Wk 5 – Wet, Windy & Wild Atlantic Way

Sun 12 – Sun 19 June
Donegal, Westport, Galway, Kilrush, Dingle

Sun 12/6 – Londonderry to Donegal –  190klm

It’s wet again as we tog up and start our journey southward down Ireland’s spectacular coastal route, The Wild Atlantic Way, which is one of the longest defined coastal routes in the world. We will only be travelling just on half of it’s entire 2600km length as you can see.

First stop is at Milltown and Newmills corn and flax mill. It features one of the largest operating waterwheels in the country. Built in the early 1800s it powers two separate millwheels, one for grinding oats and barley, and the other for flax from which linen is produced. It was closed at the time.

We soldiered on. Past Lough Finn

and up and over Glengesh Pass where we stopped for a brew while admiring the view.

The weather wasn’t improving as we made our way to Malin Beg.

And Teelin Road before finding our digs at O’Donnells of Donegal right on the main square, or diamond in this case.

Mon 13/6 – Lay Day Donegal

We took a look around this very busy town.
The famous Red Hugh, wealthy chief of the O’Donnell clan, built the Donegal Castle on the River Eske in 1474. It went through a tumultuous history of war and betrayal before falling into ruin. It was nearly fully restored by the State in 1990.

Tue 14/6 – Donegal to Westport – 205klm

It’s overcast but we decide to chance the threatening weather. Not our best decision.

Past the imposing Benbulbin and Drumcliffe Cemetery, where the renowned Irish poet, dramatist and writer William Yeats, 1865 – 1939, is buried.

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Through Knockmuldowney and past the Ballysadare waterfalls.

We stopped, in the wind and rain, and snugged down behind a high stone fence to have a brew at Ardvalley and watched the surfers enjoy themselves.

Before arriving in beautiful and busy Westport, one of only a few planned towns in Ireland being commissioned in the 1780s.

Wed 15/6 – Westport to Galway – 185klm

We’re not making the same mistake as yesterday as we tog up and leave lovely Westport after another wonderful Irish all-day breakfast.
We check out Westport Quay on our way south, leaving a fair chunk of the Wild Atlantic Way to the west.

Past a couple of bridges (didn’t do any yesterday did we) to Aasleagh Falls on  the Erriff River just above Killary.

We stopped on the causeway across the Pollacapall Lough to view Kylemore Abbey, built in 1868 it is now a Benedictine monastery.

Past this ‘all by itself’ jetty.

To the magnificant, wet and very windy, Pointe Amharc Atlantach Fiáin Sky Bothar (that’s its name) on the Sky Rd, to Clifden.

To Ervallagh beach on Gurteen Bay at Errisbeg with Roundstone Harbour just a little ways along the road.

This wee stop.

Thurs 16/6 – Lay Day in Galway

Fri 17/6 – Galway to Kilrush – 165klm

It’s raining, not real hard, but it’s raining, and it rained all day. Enough to cause Norma’s helmet intercom, an N-Com B901R, to become inoperable by the end of the day. It stopped raining 10 minutes after we arrived at Kilrus. Come on!

We stopped at a couple of castles.
Oranmore Castle was most likely built some time around the 15th century.
Dunguaire Castle is a 16th-century Tower House on the south-eastern shore of Galway Bay.

To Kinvarra Pier

This is The Pinnacle Holy Well of Tobercornan. It is a small spring that fills a stone basin and in 1860 a Gothic Revival style housing was built over it with a corbelled rubble-stone roof (since gone), dressed stone gable copings and corner pinnacles.

Its bleak and rocky coming around Blackhead.

We stopped in Doolin at The Pipers Chair café and bought our coffee – its a rough day when we don’t make our own brew. We sat under their awning and watched the world go by for 30 minutes.
They say there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear, and laminate jackets are the new thing. We’re wearing the new and affordable Oxford Mondial laminate jackets. I’d expected the weather on this trip to be a bit different to our previous 2 trips, so I’d done my research and imported these from the UK before we left Australia. They’re light weight, don’t hold water in heavy rain and dry our very quickly, so they were a good investment.  So at least we were dry.

Doonagore Castle is a round tower house with a small walled enclosure built in the 1500s.

The plan had been to stop at the famed Cliffs of Moher, but it was still raining with the visibility down to 100m so we kept going. The car park was full of tourist buses and we couldn’t help but feel sorry for those 100s of people who’d paid good money to not be able to see a thing.

The bridge over the River Doonbeg with Doonbeg Castle, built in the 1500s, in the background.

To Cotty’s Pub in Kilrush.
And, again, it stops raining 5 minutes after we arrive.

Sat 18/6 – Kilrush to Dingle – 165klm

Its heavily overcast but dry as we leave Kilrush to catch the ferry from Killmere to Tabert, crossing from County Clare into County Kerry.

We get lost in Tralee, or at least Tomtom did, but we did find The Blennerville Windmill which is a 21m high, stone, reefing stage, windmill built in 1800.

We stopped at Connor Pass Waterfall for a brew. It was quite chilly up here, but dry so we weren’t complaining.

Before dropping down towards Dingle. We did a circuit of the picturesque peninsular west of Dingle before returning to the tourist engorged town to our rather pleasant 2 night stay right on main street.

Sun 19/6 – Lay Day in Dingle

This is a very pretty and very popular town.

This time next week we’ll be in Dublin – and the weather is looking promising, much to Norma’s delight, and mine as well.
I have to say that this week hasn’t been the most delightful of travelling for Norma, me neither really although I don’t care. Norma has been nothing but fantastic without a murmur of complaint. I’m a truly blessed man.😘

So that’s it for this week folks.