We marked the arrival of Spring with a spin along the Royal Canal

To herald the clocks going forward and the official start of Summer Time in Ireland, Dublin Cycling Campaign organised a social cycle along the Royal Canal on Sunday 25th March.

The cycle began outside Bang Bang (which happily opened a half hour earlier than usual to accommodate us!) in Phibsborough and we were delighted to see a group of more than 60 people turn up on a beautiful spring morning.

Departing just after 11am, the cycle took in some of the major sights along the canal with campaign member Colm Ryder providing historical and engineering insights at various points along the way. We were also aided by a beautiful map of the route, above, which was created by illustrator Eoin Whelehan and organised by campaign member Claudine Chen.

Approximately half of the group had never cycled along the Royal Canal before, and some others hadn’t travelled all the way to Castleknock, so the cycle was an eye-opening experience for many, illustrating the tranquil beauty of the canal and the significant wealth of natural and man-made heritage along its banks.

Sunday’s cycle was part of Dublin Cycling Campaign’s Spring into Cycling initiative, which aims to remind people of the simple pleasures of cycling. Some people may have put their bikes away for the winter, while others may not have cycled for years, but we’re encouraging people to embrace the longer evenings and the improved weather by dusting off their bikes and getting back in the saddle.

As the Royal Canal cycle showed, there are quite a few places around Dublin that provide safe, segregated cycle routes for families or less confident riders to enjoy. Here are some of those cycle routes to check out:

• Royal Canal Greenway (Phibsborough to Castleknock)

• Grand Canal Greenway

• Clontarf to Sutton Coastal Path

• Phoenix Park

• Tolka River Valley Park (Ashtown to Glasnevin - Note: Google Maps doesn’t show the cycle path, but it is inside the park itself)