10 minute read
Western Ways
George Keegan on what’s happening in travel, the arts, food and entertainment along the Western Seaboard
Life’s a beach..
Lahinch beach Co Clare, a resort which welcomes large numbers of holidaymakers every year from the Limerick area. Another great place for surfing and the town has a championship links golf course.
I have no doubt that readers of a certain vintage (meaning my own!) will have special memories of spending a week or fortnight each summer in a seaside town somewhere in Ireland.
Memories of sandy beaches, paddling pools, a dip in the ocean, funfairs, fishing in a rock pool with a net attached to a long stick and building sand castles using a colourful small bucket and spade. Oh, those memories! At some beaches you could even drive the car on and park, taking a picnic with you of course. I grew up along the east coast and can remember my father giving me driving lessons along a certain beach. There have been many songs written about beaches and holidays. Remember big hits such as Brian Hyland’s Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini or Cliff Richard’s Summer Holiday. There are also numerous poems with titles such as A Day at the Beach or While Walking on the Beach. In a recent survey Ireland was placed 5th on a list of most popular European countries for their beaches.
Western beaches
Spending the day on a fine sandy beach in summer is a lovely experience however there should be other attractions too, especially if it’s a family holiday. The following are some of the superb beaches you can discover along the Wild Atlantic Way, all with Blue Flag status and offering special attractions within easy reach, adding to the overall enjoyment. We begin our journey in County Donegal Bundoran Beach: a great example of the typical seaside town. The sandy beach faces Donegal Bay and the Atlantic. There are two outdoor sea water swimming pools and it’s a haven for surfing with no less than 5 surfing schools. This town has an abundance of ‘things to do’ with cliff walks, an adventure park, waterworld and an equestrian centre. There is a fine golf course overlooking the sea on one side with the Dartry Mountains as a backdrop on the other. Attractions include the Fairy Bridges on Tullan strand (sea stacks hundreds of years old) and a Wishing Chair to sit on and look out to sea. Rathmullan Beach, Co Donegal: a lovely fine sandy beach in the same county but not often written about. New here for summer 2022 is a beach wheelchair for those with mobility problems. It must be pre-booked but is free of charge. There is a 6km looped walk from the pier along the beach. A local charter company offers day trips to Tory Island and deep sea angling excursions. The Lough Swilly car ferry operates from here to Buncrana from June to September. It can carry 18 cars and over a 100 foot passengers. The crossing takes 40 minutes.
Rathmullan has a good selection of rental accommodation and Just a few metres from the beach you will discover the really excellent Rathmullan House Hotel. This 18th century Georgian house has been owned by the Wheeler family for many years. There are two award winning restaurants and food served is delicious. Quite a lot of the ingredients come from their large walled vegetable garden. During summer months (July and August) a purpose built Pavilion is open to residents and nonresidents for casual dining. It is situated on a lawn close to the main entrance offering stone baked pizzas and locally brewed craft beers.
Quite close and along the town’s Pier Road is a delightful café named Belles. It has a very extensive menu of snacks and meals. Open 9.30am -6.30pm.
The Irish Navy service ship the LE James Joyce is scheduled to anchor at the village pier during the Community Festival & Annual Regatta on Sunday 6th August as part of the week-end festivities.
A short distance away is the small but interesting town of Ramelton on the Lennon River, one of 5 Heritage towns in the county. A country market is held in the local Town Hall weekly.
Rathmullan Beach, Co Donegal, a lovely fine sandy beach New here for summer 2022 is a beach wheelchair for those with mobility problems
Mullaghmore, Co Sligo : this beach is in a village along a peninsula in the northern edge of County Sligo and is internationally known as a location for big wave surfing. The skyline is dominated by Ben Bulben, a section of the Dartry mountains. It has a distinctive flat top and many myths and legends attached to it. The 3km white sandy beach has a large dune system so particularly good for family holidays. The village has several restaurants and cafes with of course an emphasis on seafood. A looped walk gives great views of the privately owned Classiebawn Castle. Further along is Strandhill where you can take a warm seaweed bath at Voya Seaweed Baths. Close by also is the Creevykeel Court Tomb, dating from the Neolithic period.
Trawmore strand on Achill Island if it’s a quiet peaceful beach you are seeking then this beach, also known as Keel beach, could be the perfect setting. Its 3km long and links Keel to Dookinella and is very popular with locals for swimming. In fact, the island as a whole has several Blue Flag beaches giving tourists lots of options. Activities around the island range from guided tours to horse riding, painting workshops to bike hire. A special attraction to consider is the Achill Experience at Keel containing a replica ‘Boley House’ from times past containing artifacts and an aquarium displaying fish native to local waters. Here is an opportunity to learn all about local fishing traditions. Earlier this summer the inaugural Achill Island Film festival took place on the island.
Lahinch beach Co Clare: a resort which welcomes large numbers of holidaymakers every year from the Limerick area. Another great place for surfing and the towns has a championship links golf course. Nearby towns of note are Ennistymon (market town) Kilrush (Heritage town plus famous Vandeleur Gardens) and Kilkee (popular holiday centre). A visit to Scattery Island from Kilrush is highly recommended. This island was an important ecclesiastical centre founded by St. Senan in 532. There are eleven main sites to explore including the remains of the monastic settlement and a deserted village. The last of the inhabitants left Scattery in 1978. A family run business operates boat trips to the island from the Marina in Kilrush.
Close to Lahinch are the world famous Cliffs of Moher (no further comment required). On the way there check out the excellent Rock Shop, a real Aladdin’s cave with display of fossils, gemstones, pottery jewellery and collectable rock suitable for all ages. It has a good tea room for soups, sandwiches, cakes, scones and freshly ground coffee.
Inch Strand, Co Kerry: we have arrived in The Kingdom and this sandy beach stretches for some 5km as part of a narrow peninsula into Dingle Bay with extensive dune system bordering the eastern side. It is regarded as the longest beach in Ireland. Here was shot the beach scenes for David Lean’s film Ryan’s Daughter which starred Robert Mitchum, Sara Miles, John Mills and Trevor Howard. It was also the location for a second movie Playboy of the Western World with Siobhan McKenna. Information received suggests it’s possible to drive right on to this beach- now that’s a blast from the past! A 20 minute drive brings you to Dingle. On the peninsula visitors can enjoy many activities such as walking, hiking, summer festivals and events. Located on the south of the island it is connected to the mainland by two causeways. The beach is very wide and is popular with families. There is a public car park and toilet facilities.
Just 5km away is the charming town of Clonakilty which has lots of attractions including the West Cork Model Railway Village, Equestrian Centre, Michael Collins Heritage Centre & House, an Adventure Park with Adventure golf and the Clonakilty Distillery and Visitor experience. Not to be missed are the Lisselen Estate Gardens. However, no visit to this town would be complete without calling into the Black Pudding Visitor Centre.
Inchydoney beach, Co Cork, Inchydoney Island where you will find this beach voted the No1 beach in Ireland two consecutive years running
Useful websites www.blueflagireland.org www.thewildatlanticway.com www.discoverireland.ie www.rathmullanhouse.com www.therockshop.ie www.cliffsofmoher.ie www.michaelcollinscentre.com www.clonakilityblackpudding.ie/visitor-centre
Summer festivals and events in the West
There are a host of festivals and events taking place during July and August. Here are a few suggestions. July: Galway Film Fleadh 5th – 10th Earagil Arts Festival Letterkenny 9th-24th Ballina Salmon Festival 10th-16th Galway Arts Festival 11th-24th Ballygawley Music Festival Co. Sligo 15th-17th Galway Race Meeting 25th -31st August: Dingle Races 5th-7th Tubbercurry Old Fair Day Festival, Co. Sligo 6th-10th Puck Fair Killorglin Co. Kerry (Ireland’s oldest fair) 10th-12th Dingle Regatta 13th-14th (to be confirmed) Rose of Tralee International Festival, Co. Kerry 19th-23rd All summer long: Festival of Folk at Siamsa Tíre the National Folk Theatre of Ireland in Tralee from May to September, featuring Irish music, song, dance and storytelling plus guided tours and workshops.
Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) launches Pledge to Plant - its plant, grow, sell initiative to raise vital funds.
Pledge to Plant has been created to give anyone wishing to support the work of Irish Hospice Foundation the chance to sow seeds and grow flowers, plants and vegetables to sell to family, friends and colleagues to raise vital funds for services supporting those facing end-of-life and bereavement.
Anyone registering to get involved in Pledge to Plant will receive a free supporter pack full of information, planting tips and complimentary seeds to get started with planting in May and organise a plant sale in June.
This year Irish Hospice Foundation will invest over €1m in one of their services - Nurses for Night Care - which delivers nursing care into the homes of those facing their final days. Funds raised from the Pledge to Plant campaign will go towards this crucial national service and end-of-life work across the country, helping to make a real difference to those facing end of life.
L to R: Marie Staunton – Gardener, Sharon Foley – CEO IHF, Aisling Easton (7), Hazel Easton (4)
Whyte had the idea after her mum, who was a keen gardener, died.
This legacy, combined with a wish to generate funds for Irish Hospice Foundation, inspired Kathy to develop the Pledge to Plant initiative.
This year, Irish Hospice Foundation is delighted to have the support of gardening expert Marie Staunton on board - “I’m getting involved with Pledge to Plant because it’s something I can personally do to highlight the incredible support that Irish Hospice Foundation provides”.
Helen McVeigh, Fundraising Director with Irish Hospice Foundation says: “We are delighted to launch Pledge to Plant and hope to see many people involved. Whether green fingered or not, we’d love to see people planting seeds for flowers, herbs, vegetables or salads, to sell to friends and family. We hope everyone has a good time planting and raising vital funds for Irish Hospice Foundation to support work in endof-life care and bereavement!”
For more information or to register, see hospicefoundation.ie/ pledgetoplant/ or call Irish Hospice Foundation on 01 679 3188.
