STAGES 63-65: Co. Mayo: Mullranny to Westport (around coast of Clew Bay)
‘’I am Raftery the poet full of hope and love with eyes that have no light, with silence unmoved. Going west on my journey by the light of my heart.’’ Anthony Raftery (the blind poet 1784-1835)
Co. Mayo: Mulranny to Newport
Tuesday 15 February 202
28.64km or 17.8miles
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| View south from Inishnakillew Island in Clew Bay |
Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to restart my coastal run in February. Yes I know it is officially the start of the Irish Spring but there were three official storms this week, named alphabetically as Dudley, Eunice and Franklin. Luckily for me, Storm Dudley did not live up to expectations and I was able to squeeze in my three runs before Eunice and Franklin arrived. It took me 58km to cover the coastal route from Mullranny to Westport which is only 29k by road.
It is exactly five years since I started this crazy adventure and now I’ve reached beautiful Mullranny, in west Mayo. Like the poet Raftery I am ‘’going west on my journey by the light of my heart’’. However, there were times over the last few weeks when I wondered if I would be running at all this month.
The problem was self-inflicted and ended my long spell of injury-free running. Last summer and autumn I’d tackled some of Mayo’s roughest terrain, trampling through bogland, climbing through barb-wire fences and struggling along rocky shorelines. I always prided myself in having good balance and strong feet. I was never afraid of roughing it and the tougher the trail, the better.
Then much nearer home, one Sunday morning in late November my complacency came to end when I turned on my foot and sprained my ankle. It even happened on one of my favourite trails to Helens Tower (with my favourite Sunday Morning Group) and not far from where I live in Bangor, Co. Down. I really should blame the late Lord Dufferin for my accident. He, not only built Helen’s Tower (in memory of his mother, Lady Helen) but also, instigated this 8k long trail through the forest that links Helens Tower to Helens Bay Railway Station. The Dufferin family even had their own private entrance and waiting room at the station. Lord Dufferin convinced one of his poet friends, another titled aristocrat, Lord Tennyson to write a poem about Helen’s Tower. The poet, Tennyson’s dedication to the tower began ‘Here I stand, dominant over sea and land’. Anyway, on the morning of my accident in the forest, I struggled home from Helen’s Tower feeling sorry for myself. ‘’Here I stood, hobbling through the lonely wood’’. My ankle grew bigger and bigger and later I had to reluctantly accept the fact that I needed a few weeks of complete rest. I then paid a visit to Debbie Matchet at PhysioWorksNI who recommended lots of strengthening exercises and stretching my foot with an ISO band.
So, today I’m not sure how far I can run and I’m being more cautious than usual after my injury. Furthermore Maureen, Brian and I recently contacted Covid and so we had to postpone this trip for a few days. We’re finally here. It’s not about the miles this week as I try to find my way along the Clew Bay shore.
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| Start of Stage 63 at Rosmore Point |
For practical reasons I’ve decided to do today’s run it
in reverse order, clockwise with the sea on my left for a change. I’m beginning
today’s journey just west of Newport and finishing in Mullranny where Maureen,
Brian and I are booked into an Air B&B. I’m starting my run at the end of a
long peninsula/island (just west of Newport) that stretches out into Clew Bay
at Rossmore Point. I could have made everything much easier for myself if I’d
taken the Newport-Mullranny Greenway which follows the old railway line.
Instead, I’ve decided that I’m going to stick as close to the coast as possible
over the next few days, maybe even visit a few islands along the way. You could
argue that where I’m starting today at Rosmore is an island, as there is a
small bridge that connects Rosmore Point to the mainland. So here I am, right
in the middle of Clew Bay. Maureen and Brian have driven down this narrow,
bumpy road to the very edge of the peninsula with barely enough room to turn around
the car without it falling into the sea.
So, as I stand at Rosmore Point I can see the
island of Inishdaweel right in front of me. In the distance and in all
directions lots of other islands are peeping out over the sea. The best view of
the Clew Bay drumlins is from Croagh Patrick. Even if you only climb half-way
up the mountain you can see the beautiful sight of the islands spread out over
the bay. I counted only about 60 or 70 from the Ordnance survey maps, not 365
as is commonly quoted. These drumlins are really the result of sea levels
falling after the last ice age around 10,000 years ago. I remember seeing the same type of ‘drowned drumlins’
in Strangford Lough when I completed the early stages of my coastal run.
Leaving Rosmore peninsula it takes me 3km to come back to the main road. I then I decide to run north with Lough Furnace on my left. I knew this route was not really by the coast, but I thought it would be more interesting to do a circular loop around the lake. After all, Newport is often called Newport Furnace. The lough itself is unique because it consists of a lower layer of salt water and an upper layer of lighter fresh water. Furnace Lough is the only lake of its type in Ireland or Britain. I make my way along the old Bangor Trail which is an ancient droving route heading north through the Nephin Beg Mountain range which eventually reaches Bangor Erris. However, I don’t run very far along the trail, and I take the ‘Furnace Loop’ which circles the lake before heading south again. I do catch a glimpse of Lough Fioch and the Nephin Mountains in the distance. The highest point that can be seen in this area is Corranabinna which towers 714 metres, just 50 metres shorter than Croagh Patrick, but this mountain isn’t even named on the Ordnance Survey map. Over the next few days these hills are covered in snow but today the rain is coming down and it’s gradually seeping through all my layers.
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| Maureen & Brian at Burrishoole Abbey, west of Newport |
After running around Furnace Lough, I continue along the main A59 road – not a great idea on such a wet day. I’m trying to find a quieter road, so I take a left turn, signposted Ardagh, but soon realise it’s a dead end and I have to come back up onto the A59 again. If it wasn’t such a miserable day I might have persevered along some country coastal roads but in the end I decided it was best to head inland towards the Greenway. I saw a sign on the A59 (at Derrycooldrim) ‘Greenway Lane Studio’ and figured correctly that this would take me inland onto the Greenway. Despite the miserable rain, I did feel better running along the old railway line. However, keeping my hands warm was proving difficult. In any case, with such damp weather, I don’t think gloves would have helped today. I’m wondering after having just had Covid whether I’m crazy to be running in this rain and if I’m in danger of catching pneumonia. At least I have a traffic free run for the last 12k, and the Greenway takes me all the way to the Mullranny Park Hotel. Interestingly, the hotel is still owed by the Brown family who are direct descendants of the 16th century pirate Queen, Grace O’Malley. I just make it back to Mullranny before it gets dark, soaked to the skin at this stage. Maureen helped me to eventually thaw out by a warm radiator. A hot shower later brought me back to life!
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| Soaked to the skin but nice view to look forward to tomorrow |
In the morning from our Airbnb we were able to admire Mullranny
beach and look across to Croagh Patrick on the other side of Clew Bay. On Friday, Maureen, Brian and I did take a short walk down to the shore and I even ran out past the golf course along the
peninsula. I could see Moynish More Island close by, but I didn’t spot
any Barnacle Geese who holiday in this area every year. Amazing to think that
these birds fly over 5,000 km from Canadian every year to
enjoy our mild Irish winters. However, with all the storms looming this week, even
the geese are keeping a low profile.
Co. Mayo: Newport to Rosmoney Pier
Wednesday 16 Feb 2022
15.51km or 9.63miles
‘’The day dawns with scent of must and rain,
of opened soil, dark trees’’ Mirror in February by Thomas Kinsella,
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| At Rosmoney Pier |
Just like yesterday, I’m running clockwise with the sea on my left. This is for practical reasons again as it’s easier for Maureen to meet me in Newport. It has its advantages today as I’ve got the wind behind me. I’m at Rosmoney Pier about 5k west of the main road, the A59. Maureen and Brian have driven me here and we pause at Rosmoney Harbour to look at a fine selection of yachts and other nautical crafts. We spot a miniature ‘lighthouse’ at the end of the pier and a plaque with a poem called ‘Echoes at Rosmoney’ by Ger Reidy. I read later that Ger wrote this in honour of his friend, Tommy Gibbons who tragically lost his life here at Rosmoney. Tommy was a postman/fisherman who lived in nearby Inishlyre Island.
‘’You knew the whine of the wind at the point. The roar of the swell before a storm. These words now echo from island to island’’
We’re looking across towards Collan More which is the biggest island in Clew Bay, except for Clare Island. I was hoping to run across to Collan More from a point further north from here but more about that attempt tomorrow! Today I leave Rosmoney Pier and follow the bike marker signs back towards Newport. On the OS map its marked ‘cycle hub route’ and makes today’s run very easy for me. Despite the forecast of heavy rain, it’s very pleasant and the sun even makes the odd appearance. Around the corner I spot Croagh Patrick in the distance. I can see the famous cone-shaped mountain and I’m thinking of the lines from the Saw Doctors song ‘from its rolling coastal waters, I can see Croagh Patrick’s peak’
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| With Croagh Patrick behind |
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| I struggled in the gale force wind to take this! |
As a gale force wind picks up, I pass another one of Grace O’Malley (or Grainuaile) castles. Grainne was known as the pirate queen, and I often imagine her to be similar to the beautiful Daenerys (the mother of dragons) in Game of Thrones
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| Looks like local Kilmeena GAA club encourages walkers |
I make sure to cross over the majestic old railway bridge in
Newport. The magnificent seven arch
bridge was built in 1896 but by 1937 the trains stopped running as it was
economically no longer viable to operate the railway.
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| Old Railway Bridge in Newport |
I said earlier that this town is sometimes called Newport Furnace after the nearby lake (I ran around it yesterday). Previously the town was called Newport Pratt after Captain Pratt introduced linen manufacturing in 1719. The linen weavers were part of a Quaker settlement in the area. Newport was originally called Ballyveaghan.
In
1976 Grace Kelly, the famous actress and princess, purchased her old family
ancestral home in Drimurla, just outside Newport. She had planned to return to
renovate it and perhaps live in it, but she had a fatal car accident in 1982. A
wreath of wildflowers from Drimurla were sent by local people to Monaco for the
funeral of the princess.
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| From from old railway bridge in Newport |
Stage 65
Co. Mayo: Rosmoney/Inishcottle to Westport
Wednesday 17 Feb 2022
14.53km or 9.03miles
There was a lot of walking today (rather than running) with Maureen and Brian joining me. I knew that low tide was at about noon and my ambition was to try to walk (or run) across to the island of Collan More. After reading various on-line comments from ‘island hoppers’ this seemed to be possible. So, Maureen, Brian and I headed west again to find the best access point to Collan More. However, we got a little lost on the narrow country lanes and somehow ended up instead at the islands of Inishnakillew and Inishcottle. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise. When we reached Inishnakillew island we climbed up a narrow hill and had a magical experience right in the middle of Clew Bay. From the top of this hill, we had circular views of beautiful drumlins all around the bay.
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| View of drumlins from top of hill on Inishnakillew Island |
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| Brian & Maureen on top of Inishnakillew Island |
The weather (before tomorrow’s Storm Eunice) was calm. I
almost feel, like keeping this location a secret! I would know exactly how to
find it again, but I suppose I owe a debt to my ‘many readers’, so here’s how
to find this magical spot. About 5k south of Newport, take the sign for Kilmeena. Then drive by the GAA club and follow the cycle signs. After about 1.5km and after you pass the Post Office you come to
Ardkeen. Follow the sign, right for ‘Seapoint House’ and this narrow coastal
boreen will take you all the way to Inishnakillew (island of the wood). It’s probably
best to park your car, either before the slipway to the island or drive across
the slipway and leave your car on the island itself. Then just walk up the hill
and pause at the top for the most magnificent panoramic views over Clew Bay.
Maybe today was the calm before the storm because all these wee drumlins just
sat there in front of us. We knew we were privileged to have a beautiful sight
on such a perfect day.
Inishturk Beg: As you’re walking up to the top of the hill on Inishnakillew island you’ll spot Inishturk Beg on the right. A famous Irish-Egyptian businessman called Nadim Sadek bought the island for £1million in 2003. Apparently he just snapped it up before other interested parties, like Ronan Keating, Bono and Bill Gates outbid him. Mr. Sadek spent a few more millions on the islands properties, roads and sewage systems but sold the island in 2013 for 4 million euro. From the top of the hill here on Inishnakillew we have the perfect view of Inishturk Beg which is probably the most glamorous and poshest island in Clew Bay.
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| Inishturk Beg: View from Inishnakillew |
Maureen and Brian returned to the car but I decided to run down the very steep hill and visit the island of Inishcottle. There was a small pier here, but the slipway just seemed to lead to a private house. I wondered about running around the island but even at low tide it was quite rocky, so I just turned around and ran back up the hill and again through Inishnakillew where I was united back at our car, with Maureen and Brian.
As we were in an ‘island hopping’ mood, the next challenge was to try to find Collan More (formerly Holly Island). We got back in the car again and followed the cycle signs again. After a while we took a right turn and drove down a narrow and very bumpy boreen, with lots of potholes. Not very good for the car suspension but at least it was a short drive to the coast. We got talking to a local man here who didn’t think we could get across and back to the island as the tide was now turning. In fairness it is a good mile across and there isn’t a proper causeway to reach it. I ran along the shore for a while but basically took his advice and didn’t venture across to the island.
It’s
still a pleasant day here looking across to Collan More. In 1841, before the
famine there were 218 people living on the island, now there are only two
inhabitants. This big island is almost enclosed by a series of seven islands
that all seem to be loosely joined together so anti-clockwise from the north there is
Clynish which joins with Knocky Cahillaun and Fleaghillan and those islands
join with Dernish which connects with Island More, Rabbit Island and Inishgort (with its working lighthouse on the western side).
Just west of Collan More is the wreck of a steamship, Charles Stewart Parnell. I’m not sure if I believe the story about the lobster that’s still trapped in its boiler on the boat. Apparently it grew too big to escape! All these islands surrounding Collan More make it a beautiful protected and secluded spot. It was up for sale at £500k which seems a bargain compared to the much smaller Inishturk Beg (see earlier) which was going for £4 million.
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| Back in Rosmoney Pier again with Collan More behind |
So, I
abandon my attempt to get to Collan More and we drive south towards Rosmoney
Pier. Remember I had already run along this stretch yesterday so there was no
point in doing it again. Maureen, Brian and I decide to have an ‘indoor picnic’
at the pier before I tackle my final stage to Westport. The sky is darkening
now and sure enough the heavens open as I begin by run.
With the
rain coming down and the tide coming in, I also discard my idea of trying to run across to two other islands south of Rosmoney Pier. Crovinish (or Garlic
Island) still had sixteen people living on the island in 1911 and in the 1960’s
a Dutch Artist, Ron Rooyman lived on the island for a few years, but now I
believe it’s uninhabited. Nearby Illanataggart (Priest’s Island) is also
currently uninhabited although in 1841 there were 33 persons living there.
I follow the country road east towards Westport. At least I have the wind behind me now and the rain is easing off too. Near here at Pigeon Point in 1894, a vessel carrying Achill Island ‘tatie hokers’ – migrant harvesters bound for Scotland – overturned when all the young passengers rushed to one side of their boat to see a Glasgow-bound steamer. The boat capsized and thirty-two people were drowned.
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| Final destination this week |
I pass the golf course just outside Westport and eventually make my way through the centre. It’s strange running through a busy town after my lonely exploits around Clew Bay. I climb the hill towards the coastal road and soon arrive at the Westport Woods Hotel where Maureen and Brian are there to greet me. Hot soup and sandwiches are just what the doctor ordered. I’m booked into this hotel in March and will start my next coastal run from here on St. Patricks Day. The plan is to reach the top of Croagh Patrick on 17 March. Let us hope all the snow has melted away by then.
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| Brian pointing towards Croagh Patrick |
