Soon, I'm on the main road, and back to highway traffic - fast moving and scary. You can hear the buses and trucks coming a half a mile away, and it's a natural impulse to pray they don't sideswipe you into the adjacent ditch or worse, into that barbed wire.
This sends me skittering to my room to make sure I have enough cash to tip them properly. Because the good-bye celebration is coming up tonight, and heaven knows they've earned it. As one of our number astutely points out, the rides were all seamless and easy. There's only one way to achieve that.
Not surprisingly, our guides find time to show up for this - but more impressively they've managed to change and look more refreshed than the rest of us. One of us has had the foresight to come up with some amusing lyrics describing our trip, set to the tune of "On Top Of Old Smokey," which we blunder through unrehearsed. It's like watching a herd of sheep wander out of the pen; we have no idea where we are going. But the spirit is cheerful, and our guides are amused (they've never heard On Top Of Old Smokey. They probably think this is how it should sound).
Catherine is also a talented singer and sings and plays guitar for us. I have requested Raglan Road, a favorite of mine, which she performs touchingly; then she plays an original, a ballad written for one of her children. A truly lovely song.
But the night isn't over. Because our guides are local, they know about a wonderful musical duo, and have called them to come play - and dance for us. They are from the area - laborers, not professionals - but they've won numerous contests and as they perform it's easy to see why. The music is well rehearsed; the dance all improvised. They are brothers - the younger one only 15 - and their synchronized performance reflects the unique bond of family members. For getting into the spirit of Ireland, you couldn't do better than this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf-vQZXZSAk
It is a fitting send-off for our last day of biking in Ireland and I hate for it to end. Tomorrow we caravan to Dublin and from there, go our separate ways. Here we are: