Offaly to host Goldwing Owners Club of Ireland international event

THE Goldwing Owners Club of Ireland (GWOCI) is delighted to be hosting their 38th International Event in Birr, at the County Arms Hotel, on the weekend of August 14th to 17th 2025.

The event will bring around 500 people and their fabulous motorcycles from across Europe to Birr and the Midlands.

GWOCI is a family orientated motorcycle club with approximately 300 members from across the Island of Ireland. Their members come from all walks of life and have one thing in common ... .they all love riding the ultimate touring machine - The Honda Goldwing.

The club is affiliated to the GoldWing European Federation (GWEF) which is comprised of 25 national clubs from across Europe. Each national club hosts an International weekend each year called a Treffen. Treffen is a German language word which means ‘meeting of friends’.

They are delighted to be returning to Birr after a number of very successful Treffens held here in the 1990’s.

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They will have a number of runs over the weekend including:

Scenic runs: The convoy of motorcycles ride a scenic route through local villages and towns or to historical points of interest. Traffic in the towns and villages they ride through may be brought to a stop, but the spectacle of bikes passing through is always well received. These convoys are always marshalled by experienced members and when possible escorted by Garda motorcyclists.

Light Parade: As the name implies this is the bikers opportunity to show off their bikes, many which are bedecked with multicoloured lights, some of which change colour or tempo to match music playing on the bikes.

Parade of Nations: This is another highlight of the weekend when the bikes parade with national flags, national regalia and again it’s a great opportunity for the locals to view the bikes and take lots of photos.

The Irish Treffen is one of the smaller international events but prides itself on having its own unique aspects in part due to the friendly hospitality of the Irish public which always impresses overseas visitors. They hope to attract many overseas visitors to their event with approx. 150 bikes from the continent and 100 bikes from Great Britain and of course their own members.

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The Irish Treffen is advertised on all the websites of the 25 GWEF Clubs https://gwef.eu/index.php/2025 and also in all their club magazines. GWOCI has also set up a dedicated Treffen Webpage where all information pertaining to the Treffen is posted. https://gwoci.ie/treffen/