Day 5 | Westport to Donegal | 185 km

I get on the road at 8:00 this morning on my own, with five people already well ahead of me. Given the distance we need to cover today, we all want to get an early start.

The roads are wet and it’s a bit cool, but it’s looking like a nice day.

I take a break in Foxford after 43 km and get a tour of the woollen mill. They make beautiful wool blankets and scarves among other things. I linger there for almost an hour.

It rains a bit as I’m leaving but it doesn’t last long. I go from country lanes to two-lane roads to brief sections of the highway. I am constantly shifting gears on account of the rolling hills.

I stop for a break at one point and three donkeys walk over to greet me.

I pass through a number of small towns and villages, each one as charming as the next, and then I return to the rural roads. A few very brief bouts of light rain interrupt an otherwise nice day.

Today’s lunch is a peanut butter sandwich out of the van which is parked in Coolaney at 88 km, then I do another long stretch of backwoods roads.

There’s one more van stop at 141 km in case we need water or snacks. As I’m leaving, the light rain returns and I still have 44 km to go.

It gets heavier this time and the wind picks up. Cars splash me as they pass by, but it doesn’t even matter because I’m already drenched.

The sideways rain continues for the last 30 km and I am dripping wet when I arrive at the hotel at 6:25. I am so glad we didn’t have this weather during the first 30 km of a day of this distance. That would’ve been really demoralizing.

Our hotel is right downtown and an easy walk to lots of shops and restaurants, although I don’t think I’ll stray too far tonight. I’m exhausted.