MotorBikes: Rev Up 4 DSI charity rideBefore we even start out, our plans are in bits. "Rev Up 4 DSI" is a charity motorcycle ride around Ireland in aid of the charity Down Syndrome Ireland. I'm supposed to be riding with one of the organisers, Aidan Lynam, and comedian Tommy Tiernan, but the funny-man is already an hour late and Aidan is not amused.
Most of the bikers are already Slane-bound on the N2, so my wife and I decide to strike off to see if we can catch the pack.
We're tempted to nip across to the N3 and catch up with everyone at the first stop in Cavan but, instead, we elect to do the honourable thing (this is a charity ride, after all) and ride the carefully-prepared route in its entirety.
It turns out to be a good decision. The roads are so spectacular on this sunny Saturday morning that, pretty soon, I forget the clock and really start to enjoy the ride. Who wants to be in the Garda escort into Galway city anyway? It's just a glorified traffic jam, after all.
This is the second Rev-Up 4 DSI, an event that came about through the chance meeting of two bike enthusiasts, Aidan Lynam, a recent father at the time, and Michael McCormick, CEO of Down Syndrome Ireland.
The premise is simple: a pre-arranged, three-day ride around Ireland, taking in 1,300km of the country's best scenery and biking roads, with a minimum of €2,000 in sponsorship from each participant (though many brought in a lot more than that).
This year, more than 140 people took part and the bikes ranged from continent-munchers, like the Honda Goldwing, to Sean McGinley's recently rebuilt 1979 Honda CX500, with some spectacular machines like Noel Cassley's Honda Rune and the military-style bike-with-sidecar of unknown origin piloted by Brendan O'Gorman and son Brian thrown in for crowd-pleasing effect.
At our first stop, in Cavan, we caught up with some families who have children with Down Syndrome and they were so happy to see us, it was actually a little overwhelming.
Niall Kavanagh and David Clarke, two young lads who rode pillion over the entire event, posed for photographs with younger children, although Kyle McGrath wanted nothing more than to be sitting on our BMW, grabbing the bars and making engine noises. A while later, Tommy Tiernan showed up to joke with the families and beam for the cameras, and while his time-keeping might need some work, his charm and good humour soon have Aidan smiling again.
Tiernan is new to biking, having passed his test only a few weeks ago, and his sparkling Suzuki Intruder is 10 days old.
Over the next few hours, we cross into Northern Ireland, visiting Lisnaskea and Enniskillen before making our way back into Co Sligo and stopping in Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim, for lunch. The roads were spectacular: long, open sweepers as well as tight, winding ribbons which really gave our BMW K1200GT the chance to show off.
As good as the GT is, though, the final dash to Galway was fairly arduous and we didn't do ourselves any favours by getting lost several times along the way.
We finally re-joined the main group, just as it embarked on the procession into Galway, and even though we were weary from the ride, it was worth the effort to be part of bringing Eyre Square to a noisy, raucous halt.
The second day didn't get off to a great start either.
First, we forgot that we're not supposed to brush our teeth with tap water and then, just as we were about to leave, the heavens opened, forcing us to wait until it subsided.
By then, we were already half an hour behind everyone else, which means that once again, we were working hard to make up time. This time, though, we were combating wet roads, bitter coastal winds and soggy underwear, which makes it a little tough to appreciate the majesty of the Burren.
In Ennis, we stop off to meet Kate Lyons, Yann Carroll and their families, before pressing on in the wet for Tralee and Killarney.
With the Rally of the Lakes taking place in the region the same weekend, we had to be extra vigilant, due to the amount of dubiously modified cars that were roaring around the roads.
The day ended with another Garda escort, except this time we were filling Cork's Patrick's Street with colour and noise, as passers-by stop to stuff contributions into our hands.
The weather had finally brightened up and we were almost at the end of another tough trek so the atmosphere was really something to savour.
With my aching wife deposited at my parents' house, I rode the final leg to Dublin, via Dungarvan, Clonmel and Kilkenny, on my own.
It's a picturesque ride, but fairly uneventful until I meet a couple of enthusiastic riders around Fennagh in Co Carlow.
We took in the last stretch from Tullow to Dublin as a group and, without having to worry about losing my pillion, I'm finally able to really stretch the GT's legs. Surprisingly, for such a big bike, it's well up to the job of mixing it with the sportier bikes of the other participants.
We assemble at Stewart's Hospital, in Palmerstown, ahead of the final ride into Phoenix Park and even though the Garda escort failed to materialise, it was still another emotional moment for all the riders who took part.
It doesn't seem right that such indulgent fun can also be generating serious amounts of cash to help fund the national resource centre (NRC), where parents of kids with Down Syndrome can go for help with education, counselling and medical advice.
This year, the Rev Up 4 DSI ride is expected to raise around €300,000 for the charity.
q Anyone who wants to learn more about Down Syndrome Ireland and the now annual bike ride, can log on to www.downsydrome.ie.
Don't wait too long to express your interest in taking part in next year's ride - places are limited and they go very, very fast.