Moto Guzzi Ulster Rally 1
Spring Bank Holiday 22–25 May 2009
The village of Portaferry at the end of the picturesque Ards Peninsula, Co Down, was base for the long weekend. It’s at ‘the Narrows’ inlet to Strangford Lough, the largest sea lough in UK and Ireland. We lodged beside the ferry pier, with gorgeous views across the tidal flow to Strangford on the other side. Stalwarts from the V11 UK rally were the core attendees. Some folk from the South of Ireland participated and there was good local interest. Farthest travelled were Jaap Veldhorst from the Netherlands and Rob Bassett from Orkney. Bikes at the rally ranged through Spada, Cali, V11 Tenni, 750 S3 to 1200 Griso. The Waller clan, family of five, made a particularly interesting arrival… all being on one bike! Steve’s California achieved the feat thanks to its capacious sidecar.
Main ride route had to be the North Antrim Coast Road, which regularly appears in lists of top-ten motorcycling roads in the world. The downside of a Bank Holiday weekend is, of course, traffic. It would have been nice to have had the dramatic sea-line road all to ourselves. Nevertheless the weather was good. We had varied views of black basalt headlands, white limestone shore, harbour villages, forested glens, up towards the Giant’s Causeway and the section of road I particularly wanted to go over. The narrow Torr Head road runs along shore cliffs in a spectacular roller-coaster up and down, bend after tight bend, with vista across a turbulent sea-gap to Rathlin Island and Scotland beyond. The Mull of Kintyre is only 13 miles over the water. There was a fierce turn of weather conditions and not all the group who went on our Torr Head detour enjoyed the exposed track: something to do with lashing rain, buffeting gusts, thick low cloud and tractors advancing round bends, entirely filling the road width. Return route was by Ballymoney so we could visit the Joey Dunlop Memorial and have a wee drop of Guinness in Joey’s Bar.
On Sunday we took the delightful ferry crossing to Strangford. Our Guzzi convey rumbled round the south coast through Ardglass and the Lecale district (song-subjects of Van Morrison) to St John’s Point; and on to Newcastle, a traditional bikers’ meeting, eating and watering point at the sea-foot of the Mourne Mountains. Riding though dry-stone walled lanes, uphill to Spelga Dam, we enjoyed brilliant afternoon sunshine – and ice cream at the top. Rorty-torty mountain riding was followed by relaxed grub-stop in Castlewellan, then back by the ferry to evening fun in Fiddler’s Green pub.
The Rally was a hugely enjoyable weekend, after which we wanted to keep our local contact going so that more regular rides/meetings could be arranged in Northern Ireland. Without any network in existence here and lack of Moto Guzzi dealer presence, most of the local contingent spoke of both isolation – and enthusiasm for future annual rallies.
Photos of the 2009 Ulster Rally can be seen here > click on Flickr below >
MOTO GUZZIs NI 