Le Tour Du Lough

Circumnavigating Carlingford Lough

For adventurous ADULTS, circumnavigating Carlingford Lough is a great day of cycling! It’s 53km in total and with stops to enjoy the surrounds and have lunch, a day is ideal.
Le Tour Du Lough offers a mixture of cycling conditions and challenges and why we do NOT advise this route for families is that for 12 kilometers, you have to cycle along the busy A2 road between Lisnacree and Warrenpoint. The A2 is FAST, it is NARROW and the road surface is ‘variable’ (raised grids, sunken grids, some potholes). Most drivers respect cyclists and give a wide berth but to take this route, you must be conscious of the potential dangers. OnYerBike will provide you with a High Vis jacket and a helmet of course . . . Still up for the challenge ?? Well off we go !! From Carlingford Marina you head to Greenore – just 7km along the R176 which for the most part has a ‘hard shoulder’ for you to ride along. You will be able to look across the lough to the Mourne Mountains to your left and across towards the Cooley Mountains to your right.
Carlingford Lough Ferry and the Mourne Mountains beyond
Carlingford Lough Ferry and the Mourne Mountains beyond
Carlingford Lough Ferry
Carlingford Lough Ferry
Lighthouse at Greenore - 1825
Lighthouse at Greenore - 1825
View from Picnic area at Ross Monument
View from Picnic area at Ross Monument
The Carlingford Lough Ferry from Greenore leaves on the half hour. Sailing times depend on the day and month so make sure you ask us or go to https://carlingfordferry.com/timetable/. There is even a bike rack on the Ferry ! After a lovely ferry crossing, you will arrive at Greencastle. Take the time to visit the amazing Royal Greencastle Castle just by Greencastle Pier. Ride along the Greencastle Pier Road and at the T junction turn left towards Lisnacree on the Benagh Road. It’s signposted Warrenpoint and Newry. At Lisnacree you turn left on to the A2 to Warrenpoint…The road pretty much follows the contours of the Lough and it will take about 30 minutes to ride to Rostrevor and Kilbroney Park. Plenty of good reasons to stop off here including a cafe at the Mountain Bike trailhead…As an advisory note, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A CREDIT/DEBIT CARD or STERLING CASH…(I made that mistake last time and so there was no pit stop for 46km until I got to Omeath !) Cycle a little further and you approach Warrenpoint, I stopped at the Ross Monument to just take in the scenery..The Ross Monument was erected on the shoreline of Carlingford Lough in 1826 to the design of William Vitruvius Morrison, this massive granite obelisk commemorates Major General Robert Ross who had been killed in September 1814 while advancing on Baltimore during the American War.
Narrow Water Castle
Narrow Water Castle

Once in Newry you can explore as you wish and there is much history to see, places to eat etc https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Restaurants-g209938-Newry_County_Down_Northern_Ireland.html. Now you are two thirds of the way round Le Tour Du Lough and very definitely on the last leg of your journey ! Quite possibly you are on your last legs too !

Carlingford Harbour Sunset May 2019
Carlingford Harbour Sunset May 2019

The Newry to Victoria Lock Greenway section is delightful. It starts looking a bit ‘industrial’ but after a few hundred meters you are riding along a lovely country path between the Newry River on one side and the Newry Canal on the other. It’s really fab !

At Victoria Lock (about 6.5km from Newry) you will have to go on the road for a few kilometers until you reach Omeath and where you can join the Carlingford Lough Greenway back to Carlingford Marina for the last 7km.

When you reach On Yer Bike you will have had a great day out and like our other guests that have achieved ‘Le Tour Du Lough’, you will be feeling elated for sure.

Time to ‘Get Off Yer Bike’ and go and enjoy a wonderful evening in Carlingford with its great pubs, cafes and restaurants. Maybe you will be lucky enough to see a sunset like this one !