The national spotlight was focused on County Meath today with the official opening of the jewel in the royal county’s crown, the Boyne Valley to Lakelands Greenway. But with thunderstorms interrupting one of the year’s warmest days, we were reminded that nature can’t be taken for granted.

Our day began bright and early in Blackwater Park, Navan’s largest park, which was already buzzing with energy, no doubt helped by Ireland’s fantastic result in the Eurovision!

The group rode out to the Greenway, along Ratholdren Road where, while work on safe access has started, means that less-confident cyclists don’t have a way to reach the Greenway. We were thankful to our community garda escorts for keeping traffic at bay and assisting with road crossings.

With our “portable disco” in tow, we headed Northward, with smooth tarmac as far as the old Gibbstown station, leading to compact gravel on the section, the sunshine made the eight kilometer cycle thirsty work. We were delighted to arrive at Park Beo in Wilkinstown, who kindly provided drinks and snacks for the younger members of our group.

After a rest, a cup of coffee and some tasty treats from the new food truck, we rolled back out to the Greenway for the return journey to Navan. And we weren’t alone. Huge numbers of people were out enjoying a chill sunny Sunday morning, whether it was walking the dog, or heading out for a jog.

And this is just the start of our bike week. Check our Bike Week 2024 page for details of other events this week.

Finally, remember that a bike is not just for Bike Week. With the Greenway now fully open, right on your doorstep, there’s never been a better time to get back in the saddle. We’re doing organised rides every month – head over to our Events page for details.

p.s. You would NOT believe what else we got up to on the Greenway today! Watch this space.