Off the beaten track

Do go chasing waterfalls

Donegal is teeming with natural beauty and is blessed with cascading waterfalls, like the Largy Waterfall, found way off the beaten track. You could say this is a secret waterfall as it is nestled deep below the Slieve League Cliffs. They are three times the size of the Cliffs of Moher and rank as some of Europe’s largest sea cliffs.

Just a five-minute drive from Killybegs and a 35-minute drive from Donegal Town, the waterfall is found in a cave, so it can be dangerous to attempt to see it. You’ll have to walk along rocks which can be slippy, so you need to have very good mobility and good fitness levels. It’s important to check the timetable for tides in the area too, or ask locally if you’re not sure, as the cave will be filled by the incoming flush of the Atlantic Ocean. But if timed right, the scenery is worth it, as you watch the waterfall fall from around 50 metres onto the sprawling rocks beneath it. It’s a secret worth revealing.

Look up in the sky!

See the sparkling expanse of the universe come to life before your eyes at the Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve in Ballinskelligs, Co Kerry. One of only three Gold Tier Dark Sky Reserves in the world as part of the International Dark Sky Reserve, this is a truly unique experience. The sky is devoid of artificial light pollution, letting you gaze at the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy, star clusters and nebulae, imagining yourself in a galaxy far, far away.

Visit kerrydarksky.com

Horsing around Omey Island, a tidal island near Claddaghduff on the edge of Connemara in Co Galway, is a real hidden gem. The island is only accessible at low tide every day by crossing acres of sandy beach by car or on foot. Tidal conditions vary each day with different weather, so ask for local advice before setting out to the island.

Once on the island, you can see the ruins of Teampaill Féichín (Feichin’s Church), a medieval church built on a 7th-century Christian settlement. It is surrounded by the remains of a submerged village that was wiped out during the Famine. St Feichin’s Holy Well can also be found just above a rocky inlet.

Once you cross the beach, you can attend the annual Omey Island Races at Omey Strand held every summer. Having been cancelled the last two years, this year, it is finally taking place on 31st July. Known as ‘The Other Galway Races’, the summer races are a fun day of horses, sea, and sand. With up to nine races at the event, there are opportunities for young jockeys to hone their skills and it provides a great day out for visitors.

Open sesame

It wouldn’t be a list of Irish gems without a dramatic, ancient location mixed in! The Caves of Keash, also known as the Caves of Keshcorran, are a series of limestone caves located halfway up the Keshcorran mountain, near the village of Keash in Co Sligo. The caves appear almost like black mouths set in the white limestone rock face high on the mountain. There are a series of 16 chambers, which offer breathtaking views across the Sligo countryside. The Caves have evidence of human habitation going as far back as the Neolithic period. They are also drenched in Irish mythology as the High King of Ireland, Cormac mac Airt, was said to have been born at the foot of Keshcorran and raised by a wolf in one of the caves. This is now known as Cormac’s Cave.

The climb to the Caves shouldn’t take more than an hour to get up and down. But you should allow for around two hours in total to be safe and to take in the surrounding areas.

Visit facebook.com/cavesofkeash

Go down with this ship

The Bunbeg Beach Shipwreck, or the wreck of Bád Eddie (Eddie’s boat), is one of Co Donegal’s most unique landmarks. Lying on Bunbeg’s Magheraclogher beach, in Gaoth Dobhair, an Irish speaking area, the boat was towed ashore in the 1970s and has been there ever since. The shipwreck is pretty famous too, as she has starred in a pop video! In 1985, the wreck was featured in the video for In a Lifetime, a collaboration between traditional Irish group Clannad and U2 frontman Bono.

Perfect for taking lots of snaps, the ship has become a sculpture on the beach representing the passing of time as the Atlantic storms and the years gone by have taken their toll on her. But the shipwreck is just the centrepiece of the stunning Magheraclogher beach. Stroll down the pristine, expansive beach with a fabulous view of Mount Errigal. While swimming is definitely not advised as the waters can be dangerous, the view and hiking opportunities more than make up for it.

Lichen Ceramics, Co Leitrim

◊“When I was a teenager, I realised I could become an artist or I could become an engineer like my brothers,” says Bairbre Kennedy. “But I found the best of both worlds with ceramics!”

Bairbre Kennedy was raised in Carrickon-Shannon in Leitrim. After studying pottery with the Design & Craft Council of Ireland in Thomastown, Kilkenny, she then worked with Judy Greene Pottery in Galway. But in 2016, Bairbre decided to follow her dream and love of ceramics and set up her own business, Lichen Ceramics.

Bairbre says exploring her home county always inspires her work. So too does her love for Irish folklore, which she says she gets from her father.

“I moved back home to Leitrim, and I work out of the Sculpture Centre here. I can work with the local community and I see people bringing in their pieces to sell, so it’s very dynamic.

“I’m taking a photography course at the moment, which has made me look at the world and Leitrim in a totally different way in terms of colours and silhouettes. You can’t help but be inspired by the landscapes of the west. I mostly make functional tableware which people can actually use, instead of just look at! I make lots of mugs, but I also create figurines such as the púca, an Irish fairy creature, or quirky ceramic pumpkins for Halloween.

“I am also creating rose-patterned bowls, as Leitrim is known as the Wild Rose county. I think they provide a little bit of joy and they help to celebrate my home.”

Bairbre’s pottery is now available to buy in the Leitrim Design House in Carrick-onShannon, the Quayside Gallery in Westport, Local Hands in Ballyshannon, Co Donegal, Ro and Vee in Barna, Co Galway, Cluainín Community Co-op in Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim, and her website lichenceramics.ie.

She says she would recommend anyone to come to the west and to Leitrim in particular.

“I grew up beside the River Shannon, so I know there are so many incredible things to see here! I realised recently that people don’t know about Fowley’s Falls, a waterfall in the middle of the forest. We have well-kept secrets here which can inspire everyone. They definitely inspire me!”

Visit lichenceramics.ie

Tertulia Bookshop, Westport, Co Mayo

◊Tertulia is ‘a bookshop like no other’.

Based in Westport, Tertulia, was set up in 2019 to provide a space to reach out to people. Tertulia is a Spanish word for a circle of people who meet regularly to discuss literature, art, what’s going on in the world or just to gossip.