Testimonials |
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Below
you will find some of the testimonials we have received from past
customers. Hopefully you will get a feeling of what to expect on
the tour, and what to expect from Ireland Warmth, courtesy, friendship, knowledge, humor are only a few words to describe the wonderful experience we had on our Cycle Holidays Ireland Tour last August. Both John Heghany and John Joe were the quintessential Irish tour guides. They demonstrated what the country emotes in a fun loving, athletic atmosphere. The daily cycling, guided by both Johns, was carefully mapped out and the power point presentations that provided historic background, delivered before dinner, rounded out your quest for learning about what you saw and were yet to encounter. A wonderful memorable experience !! Cycle Holidays Ireland Tours were the best !! Rory and George McGovern
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Thanks for the perfect vacation. No doubt the best way to see Ireland is on a bicycle, and the most appropriate guide is a local person who knows the right roads, local culture, and best eating establishments. The rides were gorgeous, lodging comfortable and quiet, food delicious and satisfying with vegetarian options ...and the tour leaders’ senses of humor made us feel right at home. Although we took mostly long rides, shorter options and alternate activities were always available via a seamless operation. John oftentimes replied with “No worries,” and he always followed through. We had none and felt completely at home the entire trip. Landscape, culture, history, language, and hurling lessons were added values that could not be measured in dollars or euros. Truly, it was a wonderful trip in all aspects. Our only regret was having to leave, but we will be back for more. I was and am sincere in saying that our holiday with your tour was the best vacation I have ever had.
___________________________________________________________________ John,
This was one of the best vacations we have ever taken… and we have been on a few vacations. The accommodations were very good, the food was excellent, and the scenery was beyond our expectations. On top of that, we couldn’t have asked for better hosts. We really appreciate all the work and detailed thought you’ve put into making this a relaxing and enjoyable experience. We sent you a small sample of the 1800 pictures we took on this adventure on our shutterfly site.
Bill & Joy
_____________________________________________________________ We had been thinking of biking in Ireland for a couple of years and finally decided to do in June of 2009. We wanted to have a real Irish trip and decided to go with an Irish company. After spending some time at our computer we settled on the Cycle Holidays Ireland tour owned and lead by John Heagney. We have never regretted that decision.
We have participated in numerous bike tours in the United states and in Europe and have had the full gamut of accommodations, itineraries, food, and service and we have to rate the Cycle Holidays Ireland tour with those at the top of the list. The accommodations were in first class hotels and bed and breakfasts, and all were very comfortable after a day of biking. The
tour itinerary was well planned and organized and had route options
for the novice biker as well as longer routes for the more experienced
cyclists. Maps were supplied for each days route, as well as having
turn arrows painted on the pavement at each turn. We were impressed
with the beautiful Irish scenery, historic castles, churches and
ruins. The week tour gives one a wonderful sample of the western
Ireland All
of the breakfasts were excellent with all of the normal choices
and the full Irish breakfast, consisting of two eggs, bacon, sausage,
potatoes, and black and white The service thoughout the tour was excellent. The bicycles that were supplied were good quality Trek bikes, were well maintained and well suited for the Irish roads. We were briefed each day about the next days route with points of interest , historical info, and places for lunch. During each day John was always on the route with the van and trailer in case someone had mechanical problems, or was tired and wanted a break. We had been given cell phones at the beginning of the tour to use to call in case we required assistance when we were out and about on the bikes. We always felt secure knowing that we would be able to make contact with John if we needed help. We enjoyed the week we spent with Cycle Holidays Ireland and had only one regret. We wish we would have extended our trip for a another two weeks to tour the rest of Ireland. We both heartily recommend the Cycle Holidays Ireland tour for anyone interested in biking in Ireland . You can’t go wrong Lewis
and Joan Elkins, Woodbury, Minnesota _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________ There
is no substitute for experience in conducting a successful tour,
and it quickly becomes evident that John and his assistants have
that experience. The custom bike fitting, knowing subtle details
of the bike routes, timing the group that everyone can comfortably
bike at the own pace and not feel rushed, assuring that the hotels
are prepared at every stop, making recommendations for the evening
and tolerating idiosyncrasies from people like me can only come
from individuals who have the knowledge and are committed to the
satisfaction of their clients. This was reflected on the day we
were to visit the Cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs can be obscured for
days by sea fog due to their elevation. John knew when to collect
the group, load the bikes, and travel to the destination at just
the right time to allow for an unobstructed view before the fog
arrived. Even the most seasoned air traffic controller would be
This was my first cycling tour and I was pleased that everyone was not limited to just following the group. Bike at your own pace be it vigorous or leisurely. Bike as far as you want completing the days route or only a portion. Take a detour along the way and explore what's just around the bend or take the day off and visit the sites along the way. It can be demanding or relaxing as you want it to be. But I recommend taking a step back from a hurried world and take in nature at a pace only riding a bicycle can afford. I think you will find it both revitalizing and inspiring. When the cycling portion of the day is complete I think you will find the evening equally enjoyable. The group dinner has an excellent selection of appetizers, entrees, and desserts. An added bonus is that this is not just any meal but a meal well earned from the day's efforts made better with others that shared the experience. Coming from someone who can be adverse to anything resembling group "bonding" I can say that I enjoyed getting to know everyone during the cycling, meals, and obligatory (voluntary) trip to the pub. The shared experience has lasted through e-mails long after the tour ended. And if you enjoy Irish music as much as I do you will enjoy Doolin, where I was given the opportunity to try my hand at playing the fiddle at a local pub. After writing about Cycle Holidays, cycling in general, food, and the group experience I left out one significant mention - Ireland itself! Whether your of Irish heritage or not I think you will find the spirit of the Emerald Isle welcoming to all who visit its shores. I can personally testify after being invited in by a resident to have tea. The combination of new and ancient, provincial and contemporary, common and unique - all of which can become lost in the majestic landscape - will always leave a lasting memory with me.
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John Heagney and John Joe Conwell treat their guests better than family and give the tour both great Irish hospitality and local historical expertise. We hope we retained 10% of the information they shared throughout the week. The tour offers a more extensive itinerary than any other Irish bicycling tour we found, yet the week still had a leisurely vacation pace. The ability to go at your own pace and cycle the number of miles you are comfortable with cannot be understated. The equipment and hotels are first rate and the food (somewhat surprisingly) was excellent. The scenery and wildlife you’ll see is varied, dramatic and up close and personal. The Irish people have well earned their friendly reputation and John and John Joe are great ambassadors for their country. We thoroughly enjoyed learning about hurling, invasions, kings, castles, the burren, the Aran Islands, Connemara, cow milking, a touch of Gaelic and much more. We look forward to a return visit.” Jeff, Karin, Rebecca & Eric Bigman. Florida, USA __________________________________________________________________________________ Our
Cycle Holidays Ireland tour was one of the most memorable experiences
in my life. Never having ridden as part of a tour or done any competitive
Each day we were given the option of several routes of varying difficulty, usually stopping for lunch at a local pub or restaurant. Most evenings were free for exploration. However, we did manage to visit landmarks such the Cliffs of Moher, Portumna Castle and the Aran Islands as a group. The nicest thing about John's tour is having the freedom to ride at your own pace, on your own or with others, taking in as much of the scenery as you desire, and knowing that John is always only a phone call away. Some memorable events from the trip: visiting a local pub in Doolin and being treated to some live Irish music, telling dirty jokes and sharing a fifth of cheap Irish whiskey in the back of the bus on the way back from the Aran Islands. At the onset of the tour we were seventeen strangers. By the end, everyone had become close friends because of the experiences we shared along the way. You can't put a price on that. So go take the tour! You won't regret it. Joe Riess, Ohio, USA _____________________________________________________________________________________________
I have been on almost 10 bicycle trips around the world and this was the best. Ireland has wonderful landscapes and an incredible history and culture that was shown to me by Cycle Holidays. The biking was as challenging as I could have wanted (I did all the long options) and the specialized tours and lectures made me appreciate the people of Ireland and their hospitality. The value of this trip is equal to and even greater than other more expensive bicycle tours offer. If Cycle Holidays ran other tours in other parts of the world I would go with them over and over again. Cliff Beck, Colorado ______________________________________________________________________________________________
“The four of us came to the tour with different levels of experience and expectation but the freedom, flexibility and back up you provided meant that we all were able to really make the most of every day. With your intricate knowledge of the areas were we cycled we really feel as if we saw the” real Ireland” – a truly beautiful part of the world and when we return (as we surely will) we will definitely join your tour again. Thank you for making our 2008 summer holiday one to remember .” Sara, Len, Matthew and Jenny – Hertfordshire
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Bill
& Barbara Miller
John
Heagneys Cycle Holidays Ireland is a small company with a small
staff, but does a great job. John has a wonderful Irish sense of
humor and keeps people laughing every day. He has a certain charisma,
and you end up considering him a friend rather than part of the
service. You wake up in the morning wondering what he will come
up with next. He makes the week an experience rather than another
bike tour. He and his assistant John Joe Conwell have excellent
knowledge of the history of Ireland and John Joe is an author of
several books dealing with the history of the area covered by the
tour. This is a definite plus if you have questions regarding castles,
ruins and historic sites that you notice during the day. 
pudding, toast and coffee, was available for the hungry cyclist
getting ready for a day of biking. Dinners were had in good restaurants
or pubs and we found the food well prepared and delicious. Along
with a pint of Irish beer and the Irish music, it couldn’t
be better.
Cycle
Holiday Ireland provided us with an outstanding vacation! John Heagney
has worked out every detail to giving his patrons an enjoyable week
of cycling in a hauntingly beautiful section of Ireland. All started
with a greeting and a smile when he picked us up at the airport
and the fun didn't end until he dropped us off to catch our flight
back home. The accommodations were all quaint, clean and comfortable
and restaurants and pubs were chosen to provide delicious meals
and drink and truly gave us the sense of what village life is like
in Ireland. By the end of the first day, John had figured out the
abilities and needs of every cyclist and went out of his way to
provide exactly the experience everyone was looking for. The routes
he chose each day took into account the ability of the riders, giving
each of us the choice of how far we wanted to ride and how hard
we wanted to work to get there (and, of course the van was there
if we overestimated our abilities). A cell phone for each group
provided true peace of mind if we had mechanical problems or just
wandered away from the intended route. The only thing that John
didn't seem to have control of was the weather. But even on the
most dreary day his wonderful sense of humor always came through!
By the end of the week we all knew John's gift for telling the stories!
We highly recommend this trip to cyclists of all abilities. What
a great way to see Ireland!
impressed!
“We
have travelled the globe on bicycling and multi-sport vacations
with some of the best companies in the world – those companies
have nothing over Cycling Holidays Ireland except higher prices.
cycling,
I was a bit tenuous committing to a week's worth of riding. John's
tour, however, is designed to cater to all types of folks with any
level of cycling experience.
