Sub-titled: The best laid plans of mice and men.
No doubt we've all had days when everything went for a ball of chalk. My day started with a bang (literally) as I tripped over a step leaving the hostel in Pullathomas. Carrying the laptop case i was more concerned about saving that than myself so somehow my right knee took the impact with a concrete slab. Could still move it painfully, so into the car and on to Achill island. I stopped at the Ballycroy Naional Park centre for coffee (and ibuprofen) but couldn't walk up the stairs to the first floor cafe. Ended up taking the lift (Oh, the shame of it)
Onwards to Achill Sound where a bridge connects the island to the mainland, and I was able to buy a can of freeze spray to ease the pain. Now the plan had been to climb Slievemore one of the two main summits on the island, but the realisation came that my knee was not going up any hill that day. so I opted to take the Atlantic Drive around the south side of the island, stopping and hobbling out of the car to photograph the scenery.
Kildownet Castle - one time home of the Pirate Queen Grace o'Malley
Ashleam Bay
Minaun Mountain from the Atlantic Drive The two summits of Croaghaun to the left
Approaching Dooega
After a late lunch in Dooega, the frustration of not being able to hillwalk set in and so I took the mountain road built to give access to the islands tv transmitter on the top of Minaun mountain. As soon as i reached the car park, the sky went black and i spent the next 50 minutes in what resembled a car wash. At least i turned the car around after a while so that both sides got equally washed. After the storm moved away I was able to take a couple of photos.
Croaghaun and Achill Head from Minaun Mountain
Slievemore from Minaun Mountain
After that I drove to Dugort to photograph Slievemore and then to the 'Deserted Village' under Slievemore where there are ruins of primitive one roomed houses - one door, one window and no chimney - which were abandoned at the time of the famine but subsequently used as summer dwellings by Dugort people to attend to their grazing animals.
Slievemore from Dugort
Part of the Deserted Village
Thus day 1 ended with a good steak, Guinness and more ibuprofen. Day 2 started well. The car park behind the b&b was now a boating lake and my boots were in the car. Shoes off and reverse out barefoot. I drove west through Dooagh (don't you love these place names?)
and took the cliff top road to Keem Bay. a glorious small bay towards the west end of the island. When I first went there in '69 (many years ago!) there were two dead basking sharks on the beach. Catching these creatures was a vital part of the local economy. The liver which accounts for 40% of the creatures weight was in demand for oil. Over fishing and then legislation put an end to this industry and today the Basking Sharks have returned to Keem Bay
Keem Bay 2014 on a better day!
And on a poor day in mid summer 2016
My objective was to climb Croaghaun the second main summit but by way of Benmore where there is a ruined watchtower and Achill Head itself. The clag hung low over the beach and hinterland and drizzle was the order of the day. The path to Benmore was a nightmare; long wet grass at a 45 degree angle; no traction (and a odgy knee) and I dreaded that i might have to return that way. I therefore decided to make a direct approach to Croaghaun west summit across featureless wet bog. Did I really want to do this? The north side of Croaghaun falls directly into the sea, reputedly the highest sea cliff in Europe. I hadn't walked it before, I'm using a 1:50k map not much better than the Esso road map, I will be in thick clag on wet grass on the cliff top and not be able to see or photograph what I wanted to see. Then the rain started to pelt in and I wimped out plodding back to the car.
After drying out I drove back along the cliff top road but turned off to a lough under Croaghaun. The sun had returned but clag was still hiding the top of the mountain.
OK, wonder if I can try Slievemore? Drove to the Deserted Village to try an ascent to the ridge from there. As soon as I was putting my kit on, we were back to car wash time, causing a coach load of American tourists to run for cover. Ascent abandoned.
Next day I left Achill island in pouring rain bound for Connemara and no the weather was no better there. As I drove out, the geese who live on the grass verge west of Keel rushed out honking and flapping at the car to say 'au revoir'. I will be back; I have unfinished business with those hills.