← All events
heritage · Monday 24 August 2026 · Various 
Bulfin Heritage Cycle 2026
At Multiple locations across County Laois · County-wide, Co. Laois
At Multiple locations across County Laois · County-wide, Co. Laois
The Bulfin Heritage Cycle is a two-day cycle rally that follows in the tracks - or rather the wheelrims - of William Bulfin, the County Offaly-born writer who pedalled nearly three thousand miles around Ireland in 1901 and published his account as Rambles in Eirinn in 1907. This year’s theme, “Meandering Monks and Medieval Miles”, takes participants through the monastic and medieval layers of County Laois, stopping at heritage sites, historical landmarks, and cultural attractions along the way. It runs during National Heritage Week and is organised by the voluntary group Irish Country Roads and Culture Trails, who have been running the event annually since 2015. If you enjoy cycling at a sociable pace and want to come away knowing a county better than when you arrived, this is a good fit.
The rally covers County Laois over two full days, with routes calling at museums, abbey ruins, and medieval sites connected to the theme of monastic Ireland. Past editions of the “Meandering Monks and Medieval Miles” theme have included stops at sites like Aghaboe Abbey - one of the oldest monastic foundations in Ireland, associated with St. Fintan - and talks and re-enactments along the way. The style is a heritage trail rather than a race: the pace is steady and the stops are the point. Participants can enter for both days or opt for a single day. Specific route details and meeting points are sent out with ticket confirmation, so book early to get the full information pack before the event.
County Laois sits in the Irish Midlands, roughly an hour from Dublin on the M7 motorway. Portlaoise is the county town and the main transport hub. Dublin Heuston to Portlaoise by Irish Rail takes around an hour, and Bus Eireann connects the town to Dublin and other Midlands centres. The event covers the county rather than a single venue, so your own transport - or a car with a bike rack - will give you the most flexibility between stages. Parking at rural heritage sites in Laois is generally free and straightforward.
Laois repays a longer visit. The county sits inside Ireland’s Ancient East, and its quiet roads pass round towers, plantation-era castles, and the distinctive landscape of the Slieve Bloom Mountains on the western boundary. There is more to see in Portlaoise and across Co. Laois.
Heading to Multiple locations across County Laois? Laois has plenty more to see. Browse the area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.