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This is the route we took from Mizen Head (south) to Malin Head (north). Just under 430 miles all in – and about 14 hours with fuel and food stops.

View MTM 2009 Route in a larger map

In between the ferry ride across the Shannon and our arrival in Malin Head there was a hell of a lot more driving coupled with a few stops for food and petrol. I skipped the pictures because they were mostly redundant – a bunch of Minis at a petrol stop with people milling around. We did have a lot of fun on the run but we were also ready to be done by the time we arrived at Malin Head – around 9:30 pm.

We all milled around a bit, took a couple of group photos and then, because it was COLD, got the hell out of there and headed to the pub in Bandon. There are no pictures of the after party, which is probably a good thing as it ended up merged with a wedding party.

A bit of video from the final run up to Malin Head. This should give you some idea of what Irish country roads are like. Turn down your volume – I was holding my camera out the window and all you’ll hear is wind noise.

http://www.grinwithoutacat.com/video/Arrival_at_Malin_Head_2009.AVI

You can find more photos on the IMOC Forum.

Just to add interest, the rally included a ferry crossing of the Shannon River this year. Two ferries had been organized with the crossing starting at Tarbert. We JUST made it to the second ferry, having to really hustle down a few side roads to make it in time. How close were we? Well, they had to open the gate back up to let us on!

The crossing took about 10-15 minutes and normally costs €18.00, though it was only €10.00 for our crew. This seems steep, but the alternate is a several-hour-drive.

We stopped for breakfast in Kilgarvan at a petrol station run by a local politication, who is known mainly for being the third generation to wear a “flat hat.” Yes, really! Breakfast consisted of a “breakfast roll,” also known as a “builder’s special” – when there were still houses to be built. A “breakfast roll” is a wonderful thing: take a hoagie roll about 10 inches long, slice it open, slap on some ketchup and then load it up with a full Irish breakfast. Yum!

We spent the night at the Barley Cove Hotel (http://www.barleycovebeachhotel.com) had a bit of dinner and, of course, a few pints before going to bed. When? Sometime around midnight of course!

Since we had a LONG way to go and wanted to arrive in Malin Head before dark we departed early from Mizen Head. To be exact, we left at about 6:45 am, which meant we had to leave the hotel at 5:30 in order to start getting lined up at 6:00. UGH!

Here are some photos from the gathering in the parking lot at Mizen Head. I didn’t get a lot because the weather was rather ugly – windy and spitting rain. This would continue for about 3 hours, though our wipers only lasted for two of those. If you drive fast enough in a Mini the water mostly blows off of the windshield.