Sunday 29th August saw over 1500 cyclists Lap the Lough for the fifth consecutive year.

It is now the biggest cycling event in Northern Ireland and the route followed the already well established cycle route, the Loughshore Trail taking in the splendour and beauty of the Lough Neagh Region.  

Lap the Lough was part of the Lough Neagh Fest; a spectacular festival which celebrates the uniqueness of the largest inland water lake in Britain & Ireland, featuring 10 fun-filled days of events for all the family with everything from major sporting events, to family days out and music festivals centred at Lough Neagh's main marinas.  

The event itself takes cyclists through five counties of Northern Ireland, Tyrone, Armagh, Derry, Antrim and Down and passes over 25 points of interest along the route including marinas, nature reserves, parks and sites of archaeological interest.  Many of the sites along the route host interpretation panels providing information about the trail, local history and flora and fauna.  Over the past four years thousands of pounds has been raised for various regional and national charities by cyclists taking part in the event.

For more information you can log onto the website www.lapthelough.org, www.loughshoretrail.com, or visit www.discoverloughneagh.com for visitor information on the Lough Neagh region.