‘’The
legacy of ‘An Tailliur Gorm’ will live on but who will be left to share Inis
Bigil’s poetry and stories to our future generation’’ (from video ‘A dying Culture’)
 |
| Crossing Annagh Island to reach Inis Bigil where I got the boat to Doran's Point |
I convinced
Maureen and Brian to join me on a trip to Co. Mayo. The plan was to visit two
tidal islands, Inis Bigil and Bartragh. This weekend there is a super blue
moon, which will not be seen again for another 14 years, and we haven’t had one
since 2009. Super moons occur when the moon passes its perigee, or the point
that takes it closest to the earth. This makes it look 14% bigger compared to
its furthest
point away. We also know that the moon affects the tides, and a full moon means
a very high tide and more importantly for me, an extremely low tide. Therefore,
this weekend was the perfect opportunity to reach these islands. |
| Brian at Ballycroy Visitor Centre |
However, the
day didn’t start well. We were staying in Ballina and woke up to a very foggy
morning. That wasn’t good news as I knew I would be covering rough terrain and
running along open sands with no markers. I needn’t to see exactly where I was
going. Still, I knew low tide wasn’t until 1.30pm so there was time for the fog
to clear. About 10.00am the sun was trying to make an appearance and for the
next hour or two there was a Fog v Sun battle. Thankfully the sun eventually came
out on top. We left Ballina and drove south towards Ballycroy. About a mile
south of the village we took a right turn at a small crossroads. This was the road
that I covered on my original coastal run. We came to a small crossroads with a
sign pointing straight ahead for Bellacragher Boat Club. In my original Stage
57, I ran down to the sailing club but this time we took a right turn and
headed west to the shore and to an area called Claggan.
 |
| Running down to Claggan |
It has turned out to be
a beautiful sunny day. It’s still only 12.15pm so we’re a good hour before low
tide. The plan is for me to try to walk across the narrow channel to Annagh
Island, run for about a mile across that island, along a trail if I can find it.
Then cross over the open sand (another mile) to reach Inis Bigil Island. Easier,
said than done and a warning - please be very careful, if you’re attempting
this! The problem was getting across the channel to Annagh Island. Even at
1.00pm it still looked too risky. I was able to walk along a sand bank that
took me closer to the island but then the water was getting deeper and there
was also a strong current. Maureen, Brian and I waited and waited - and eventually saw the tide slowly recede.
 |
| Pointing out Croghaun Hill to Brian |
 |
| Wondering if I'll ever get across to Annagh Island |
At 1.30 it looked like the tide was still going out. At 2.00pm, we figured it
was at its lowest and I could wade across to Annagh Island with the
water just above my knees. The problem would be getting back again if I ran all the
way to Inis Bigil, which was two miles away. As I didn’t want to risk crossing
this narrow channel again, I made the decision that I would run all the way
through Annagh Island to Inis Bigil and hopefully get a boat back from the
north side of the island to the mainland at Doran’s Point. So, I said goodbye
to Maureen and Brian and arranged to meet them later.
 |
| Arriving on Annagh Island and I've found the trail |
Having finally arrived
onto Annagh Island I felt a sense of excitement to be on this strange isle that
hardly gets a mention anywhere. I had read about cars sometimes crossing over
from here and I knew from the OS map that there was a trail through the island.
I found the trail quickly enough and started running. After a while I was
amazed to pass a modern house with a jeep outside. There didn’t seem to be
anybody there – just a few sheep who scattered at my arrival. I learned later
that the house was owned by a German. He’s the only person living on the
island. He was probably out fishing, making the most of a beautiful day like
today.
 |
| House on Annagh Island |
 |
| Still following the trail heading northwest |
I continued on the trail, passing a forest on my lefthand side and later
meeting some more sheep who stared at me in amazement. I eventually arrived on
the west shore of the island. It then it was another good mile across a wet and
sandy beach before I finally arrived onto the SE corner of Inis Bigil.
 |
| Reaching the west side of Annagh Island |
 |
| View of Slievemore, Achill from Annagh Island |
 |
| Ruins of house on Annagh Island |
I
roughed it here on Inis Bigil for a while until reaching a path that brought me to the
Church. As I had been here in July 2021, it was familiar to me. I knew I wasn’t
too far from the northern pier where I hoped I could get a boat across to the
mainland.
 |
| I recognised the church on Inis Bigil as I'd been here in 2021 |
However, there was nobody at all about at Inis Bigil pier. There were
two empty boats and I wondered if I had any navigational skills could I have borrowed
a boat and made it across to the mainland. Meanwhile Maureen had reached the
pier on the other side. She rang me to say that it was deserted there too at
that harbour. I waited but still nobody turned up.
 |
| Two empty boats at Inis Bigil Pier |
 |
| View of Annagh Island from Inis Bigil |
Luckily for me I had
remembered the Lenaghan brothers bringing us across to Inis Bigil in July 2021.
I was able to google and get their mobile number. Michael answered the phone, and I
told him my story. He was already on the island and he promised he would be
with me in 20 minutes. He was true to his word. Fifteen minutes later the two Lenaghan
brothers came to the rescue and took me in their boat back to the mainland. It’s
such an amazing journey crossing from Inis Bigil, especially on a beautiful day
like today.
 |
| Michael Lenaghan and his brother to the rescue |
 |
| Arriving back on mainland to meet Maureen & Brian |
The sea was calm, and in this secluded bay, we were surrounded on
all sides by the Mayo hills and mountains. The Lenaghan brothers treated me
like the most important person in the world. As I sat in their boat, I felt
like a king. I marvelled at the beauty around me. It reminded me of the song about ‘Bonnie
Prince Charlie’ who escaped to Skye after the defeat of the Jacobite
Rising in 1745.
‘’Carry the lad that’s born to be King. Over the sea to Skye’’.
Stage 47
Revisited: Bartragh Island: Saturday 2 September
‘’We are safe here for a while together above
the tides reach’’, Tony
Hegarty’s poem about Bartragh.
 |
| Showing my run along the north shore of Bartragh Island |
I had seen this island first from Enniscrone beach on the Sligo side
(Stage 46) and then later from Ross Strand near Killala (Stage 47). I wasn’t
sure if it was possible to run (or walk) across and I didn’t want to take any
risks either. However, if it was achievable I needed to get there. My dilemma
was solved by Denis Quinn from ‘Wild Atlantic Cultural Tours’ and
we booked a trip across with him. It is the Moon’s gravitational pull that
causes the tides and, as it was a full moon yesterday, it meant that there was
a very low tide in North Mayo.
 |
| Our team of SIX for today (with Aoife, Cassandra & Sean) |
I was also privileged to have my old friend Sean
Harte from Galway with us today. His daughter Aoife and her friend Cassandra
also joined us. I have known Sean and Cassandra Beggan’s parents for over forty
years. I was so pleased that they all came along. Such great company which added
to the whole adventure. With Maureen and Brian, we now had a team of six. We
arranged to meet our guide, Denis at 1.30pm in Killala and he then drove us a
few miles away, to a townland called Ballockpark, which is about 1k south of Moyne
Friary. From there we were able to walk across to Bartragh Island. I had told
Denis about my Coastal Run, so I left the others for a while and ran ahead to
the north side of the island and headed west along the beach.
 |
| Heading up to Bartragh House |
In my absence, the others visited the only house on the island. It was built
by Kirkwood family in the 1830’s. In the 1940’s Claud Kirkwood inherited the
house. He was a recluse (perfect place he found) and once was referred to in a
newspaper article as 'the loneliest man in the world' . On one
occasion he placed an advertisement in the local paper saying that the island
was closed to visitors ‘Due to the thieving proclivities of certain
individuals, Bartragh Island is now closed from this date, except with the
written permission of Claude A. Kirkwood'. Just after the Second World
War, Claud sold Bartragh to a man named Captain Verner.
Captain Verner’s wife was a sister of the actress Joyce Redman, who was
nominated for two academy awards. She entertained guests here. Unfortunately Gone
with the Wind actress Vivien Leigh attempted a visit, but the
weather did not permit. She could have done with a guide, like Denis. In 1978,
the island was offered for sale for £95,000. Seemed like a good deal as in the
early 2000’s it was purchased for €1.5million by a
consortium led by golfer Nick Faldo. I have seen a video of Faldo talking
about a golf course on the island and he seemed very passionate about the whole
idea. He loved the natural links courses and had even marked out various holes in
the sand dunes. However, for some reason the idea for a golf course never developed. As recently as April 2021 the island was
sold again for €1.0m
 |
| Shipwreck - probably SS Sine |
While Maureen and the others were learning about Bartragh House, I was making
my way along the north shore of the island on my own, running as far west as I
could. It was not always ‘sand for the feet of the runner’ as I
often quote, but most of the time it was a good sandy surface. I passed two shipwrecks
quite close to each other on the NW corner of the island. I had read that in
November 1927 during a storm a Danish ship named the ‘SS Sine’,
which was anchored in Killala Bay,
was torn free from her moorings and was driven by the wind onto Bartragh Island. The lives of the crew were saved by some
men from nearby Killala town. All that is left today of the two wrecks is timber
protruding from the sand. I presume one of the boats is the SS Sine.
I’m not sure if the other one is the ‘Lady Washington’, which apparently
crashed near here in 1867.
 |
| A second shipwreck - it could be 'Lady Washington' |
I run to the most westerly point of the island and around the corner to
the other side. I struggle along the south shore of the island as the sand is
so soft. Our guide, Denis did advise me to come back the same way because the
terrain was quite rough on the south shore and not suitable for running. I decided
to climb up onto the sand dunes and try to return on the grass through the
centre of the island. This was even harder work. As there were no paths through the
dunes so I had to come back down onto the beach again.
 |
| Enjoying Bartragh Island |
When I eventually returned to the south-eastern side of the island, my
phone rang. It was Maureen. She was with the others on a tidy island nearby called
Baunrosbeg and I could already see the group in the distance. I made my way
over to join them, just in time to see a whole colony of seals relaxing in the
sunshine on a sand bank in the bay. I was then able to avail of our guide Denis, who has such a great knowledge of the flora, fauna and all types of sea creatures. He also knew the exact spots, and underneath which rocks, to find mussels and clams. We nominated Sean (or maybe he nominated himself) to
collect some shellfish to take home for personal consumption. Our guide Denis then showed us how to spot cockles
in the sand by looking for a tiny air hole. He gave each of us a tablespoon and
for the next fifteen minutes we all rummaged in the sand as if nothing else in
the world mattered. Even Brian got into the act, spotting some cockles and digging them up with his spoon before adding them to Sean’s
collection.
 |
| Aoife has found a cockle in the sand |
 |
| And hands it over to her Dad, Sean |
What a lovely way to spend a beautiful summers day. Yes it is September,
but today is probably the warmest and sunniest day since June. Still in our
bare feet we slowly made our way back to the main shore after a wonderful day’s
adventure. Later Sean had the privilege of cooking his seafood cocktail or ‘Bartragh
Island bounty’ as he called it.
 |
Sean's delicious looking seafood cocktail
|
No comments:
Post a Comment