23/05/2025
Kayakers Complete 5000-km Route From Dublin To Istanbul Facing Two Arrests And Winter Conditions | When most twenty-somethings set out to travel Europe, they do it with a backpack in hand, hopping from train to train while visiting museums and bars. John Coyne and Liam Cotter set out with a different kind of European odyssey in mind.
Departing from Dublin, Ireland on September 5, 2025 and finishing in Istanbul, Turkey on the Black Sea on April 25, 2025, the pair kayaked from Ireland to Asia, joined by Ryan Fallow in Germany. The trip was the first recorded sea kayak journey from Ireland to Asia, completed continuously by Coyne. Much of the route was also completed by Cotter, who took time off in the middle due to a shoulder injury but rejoined at the Black Sea, cycling out to meet them before rejoining the journey by kayak.
While Coyne was the only paddler to complete the route in its entirety, he’s quick to share that it was a team effort and shared success.
From sleeping under the Cliffs of Dover to arrested in Croatia, read more about this European sea kayak odyssey: https://bit.ly/3H8GvDJ
Image courtesy John Coyne
