Day 3

I took this photo of Killary Harbour last night on the way to Leenane but got tired of elevating photos for Day 2. There were a lot of nets for farmed salmon and mussels. Ick.

I went for a run this morning and had the wonderful feeling of being alone in the hills, reminding me of my 18-year-old self hitchhiking down the west coast. It was quite an adventure and I remain proud of myself for hitting the road and seeing so much of Ireland shortly before moving back to the states in 1980.
I took this shot in Leenane this morning because I liked the juxtaposition of the tourist kitsch and the courtyard with the laundry and three border collies.

I found this roadside memorial to a lady pirate poet.

As we made our way from the south to the north side of Killary Harbour, we passed Aasleagh Falls:

The above was the view to my left and below the view to my right:

Doolough Valley, through which a famine trail wends its sad way to ports on the west coast. The starving denizens of County Mayo slowly walked to the coast to try to make their way to a better life during the mid to late 1800s. On the Burren tour, the driver said the population of Ireland dropped from 8 million to 2.8 million during this period, with the bulk of the people dying or emigrating.

I find the valley achingly beautiful.

When you exit the valley, you drive along Clew Bay, with beautiful beaches on your left and Croagh Patrick Mountain, site of religious pilgrimages, on your right. Mom was happy to get some sand in her shoes.

We had a nice time sitting on the rocks and watching children play in the sand.

Next stop was Westport and the first disappointment of the trip. We took a tram ride around the grounds of Westport House, the town, and Westport quay. Everything about this tour--from parking the car to buying the tickets (35 people ahead of me in a slow moving line) to waiting for the tram in the sun with no bench etc--irritated me and inconvenienced mom. I didn’t learn much, the tram was uncomfortable, there was no toilet paper in the bathroom, the cafe was in a dungeon (literally)--I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. I took zero photos.
The problem is the Umpteenth Marquess of Sligo is pimping the property to pay his bills, so there are combat games, a pirate theme park, house tours, zip lines, tram rides, and zorbing, whatever that is. It really made me appreciate the UK’s National Trust properties, which are immaculate and professionally run.
We then did a loop on Atlantic Drive on the Corraun Peninsula. I wanted to make it to Achill Island but I just ran out of steam, with still some distance to Ballina. Here is a photo from the loop drive:

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