WARRENPOINT, NORTHERN IRELAND

Blessed by its position at the head of Carlingford Lough, Warrenpoint offers great access to iconic Irish landscapes. The Mourne Mountains are nearest; but Slieve Foy, across the lough, will grab attention and with a little ingenuity you can soon find yourself on the Cooley Peninsula. The Mourne route uses roads featured in the Giro d’Italia Gran Fondo, staged in June.

ROUTE ONE

Mourne to Ride 63 miles Around, over and under the Mountains of Mourne If you’re in the area, you have to visit the Mourne Mountains. Dark, remote and mysterious, they are only crossed by one road. That won’t take you all day, so you can take the time to explore the web of tiny lanes that fill the space between the hills and the coast. Get the route tinyurl.com/cplus-mourne

ROUTE TWO

Cooley Hooley 50 miles A summer-only excursion, as you need to catch the boat home Plenty of climbing awaits on this half-century outing, first to orbit Newry; then along Camlough and under Slieve Guillon to reach the Cooley Peninsula. There’s a fine climb over Black Mountain before descending to Omeath for the ferry. Call 02841 753425 for sailing times. Get the route tinyurl.com/cplus-cooley

ROUTE THREE

Day trip to Newry 28 miles An outing to this fine old town that avoids the main road Newry is reputed to be one of Ireland’s oldest towns and is worth an excursion to see its handsome commercial centre. While the national cycle route sends you along the main road, a bit more effort rewards you with a scenic circuit of this lush part of County Down. Get the route tinyurl.com/cplus-newry