Achill Island

I follow a group on Facebook that celebrates the Wild Atlantic Way. Someone posts  loads of photos of Achill Island, so I spent a day exploring it. I wasn't disappointed. On the drive to the island, I stopped at Mallaranny for a lovely shot of Clew Bay.

Mallaranny has a railroad hotel, which looked like it was having a busy day.

Once on the island, I took a left turn to hug the coast, following the Wild Atlantic Way, a scenic route along the west coast of Ireland. First photo was of a ruin with a cemetery in the background with a mountain in the background.

I took a photo of a boat through a window in the ruin, trying to be clever.

When mom and I drove the west coast, I wanted to make it to Achill but it just didn't fit in the schedule. We drove up the coast opposite Achill and admired it from a distance--the mainland visible in the photo below.

Parts of this chapel date to the 12th century; the present structure served as a Catholic chapel in the 19th century, according to the internet. Many famine victims are buried in the cemetery.

On the other side of the road, the cemetery rises up the mountain.

The internet filled me in on Grace O'Malley's tower, below: "Kildavnet Tower is located a couple of hundred metres along the shore from the ancient church. It is a fine example of a 15th Century Irish tower house. This three storey building stands about 40ft (12m) tall and has buttress fortifications at the top. It was probably built by the O'Malley Clan, a local ruling family, in about 1429. However it is better known as the home of its most famous tenant, the legendary pirate queen Granuaille (Grace O'Malley, 1530-1603)."

Near the cemetery, a group of lads was busy handling sheep.

As I took the photo below, another car drove up beside me and three people got out. I said, in my best American tourist voice: "It's ridiculous how beautiful it is here." They agreed.

Full disclosure, to the left of the view above was this one:

At least it's organic. So then I drove along some cliffs.

On this stunningly beautiful day.

Who can resist a thatched roof?

What seaside town is complete without mini golf?

My quarry on this day was Keem Bay. I had seen so many photos online that I needed to see it up close and personal. It is in the distance in this photo.

I brought swimming gear but chickened out. I was a long way from a hot shower.

But I enjoyed taking in the vibe.

I read a placard about how, back in the day, fishermen tied nets to the cliffs to capture basking sharks, which they then went out and harpooned. Paul Henry's famous painting, Launching the Currach, could have been set on this beach, as it had hosted a large fishing community.

I then returned to Achill Sound, where I bought two pieces of pottery I had admired the day before when I was cycling. This has been an expensive trip due to quite a bit of shopping. I'm making the most of my getaway. I have a lot of vacation time to use between now and 31 March, and I'm not likely to get weather like this again.

Here is the bridge across to the mainland--an homage to the sharks that provided a living for so long on the island. The structure mimics the mouth of the filter-feeder sharks.

Sept. 2020