I left Killarney bathed in sunshine. There were loads of signs for Killorglin, but my book said that unless it was Puck Fair week there was little to attract one to the town, so I took it’s advice and headed in the opposite direction. The mountains look really fantastic this close up. Headed out on the Cork road, and this then splits with Mallow/Waterford road, which takes a more northerly line heading east through Cork county. This is one long drag with few enough towns on it, Mallow is 66km away.
It must be a slurry spreading day today, a terrible stench has been assaulting me on and off since I left Castleisland. Either that or I’ve picked up something on my shoe. Stopped in Rathmore for a cuppa, no Americanos in Danny Pats (3 pints beer/stout €10), either tea or coffee, plain and simple. Place is festooned with Kerry colours. The N72 is a mixed bag, some good patches and some awful ones. Where possible I try and stick to the hard shoulder, but sometimes there isn’t one, or it’s so potholed or has loose stone that cycling on it is impossible. Where there are yellow markings at the edge of the road, but no hard shoulder, I will cycle inside the line if there is enough room, and I think sometimes this is most dangerous, as the other drivers see you as being in a separate lane and drive by at way too fast a speed, sometimes only inches away.
Finally made it to the rebel county, and I was at least 3km inside the county boundary before I got to see the maroon chequered flags for the first time, clearly they are not as big fans of the game here as they are in Kerry. It’s getting cold and I’m putting on extra layers; this is a first. About 20km short Mallow Ian came along in his car, we took the front wheel off and loaded it into the boot, thank God he’s got an estate. We drive the last bit to Mallow, having found a nice b&b for the night, see picture below. Completed 73km for the day.
One Man And A Bicycle 
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