a £50 Argos voucher for putting his grandfathers dogs name forward.

Downpatrick’s Stone cathedral is a place of pilgrimage for those with an interest in St Patrick whose remains are believed to be buried on the site.

I followed Strangford Lough’s eastern shore northwards with the ever decreasing mileage on signs to Belfast routinely reminding me that my 7 day adventure was drawing to a close. My mind wandered to where in the world my next adventure should take me.

Daft Eddy’s on Sketrick Island, Killinchy would be my final coffee stop. With just 30km left to ride conflicting emotions were at play, satisfaction at knowing I was going to complete my challenge was tempered by the disappointment that a special week was coming to an end and before I knew it my 20km commute to Marston Green would have to provide my weekday cycling fix.

Climbing gently for 10km as I left the shore of the Lough the top of the climb heralded the beginning of the end. A short descent brought me down into the Lagan Valley AONB. 15km of traffic free country park paths and along the river Lagan towpath ensured a serene and relaxing end to an unforgettable journey.

Now for that Guiness and Bushmills chaser I promised myself.

Having showered and changed in the Titanic View apartment located close to the docks I jumped in an Uber car and asked to be dropped at the best traditional pub in Belfast. The driver reeled off a few names including the Harp and the Duke of York. I plumped for the latter and was soon sat beneath a collage of beer-themed memorabilia staring at my Guinness and Bushmills soaking up the sights and sounds. I was surprised at how quiet the pub was but after all it was a Wednesday evening. On my own I began to feel that the finish to my challenge was a bit anti-climactic and soon I had downed my drinks and got up for a stroll round the city centre.

With plenty of restaurants and pubs I was spoilt for choice for somewhere to eat but I just didn’t fancy sitting down to eat on my own again so instead I grabbed another beer in the Thirsty Goat and then took in the delights of a Belfast Fried Chicken meal, watching the microcosm of inner city life go by.

7-in-7 challenge complete, Northern Ireland counties ticked off, job done.

Strava

The ride in numbers

169.29km Distance

Elevation Gain 2132m

8hrs 11 min moving time (20.7 km/h)

3 coffee stop

No punctures

2 categorised climbs