The Beginning of the End ?

As I left my spot south of Sligo, it looked to be a day for travelling, although still dry the signs were not good for later..and so it turned out to be –the mist settling on the coast, with occasionally heavy rain showers, as I travelled up into Donegal, and further along the final part of the West Coast of Ireland

I found lots of small ‘blue flag’ deserted beaches, which in fine weather would be brilliant…today though ?

I even made my way past the ‘Bloody Forelands’ http://www.dereksmythphotography.com/bloody-foreland-sunset my view not being anything like this, in fact I could see about 10 feet ! I continued up North,taking advantage of occasional breaks in the weather to view the beaches, and old lookout posts, like this on on Goats head  -hardly worth the effort !

As I got further North, it did start to get drier, and so I decided to ‘follow my nose’, and keep going through Letterkenny, and up towards the most Northerly point in Ireland Malin Head http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malin_Head where I arrived, just as the sun was setting in the west, with occasional glimpses of a magnificent sunset… somewhere !

I parked below the headpoint, and walked up to the headland, timing it perfectly.. for near darkness ! with an intriguing view of ?

Which is it to be…the beginning of another adventure

or…. the end of this one ?

Turn right for home, left for America,

keep on to Scotland…

Goodnight all !

I Waited, and I Watched …

I’d had a nice clear sky for the end of Tuesday, seeing the Milky Way in all it’s glory, stretching across the midnight skies, along with quite a few streaking meteors.. finally !, although the sky didn’t remain clear, I was happy with what I’d seen, and so to bed..

I awoke to a nice view from bed and decided, that as it was so nice here, I may as well stay another day and hopefully see the Dolphins again, and maybe they’d even ‘perform’ for me ?

The quiet beach didn’t stay quiet, as a local surf club was holding a ‘surf camp’ here today, and set up a marquee on the beach, although still some distance away, with the organisers radio blaring out all day ! I decided to stay and see what happened…and stay…and stay… no sightings of any Dolphins in the morning, and into the afternoon, although lots of ‘little surfers’, getting bigger as the day wore on .. I just read a book, and kept my eyes on the Ocean

After lunch I decided to walk a way along the beach, clambering over the lying rocks, and jumping the ‘gaps’ with the sea beckoning below, all the while keeping an eye out to sea.. it was dry, but windy, although the sea wasn’t too rough, and I was still hopeful of seeing some Dolphins… and returning to Wally I cooked dinner,as the rain swept in, eventually even sending the surfers home.. and still no Dolphins, and the rain is now belting down… perhaps I should have moved ?

Not to worry, I’ll have a glass of wine, some nice French cheese, keep an eye on the Ocean till dark…and snooze

An early Goodnight to you all !

Who Knows Where I end up ?

What a day…it started out not so good, oh firstly the nights meteor chasing…went down with a damp squib, heavy clouds and rain all night, meant I at least got a good nights sleep !, although waking up to rain was not in the plans…although the view from my bedroom was pretty good…and I lounged around having a late breakfast and wash etc until about 10-30 a.m. when the rain stopped – I won’t say the sun came out, it didn’t, but time for a walk… I walked up through a forest, onto Kings mountain , a little hill rising above the loch, with a waymarked trail, particularly for fans of the poet WB Yates, who wrote a poem about these very hills – Stolen Child ! and as I walked the mist was dropping all the time, and by the time I broke out of the forest, onto the hilltops – The Doneens it had started raining again, with me and the sheep getting wetter by the second , I was following a road cut into the hills, to allow access to the peat bogs on the tops, during the Second World War ( in Ireland only referred to as ‘The Emergency’ ), and later ceased. The Doneens are just a series of ‘bumps’ along the ridge, with access from across the bog, which I gave up on ! and turned back down the hill, occasionally getting glimpses down into Sligo bay, and the hills around..

I got back to Wally, and was just having lunch, when a local farmer ‘called in’ to see me, and spent some time chatting about what I was up to, and what my plans were… I’m not sure what he was after, and eventually he left, whilst I finished lunch, and then set off for my next stop of the day… Knocknarea http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knocknarea …through Sligo and then up to the mountain, which has an unusual feature, the tomb of a warrior Queen right on the top of the summit, in a burial cairn, reputedly stood up, in full war armour, facing her enemies in Ulster ! She’s obviously a popular woman, as the car park was full, I just managed to get the last spot, and set off on the short climb up to the summit cairn  - 24 minutes !

I had a wander around the top, looking down into Sligo bay, and into other bays, although I’m not too sure what I was seeing ! Once again the rain arrived, so I hot footed it sown the mountain, and then went off in search of ‘yesterdays beach’, which amazingly enough I eventually located –it’s somewhere between Easky and Sligo, a great spot ( I’ve taken the GPS co-ordinates)

Just as I arrived a chap was here ,looking out to sea, saying I’d just missed a large school of Dolphins which had been playing near to the beach, jumping up and out of the water…oh dear ! However looking out I say a black shape cruising through the water..a Dolphin !, then another and another, in facts lots of small groups of them , up to 10 in any one group.. they were cruising across the bay, sometimes jumping out of the water, other times surfing in on the waves – what a great sight ! I did try to take some pics, once again I’d flummoxed the camera, so haven’t any ! I must have spent 1 1/2 hours clambering over the rocks, watching the Dolphins go back and forth across the bay – magnificent, and a delight to see !

I had a late dinner, settling in, ready for the sunset, as the sky was clearing, and I was hopeful of a good one…it was !  I’ve lots of pictures of the setting sun, redder and redder,  with my artistic skills to the fore.. I’ll leave you with a few pics…and hoping for a clearish sky,  for me in this deserted spot, and a great end to the day…  Goodnight !

Up the Coast..

Not a very successful nights meteor spotting, although i did see a couple early on, the cloud was quickly in, and I spent the next several hours going in and out of Wally, and wandering the dark beach looking at the stars, as they appeared and disappeared under the clouds, until finally about 3 a.m. I was caught in a really heavy downpour, and so retired to bed !  This is what it could have been like …http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2390275/Perseid-Meteor-Shower-images-captured-astronomers.html 

The sky was a lot clearer by morning, even sunshine popping out, although the wind was quite strong, with a poor forecast, and so I packed up and headed further north, or at least that was the plan, until I saw the sign ‘Deserted Village’ and so drove there..to Slievemore, at the foot of a mountain of the same name, where a deserted village lies abandoned… http://www.achilltourism.com/deserted.html lots of stone houses are there, it was used as summer pasture houses, up until the 1850’s when it was abandoned after the area was bought by someone (as usual, a long story…) Remarkably most of the village is almost complete, only the turf sod roofs having collapsed, but most walls still being upright and the lanes still being evident, although the bog is trying to reclaim it…even the village cemetery is intact, alongside the new one

I then carried on driving off Achill island, and along a road to Bangor, along the coast, not very remarkable, apart from the great towering quarry.. then continuing back through Ballina, and on towards Sligo… I turned off the main road some distance from Sligo, ending up in a lovely cove on the bay of Sligo…and all alone ! The waves were crashing onto the shoreline, along a great sandy bay, deserted apart from myself ..and Wally , the threatened rain had still not arrived, and so after having lunch, I wrapped up and went for a walk along the beach.. I did consider staying the night, but decided to carry on into Sligo, trying to find a mountain that had been described to me by a couple in Achill campsite..I didn’t quite find that (yet) although I did find the wild Atlantic coast again, and eventually Glencar waterfall,http://www.sligowalks.ie/?pagid=glencar-lake-and-waterfall  where I’m now parked next to Glencar Loch, facing East and hoping for a clear nights star gazing over the Loch !… but it’s raining again…here’s hoping , Goodnight !

On the Road Again…just !

I was up early, and packed ready to go…and as I said my farewells to Ants and Maggie…tick,tick,tick…I had flattened the battery on ‘Wally’ and she wasn’t going anywhere…after a bit of scrabbling round Michael next door got another neighbour Pearse to come with his van and big jump leads…so with one turn of the engine vroom vroom…we were ready to go, and after collecting my stuff together again we were off, firstly inspecting the impressions we’d left in the field and I said farewell to Ballycong,Attymass and Ballina…what a great few weeks, I’m really glad I came, and you all really welcomed us all…Thank You..I will be back !

I then drove through the many narrow and quiet lanes, through Castlebar,Newport and Mallarraney and out onto Achill Island, and into the Atlantic.. I booked in at Keel sandbanks campsite, bordering the wild coastline, with the winds whipping in from the ocean, and surfers out in the bay.. I managed to get a spot right at the front of the site and sat there for lunch whilst the wind rocked ‘Wally’.. and then had a nice long walk, and mooch around, deciding that it was rather chilly for ‘surf lessons’, and I’d missed them for the day..maybe tomorrow ?

The bay stretches out into the Atlantic, around a number of small islands, with the waves crashing into their sides and birds wheeling up into the sky.. with the ‘fresh’ wind blowing me along as I walked up the hill and looking down towards the next village Dooargh .. this location must be spectacular in blue skies and warm winds…although not today !

I’ve come here, hoping for clear skies in the night, as there is a meteor shower expected during the night..whether I’ll see any of it, is a good question ?

I’ll let you know tomorrow…maybe… Goodnight !

It’s all over now…

A very early (630 !) alarm call, to make sure I was up to say Goodbye to the ‘boys’..Lawrence,Sean,David + Little Lol, who managed to get themselves sorted, and on the road by 7-15..after another chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’ for Lawrence, and Birthday cake (which he left for us to enjoy later), so we all then went back to bed !

and later when we got up, a fairly relaxing day followed, as life in Ballycong got back to normal, watching the cows being moved from field to field, and escaping from the farmer when they could…excitement returns !

I kept myself busy putting the washing in/out/in between showers..whilst Anthony and Maggie took Rebecca to the airport…and I packed up ready to go tomorrow

We all went down to Attymass church for the Saturday evening mass, said our farewells to Auntie Annie and my cousins, before returning home to a roaring  peat fire… and an early night… Goodnight all !

The Final Sprint !

Whilst everyone else was doing there things , I decided to have a ride around the Parish on my bike, taking my time to view what I’d seen during this last 2 weeks..

So, off I went on my bike back to the…Bog ! for a good look round, not just where we’d been ‘cutting’ last week, but more around the area (and realised I’d forgotten my camera, so no photos..), then to Conlons lime kilns,St Fechin’s holy well, and viewing from a distance the remains of Kildermot abbey, with only the gable end now remaining… and becoming in tune with the country, saw the cows sitting down, spotted the clouds on Nephin…and dashed home to bring in the washing !

The afternoon was fun, discovering who could (and who couldn’t) iron a shirt(or dress) ! – I’ll leave it to your imagination the results…

In any event by early evening we were all spruced and togged up, ready for the3 final event of the north Mayo Gathering – a Gala dinner at a big Hotel, with guest speaker Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland

We had our final men's  ‘Gathering’ outside the house and then piled into Lawrence’s van for the journey into town, firstly stopping at a park en route, at which Mary Robinson ceremonially planted a commemorative tree , and where some of us had our picture taken with her..  then down to the Hotel for the ‘Gathering’, taking the opportunity for the brothers to have our final Gathering, before we all head off in different directions..

and on into the Hotel for the dinner, and speeches – a great crowd, and good speech from Mrs Robinson.. and more entertainment from Atlantic Rhythm … phew, the end of a busy 9 days, and now time for me to keep moving , up the west coast of Ireland, across the North Coast and down the East …and return home !

Thanks to all the great people of Co Mayo, and especially the people of Attymass, too numerous to mention.. I can slink into obscurity again now, and meander through the rest of Ireland…Slainte !

and before I disappear ‘Happy Birthday’ to Lawrence, who along with Anthony did so much to encourage and support everyone to take part in the Gathering…we did mange to carry on into his Birthday !