Kildavnet Castle, Achill Island, Co Mayo (photo by Gareth McCormack for Tourism Ireland)KEEM Bay on Achill Island was named this year as one of the 100 best beaches in the world by Lonely Planet.
The travel guide pays particular attention to the “vertiginous yet jaw-droppingly beautiful 4.9-mile (8km) drive from Keel village, at the distant western end of Co. Mayo’s Achill Island.
But to get the full impact of Achill, you have to leave the seaside behind and stray into the boggy uplands. Anywhere will do — there are no official pathways — but you'd work hard to get lost. There are virtually no trees, and the snarling, gyrating Atlantic is nearly always in view. So as long as you remember which shoreline you've parked at, you won’t need SatNav or compass
One particular route I recommend is just above Keem Strand to the north of the island. A half hour's fairly easy climb up the hill will reward you with magnificent views towards Croagh Patrick, the horizon dotted with the Sheefrey Hills and the Mweelrea Mountains. In the middle distance lies Clare Island, Inishturk and Inishark. Your lungs might be wheezing like an old melodeon, but the spellbinding view will soon help you recover.
Last time I was hereabouts the Atlantic-driven wind bent me double. Possibly one of the windiest place I’ve ever been — and I’ve been round some windy corners, let it be said. It was so windy it looked as if the horizon might break loose from its moorings and flap away. But today it is was quiet as could be. In fact, perfect conditions for heading towards the Megalithic tombs at the top of the island — open for business since the Stone Age. This is a place of magnificent desolation with only the sound of the distant ocean providing a soundscape.
Nearby is Kildavnet Castle, a muscular looking tower house built around 1430 by the O’Malley Clan. The legendary Granuaile (Grace O’Malley or Gráinne Ní Mháille, the "Pirate Queen of Ireland), called this home. At the age of eleven she opted for a career in seafaring and piracy, becoming a fierce warrior and leader — as well as a shrewd politician. Grace successfully defended the independence of her territories at a time when much of Ireland fell under the English rule.
En route to the castle you pass the loughs of Nakereega and Bunnafreva. The trails that lead round them were described by Robert Lloyd Praeger in The Way I Went as one of the most exhilarating walks anywhere; a verdict it would be difficult to argue with.
But it doesn't have to be all uphill toil: the beaches round these parts are without parallel and perfect for ambling along. White strands stretching for miles, with the sea mélange of turquoise, purple and forty shades of blue. Where's Picasso when you need him?
The traditional leather boat, the currach, is still used round these parts - seeing one launched, with the boat turned upside down and the fishermen inside walking it down to the water, it looks like a gigantic beetle about to sally forth in choppy waters.
From close quarters the craft looks so fragile that only a madman would take to these treacherous waters in one. For some reason — don't know why -— I was disappointed to hear that that a local island man had invented a fibre-glass version of the craft. I pondered on this as I returned to the horse and cart I'd hired from Shannon Airport. Sorry, what am I saying? It was a Ford Focus.
As I drove away from Keem Strand on day three of my Achill odyssey, the weather was returning to what I remembered as the norm here. The grey clouds were locking into place over the island and a steady drizzle filled the air. I declined a visit to the Spanish Armada memorial, and boycotted Captain Boycott's Corrymore House. Because, as the weather was closing in, my mission now was to get to Bervie, my accommodation in Keel. I was promised afternoon tea in the conservatory where the night before I had quaffed wine and discussed poetry. ‘Quaffing’ is much the same as drinking, only you spill a bit more.
I can't recommend the place highly enough. The former coastguard station is the sort of snug lodgings where you don't care if it is a fine soft day bucketing down outside. Indeed you might prefer it. The afore-mentioned conservatory, and many of the other rooms, look directly onto the strand and out onto the Atlantic. There is direct access onto the beach for an early morning walk before a gargantuan breakfast. And I've a feeling if you weren't up for it, the host John Barrett would provide you with someone to take the walk for you to save you the bother.
Anyway, afternoon teas are a specialty, and after my own morning's brisk drive from the headland I was ready for some wheaten bread and home-made jam. I watched as the Atlantic grew greyer and the far hills disappeared from view across Clew Bay. The majestic Cathedral Cliffs of Minaun were still visible — this is where the Old World crumbles into the sea, and it's a view you'll always want to come back to.
Bervie Guest Accommodation, The Strand, Keel, Achill Island, Co. Mayo
00 353 98 43114
