First Slieve Bloom Mountain Bike Festival starts today
This weekend from April 28th – 30th will see a major new event take place in and around the Slieve Bloom mountain bike trails, with sites in both Offaly and Laois hosting a series of family-friendly bike-themed activities.
The Slieve Bloom Mountain Bike Festival is a three-day festival event intended to showcase the spectacular Slieve Bloom Mountain Bike Trails.
Located in Ireland's Hidden Heartlands, and spanning the County Offaly and Laois border, the trails offer over 100km of riding on fast and flowing single track.
The festival is Ireland's premier family mountain bike event which kicks off with a 'Cross Country Fun Enduro' and 'Family Trail Quest' on Friday, the 'Coillte Biking Blitz' competition on Saturday and Sunday, plus the 'Big Bike Movie Night' on Friday and live music on Saturday night.
The 'Coillte Biking Blitz' is a mass start cross-country mountain bike event, aimed primarily at beginners but with something for everyone. There are three categories for adults to choose from: Novice; E-Bike; or Expert, plus youth events for 6-year-olds and up.
Event organiser, Niall Davis, commented that "Ireland is long overdue a mountain bike festival and we’re sure that the Slieve Bloom mountain bike trails will deliver a top class event."
Head of Recreation for Coillte, Daithi deForge, welcomes the creation of the new festival.
“Coillte is the largest provider of outdoor recreation in Ireland, with 12 forest parks, 260 recreational forests and over 3,000km of marked walking trails. The Slieve Bloom MTB trails which span the Offaly and Laois borders are just one of five national mountain bike centres which Coillte has created.
"Events like the Coillte Biking Blitz and the new Slieve Blooms MTB Festival will showcase these world class trails to the domestic and growing international audience.”
Failte Ireland said Festivals and events are a key element of the tourism offering in Ireland, and Fáilte Ireland is pleased to support this year’s Slieve Bloom MTB Festival, which will showcase Ireland’s fantastic outdoor activity offering to domestic and international visitors.
In addition to the opportunities to mountain bike, there will be great social events on offer, including on Friday, April 28 at 8.30pm, a Big Bike Movie Night in Giltraps Townhouse. The Big Bike Film Night is an evening dedicated to the love of cycling, bringing the best cycling short films from around the world together. On Saturday, April 29 at 8.30pm there will be a live music night in the Slieve Bloom Bar, Kinnitty .It will be a celebration of traditional Irish music.
For more, check https://bikingblitz.ie/