Issue 3/09
Howyiz!
A little later than I would have preferred but here ya go anyway.
Good reports received on using Google Docs for the last newsletter so if it ain't broke....
That's it folks, another season over, Club is 10 years old, country's shagged, economy's fecked, pension's knackered. But you know what? Still got me bike so the hell with the lot of them!! :)
So down to the Kingdom, Tralee done & dusted, blessed with the weather, very posh hotel and I won a DIY gynaecology kit. Cool or what :) Didn't go on the ride out, not because of the usual hangover, but took a spin over the Real Capital of Ireland to see family. But, by all accounts, a good spin was had by all.
Nice one, Kevin, excellent weekend.
Charity Events
Here's the text of a message posted by Luke Sleepwalker on the bulletin Board:
Hi all,
I recently had an email from Bernie Connell who is part of the fund raising committee with Barretstown. For those who don’t know, Barretstown is a specially-designed camp for children with serious illnesses - primarily cancer and serious blood diseases - from Ireland, Britain and throughout Europe, and their families.
They provide a unique programme of adventure, activities and fun – backed by the medical world - which helps children with serious illness regain their confidence and self-esteem and has become internationally recognised as having a profound and positive impact on their lives.
Each year they organise fund raising events, last April the “Over the Gap” motorcycle run was organised where up to 250 bikers help raise €25,000 for this very worthy cause.
Now to the reason for posting this, would / could the club get involved in this not just as a few members taking it upon themselves but as a united club, with as many members as possible turning out and giving support. I know each year at our AGM monies are donated to charity but what would you as members think of making Barretstown an organisation that we could do something for each year. I know that a lot of you are involved in charity events in your own area, but how about making Barretstown our club charity.
I would like to hear you opinion’s – for or against.
If you would like to know more about Barretstown, check out
http://www.barretstown.org/
Luke
For those that haven't been following the thread there was some discussion over aligning with one charity, so Yoda suggested that we all try to come up with fundraising ideas that we could discuss and then reduce them to one or two firm proposals to bring before the AGM for decision. The idea being that if we have a raft of half formed ideas at the AGM, it will take a week by the time all are debated.
In my humble opinion it's a brilliant idea from Luke. These charities are going to be hardest hit and no doubt government funding will but reduced or possibly cut altogether. At the danger of sounding trite, it really is an opportunity to make a difference in kids lives with the added, and I suppose somewhat selfish, bonus of enhancing the Club's profile. It's something we can do every year with not much effort on our part but with a huge potential return for others.
So what we want is this:
As many of you as possible to come up with ideas for fundraising, whether it be underwater Goldwing racing or taking a Honda 90 to the top of Carrantouhill, we want to hear it. The beneficiary will be chosen from a pool of charities at the AGM.
So come on boys & girls, get your thinking caps on - all of you. This is important, a great opportunity to do something worth while. Don't sit on the fence for this one!
Ideas to:
We're collating the suggestions, not adjudicating by the way!
MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS
STILL A LARGE NUMBER OF SUBS OUTSTANDING
YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!!
Everyone got a letter & form in the post!
Fill it out & return it WITH THE SUB!!!
To:
Jack Mulholland
District Office
Garda Station
Carrickmacross
Co. Monaghan
If you are the typical Mule and filed it under lost send the sub with the following details:
| NAME |
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| E-MAIL ADDRESS |
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| ADDRESS |
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| PHONE No. |
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| MOBILE nO. |
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| Reg. No. |
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The Club cannot function without funds - cough up boy & girls!!!
Italia 0-Ninety
Fantastic trip by all accounts, big miles, sore bums, broken 'Wings, what it's all about really! Hope to get a participant to do a report for next issue. Any volunteers.........?
Next Year....
April '10 - AGM - Midlands
June '10 - Wales - Peter Haughney
Aug '10 - Mid-week - North East (possibly Carlingford)
Sept ' 10 - End of Season - Donegal.
BK Ireland 1 are doing a tour around the top half of this fair isle:
2010 Tour
Dates: 23/05/2010 – 30/05/2010
7 Nights Bed and Breakfast, 2 Evening meals, Luggage Truck, Breakdown Vehicle, 2 Mechanics, Tour guides and Excellent Weather, €450
Day 1 Sun 23/05/10: Meet and Greet of old friends and new in Juries Inn Hotel, Christchurch, Dublin. The opportunity to view Ireland’s capital city by foot.
Day 2 Mon, 24/05/10: Dept Dublin Castle heading to Belfast via Carlingford and Strangford Lough or take a late departure after a visit to the Garda museum and The Guinness Storehouse. Overnight in Belfast. Ramada Hotel.
Day 3 Tues, 25/05/10: Still heading north we take the much acclaimed A2 Coast Rd. We visit the ‘Giants Causeway’ and the world famous Bushmill’s Whiskey Distillery, from here we take the short spin to Ballymoney to visit the bar of Famous Motorcycle racer Joey Dunlop. We then catch the ferry and cross over to the inishowen peninsula from Magilligan to Greencastle. Overnight in Moville, Co Donegal. Charlton Redcastle Hotel. Evening meal included at the hotel.
Day 4 Weds, 26/05/10: The chance to have a late start with a short spin to our overnight location of Letterkenny or to get back on the tourist trail and head north on the Inishowen Peninsula and visit Irelands’ most northerly point Malinhead. Travel back down the west side of the peninsula and the chance to spend the second half of the day in historic Derry/Londonderry.
Day 5 Thurs, 27/05/10: Letterkenny to Donegal town again you have a choice to head straight there or do a circuitous scenic route via the beautiful north western Atlantic Donegal coast and sleibh league. Our overnight stop will be in Donegal town.
Day 6 Fri, 28/05/10: Donegal town to Galway City via Manorhamilton, Glenfarrin and Sligo. Overnight Galway and enjoy Ireland’s most vibrant and Western city. Here you will be able to enjoy the hospitality of the Radisson SAS hotel, which is just off Eyre Square.
Day 7 Sat, 29/05/10: Rest day In Galway City or take a leisurely escorted Saturday ride out to the ‘Cliffs of Moher’, via Blackhead and the ‘Burren National park’. Group Banquet night and presentations in the Radisson SAS. Evening meal included.
Day 8 Sun, 30/05/10: Break up and head for home, ferries, or just keep on going. Distances from Galway. Dublin Airport=220kms, Dun Laoghaire=234kms, Rosslare=262kms.
Bike Hire
www.2wheeltravel.com based in London and will supply bikes to anyone who wants to fly to London and ride to Ireland. Michael St John is contact.
- Stenaline – www.stenaline.ie/events Offer Fast Ferries between U.K. and Ireland. 20% discount for Blue Knights. Email Brendan for promotion code.
- Seafrance – www.seafrance.com Offer Ferries between France and U.K. 10% discount for Blue Knights. Email Brendan for promotion code
- Irish Ferries – www.irishferries.com Offer Direct ferries between France and Ireland, routes are Roscoff to Rosslare or Cherbourg to Rosslare. They also run ferries between UK and Ireland. Group discount may apply.
- Brittany Ferries – www.brittanyferries.com Offer a once weekly direct ferry service from France to Ireland. Route is Roscoff to Cork. Departs Roscoff Friday evening and arrives Cork Saturday Morning.
- Cork Swansea Ferries – Offer an overnight sailing from Wales to Cork.
- DFDS Ferries – Run Ferries between Northern Europe and Uk and UK to Ireland. Discount available to blue knights http://www.dfds.co.uk/BKUKIC
Bookings – To reserve your place on the tour please send an email to brendancondon@eircom.net we will then email you a booking form with reference booking number. This number must be included on your iban transfer. Any iban transfers without this number will be returned to the bank. Our preferred choice of receiving deposits and payments is by international bank Transfer. However we will accept other methods should it prove to be too costly when sending an Iban from your home country.
Places can be reserved by forwarding to us a non refundable booking deposit of €150 before the 31st Nov 2009. Full payment in due on or before the 14th Feb 2010.
Luggage – A luggage service will be provided for the tour. On arrival and registration in Juries Inn Dublin, you will receive luggage tags for your bags. Simply bring YourTagged bags to the luggage truck every morning outside the hotel reception and we will transport you luggage to the next hotel. We hope to even put them in your room!
Breakdown – Our two mechanics return to the tour in 2010. We will have a breakdown van plus bike trailer. This does not mean you don’t need to have your own European Breakdown assistance. We will recover your bike to the next hotel or service. We will not be bringing the bike around Ireland on the trailer as we need to keep it free for daily breakdowns.
Routes – All routes have been prepared by local members. They will be available on the website www.bkireland.com for downloading and printing no later than one month before the start of the trip.
Newgrange – There will be an opportunity for a group visit to newgrange. The group size will limited. Members can book this tour at the same time as paying their tour deposits.
€450? - good value that....
See You Jimmy!!
Myself, Martin & MyBitchGerry scooted off for a few days to Scotland in September. Absolutely blessed with the weather, sun shone for the whole trip. Went from Larne to Troon, met into a few Scotland 1 heads far side of Glasgow. On through Glen Coe & first night in Spean Bridge, don't bother - kip.
Next day looked for Nessie & then onto the orgasmic A835 Garve to Ullapool road. If you ever do one road in your life on a bike this has got to be it. You know one of those laugh-out-loud-in-the-helmet roads? Stunning. Then right around the coast through Gairloch to Shieldaig. Lovely wee place.
Day three across the mountian to Applecross. Trigger was right. Absolutely amazing. Not even going to bother to try & describe it. You just have to go & see for yourself. Photos couldn't even begin to do it justice. Decided at this point that we were have WAY too much fun to be bothered with this going home lark so rang ferry companies and B&B's and extended another day.
A brief note on ferry bookings. MyBitchGerry & I booked through Nutt Travel - no charge for changing ferry. Martin booked through Direct Ferries & was charged €73, not far off the original cost.
Down the coast to Oban, lively town, mad B&B. Maureen, a lady of certain age, runs an excellent establishment. It wasn't a breakfast, more like a dinner - huge! But you have never seen so much lace, ornaments & china in one dining room in your life! The state of three big bikers delicately sipping their tea from tiny porcelain cups... priceless. Gerry & I had a lovely room while Martin starred in his own remake of 'Snatch' and slept in a caravan..."I f@@kin hate Pikeys"!!
Day four brought us to Stirling & with no bikes next day we drank a few shandys.....
Day five urgh!! Spent the day stolling around the city, went to see the castle, William Wallace, Gerry painted his bum & other touristy bits blue.
Day six, belt to Cairnryan for boat back to Larne.
If you have never been to Scotland, you must. You really, really must. It's on the doorstep, they drive on the same side and speak the same language (roughly). Once you get up the Highlands proper you have some of the best traffic free roads in Europe. Try & imagine Donegal or the Ring of Kerry with real tarmac - on steroids....
See y'all later!
Ride safe
Neil
