Tour of The Three Counties

Enteries close 2nd September @ 23:59

This event is unique in so far as it is one of the longest standing Leisure Cycling events on the national Cycling calendar , and for this reason it is a massive day for the local Innisfree Wheelers Cycling club who welcome back this event after a break of one year due to Covid.

The Three Counties event was started locally twenty seven years ago by founder Innisfree member John Greene supported by a number of local sports people from different backgrounds, Cycling, Triathlon, Athletics etc. John Greene always worked towards linking it to a local charity and in doing so giving local cyclists an opportunity to take part in an organised event to raise money for these various local charities.

Over the twenty seven years the Three Counties event has raised thousands of pounds/euros for some very worthy local charities, Children for Chernobyl, St John’s Hospital, Sligo Social Services, Sligo General Hospital, Samaritans to name but a few

This years local charity that will benefit from a contribution from the event is the local Sligo Branch of Focus Ireland who do great work with homeless people in the area.

This year’s event takes place on Saturday the 4th of September at 10am from Sligo Tennis Club on the Old Bundoran Road with sign-on from 9.00am and a start time of 10.00am. Registration is ONLY accepted ONLINE this year and it is just €25 per person. There will be a food stop at the 60km mark at Manorhamilton Community Centre.

This year as in previous years the event will stick roughly to an 88km template but the route has changed slightly for safety reasons but still will head from Sligo and follow a route out to Drumcliffe on the hard shoulder of the N15 for just 5 kilometres.

It then goes on a quiet road via Carney, Lisadell, Breaghy and crosses the road in Grange village and heads for Ballintrillick. Here the cyclists will have Benbulben to their rear and the majestic Benwisken to their right. They will turn right again and exit on to the Bundoran - Carrick-On-Shannon road and turn right for Glenade and Manorhamilton.

After the food stop in Manorhamilton, the riders take the Kilcoosey road towards the picturesque village of Dromahair. At this point the riders will turn for home via the shores of the beautiful Lough Gill and pass the majestic Parkes Castle before returning to Sligo Tennis club via Ash Lane and Ballytivnan.