“I may not have a therapist, but I do have my motorcycle.”

Irish Photo Rally 2025, It’s been a couple of years since I done any of the photo points but I decided to do some of them this year. Not sure I’ll get round them all but there’s still time.

For those that do not know what the Irish Photo rally is, at it’s simplest there are 24 points across Ireland where you ride your motorcycle too and photograph it at each point. The points change each year and take you to places you would never think of going. A great way to see the Island and the diversity of the history and landscapes it offers. There is no order in which you have to follow when doing them, for me I break the points into day rides and weekend breaks. So anything north of Dublin I can cover in day rides, South of Dublin weekend breaks.

Here is a link to the Irish Photo Rally site, the map and locations. https://irishphotorally.ie

My day out covered about 270 miles/ 400km and it took in five rally points, numbers 4,6,5,7 and 8 in that order.

Number:4
Region: “Down/Armagh”
Province: Ulster
Name: Giant Sliotar
3km W of Lurgan
Coordinates:
Irish Grid : IJ 04891 58928   
Degrees Minutes Seconds : N54 28’ 05″ W6 22’ 59″

Sliotar

A sliotar or Sliothar is a hard solid sphere slightly larger than a tennis ball, consisting of a cork core covered by two pieces of leather stitched together. Sometimes called a “hurling ball”, it resembles a baseball with more pronounced stitching. It is used in the Gaelic games of hurling, camogie, rounders and shinty. Wikipedia

Number:6
Region: “Fermanagh/Tyrone”
Province: Ulster
Name: The Big Lathe
Coalisland
Coordinates:
Irish Grid :  IH 83780 662870
Degrees Minutes Seconds:  N54 32’ 17″ W6 42’ 23″

I have included the coordinates with each photo for those that wish to see the street views on Google maps if they are available.

Number:5
Region: “Cavan/Monaghan”
Province: Ulster
Name: Derryheen Church of Ireland
2km W of Butlersbridge
Coordinates:
Irish Grid : IH 39117 09994
 Degrees Minutes Seconds : N54 02’ 16″ W7 24’ 13″

I will have to remember to stop and take some photo’s from the places I pass through, I just remembered this area had beautiful country side with great views across small lakes. I do this all the time, I enjoy ride riding my bike, admiring the views but forget to record them. I’ll have to try and show more of this beautiful island I live on.

Here’s is a link to the famous ‘Myles the Slasher’ http://www.irishidentity.com/stories/myles.htm

It was a warm day and motorcycle gear is great while riding but you overheat when stopped, There was a little cloud cover where I took this photograph. I got a bottle of water from the little shop in the background and the lady serving was saying, it’s great having all these good looking bikers calling in to see her, but there was a few exceptions. Hmmm. Sure the Irish have a great sense of humour.

So it’s on to the last one of the day, this one had me looking for something I discovered does not exist anymore. But there is a sign.

Number:8
Region: “Louth/Meath”
Province: Leinster
Name: Postman’s Hut
10km west of Kells
Coordinates:
Irish Grid : IN 63627 76594
Degrees Minutes Seconds:  N53 44′ 07″ W7 02′ 12″

Okay, I know I took a few more photograph’s of this site where the last postman hut stood. I can’t find them. This reminds me of standing in front of my school teacher telling her the dog eat my homework, honest Miss young it did…

There are good views of this on Google street view, I did check..

For those that have made it this far Thank you for joining me on my day out. I will try and take some non- photo rally photographs on my journey’s to other rally points.