Stage 89 Kinvara to New Quay 

Total distance (around Ulster and Connacht): 3,335km (2,072miles)

Stage 89

Kinvara, Co. Galway to New Quay, Co. Clare 

Friday 15 Sept 2023

 37.96km or 23.6miles

‘’Not time, nor tide, nor waters wide could wean my heart away. Forever true, it flies to you, my own dear Galway Bay’ 

Those lines are from the original ‘Galway Bay’ and the best rendition is sung by the ‘voice of traditional music’ herself, Dolores Keane. The song was composed by Frank Fahy (1854-1935) a man who was native of Kinvara. As suspected he wrote it when he was an emigrant with the heart-breaking longing for his ‘dear old Galway Bay’. 

Kinvara to New Quay via Aughinish Island

The forecast for today was all about rain and I was preparing myself for the worst and even thinking of a plan B if I didn’t get as far as New Quay. However, watching the RTE weather the night before I was given some hope. There seemed to be a diagonal ridge across the country that was going to experience heavy rain with even a ‘yellow warning’ for eleven counties. Lucky for me, counties Galway or Clare were not included in the list. Still, it was a cloudy day but no rain at all until I was almost finished for the day.     

I returned to the pier at Kinvara where I finished my run in July and headed west. After one kilometre out from town I pass St Colman’s Church and take a right and then another right down towards Crushoa Pier. 

Crushoa Pier

People told ghost stories about this area, but these tales were probably made up by locals to deter people stealing valuable oysters from here and from nearby Mulroney’s Island. As it’s only 8.30am I know it is still high tide and so I don’t even attempt to get across to the island.

It is also too wet and boggy to stay by the coast so I double back and then take another right, heading north to ‘Tawnagh East’. Before coming to the end of this road I take a left along a boreen. Even when that trail comes to an end I’m able to follow a grassy path and run across an open field to the road. This is a shortcut rather than going by Nogra and I reckon in olden times, people followed this same route. I join up with the main road heading north just in time before it crosses over the sea towards Doorus. I don’t run to Tracht beach but instead take another right and immediately come to Doorus House. 

Crossing over to Doorus

Too late to make an offer - Sale Agreed

Doorus House

I could have easily missed this building as it now seems to be in private ownership. The house was originally built in 1810 by a French man, de Basterot. Towards the end of the nineteenth century the family were friendly with Yeats and Lady Gregory. After discussions in the house the idea for the Abbey Theatre was conceived here in Doorus House on the shores of Galway Bay. 

Doorus House with interesting history 

In 1961 the house was given over to ‘An Oige’ the Irish Youth Hostel Associated. I actually stayed here some time in the 1980’s when all the youth hostels in Ireland were in rural locations. In those days you could stay in an ‘Oige Hostel’ for a small charge, but you were also given a chore to do. I remember one of my tasks in Doorus House was to sweep the stairs.  

Parkmore Graveyard & Medieval Church

Just another five hundred metres after Doorus House I see a sign for Parkmore cemetery. A grassy dirt track takes me down to an ancient graveyard with a medieval church. 

Grave (or mausoleum) for the de Basterot family  

I spot a huge grave or mausoleum for the afore mentioned de Basterot clann. On my OS map it looks like there is a road at the back of the cemetery, but I can’t find it. 

The only way to reach the road from the cemetery

I end up running through a narrow grassy path and climbing into a farm yard before I find the lane. I arrive down on the shore and decide to stay by the coast. It is quite muddy but there are tractor trails that give me confidence to stay on the shore.

I follow the coast all the way to Doorus Point and to Parkmore Harbour. In Irish it is called ‘Caladh na Sceiche’ which means ‘hidden harbour’. The pier was built in 1881 when the main harbour in Kinvara was falling into disrepair and becoming inaccessible because of tides. As part of the post-famine relief, Parkmore Pier was financed by the Canadian government.

In my wisdom I decide to stay by the shore to reach Tracht Beach. What started off as a lovely grassy path, soon disappeared and then I was struggling through rocks that got bigger and bigger. It turned out to be my slowest kilometre of the day at 11.38 minutes. I was so relieved to finally arrive at Tracht. 

A coastal path to Tracht that disappears quickly 

Tracht beach.

Saint Ciaran studied under St Enda on Aran Islands and when he went to set up his own monastery at Tracht ‘a miraculous road opened up on the seabed’  There’s no sign of that miraculous road today but I do see Island Eddy to the north. At low tide on Island Eddy there is a type of path or sand bank that becomes visible and maybe this was the miraculous road that Saint Ciaran was talking about. In fairness to Ciaran, he did achieve a lot in his young life. In 544 he founded, Clonmacnoise, a very famous monastery on the banks of the river Shannon. That became a very important place of learning, a university of its time with students attending from all over Europe. Clonmacnoise includes a Cathedral, two round Towers, three high crosses and nine Churches.

Saint Ciaran statue near Tracht Beach

On Tracht strand I don’t envy three ladies that I see going in for a swim. I carry on running along the coast and this section, as far as Lynch’s Pier, was very achievable along a shingle beach. The harbour I shortly arrive at is sometimes called Paradise Harbour but it doesn’t seem very exotic on a dull cloudy day like today. I’m not sure if the pier is used much these days as its strangely covered in grass. 

Lynch's or Paradise Pier  

I see a coastal trail heading west which I was tempted to take but I notice on my OS map that it disappears after a few hundred metres. Instead, I head slightly inland and followed a coastal road that brings me all the way to Aughinish Island. I cross the long causeway and attempt to circle the island, as usual with the sea on my right.

Passing St. Ciaran's Church - on the way to Aughinish

Aughinish Island

This causeway to the island was built in 1811 to service troops at the Martello Tower. I spot the tower straight away as I begin to cross the sea and the building is my first port of call on the other side. I had seen a Martello Tower near Rossaveal but this one seems much bigger. There are also a few additions to it; a metal stairway up to the doorway and two chimneys at the top, which look very peculiar.

Crossing onto Aughinish with Martello Tower in distance

Martello Tower on Aughinish Island

Stairway to the tower

I leave the tower and shortly I see a man with a bucket. He tells me that he is collecting periwinkles. These marine creatures are really sea-snails and are very common on the rocky shores of Co. Clare. He seems to think that it’s achievable for me stay by the coast and circle the island. 

Collecting periwinkles on Aughinish

However, as I’m running along the north shore, the terrain is getting rougher. There are high cliffs on the western tip of the island which make it impossible to stay by the coast. I climb up onto the headland and there’s a long meadow in front of me. I see a herd of cattle in another field and try to avoid them but one or two spot me and start running in my direction. Lucky for me there are electric fences separating the fields. Shortly I climb a gate, feeling relieved to be on a trail away from the cows. I follow this boreen for a while and take a right at a T junction that brings me down to the coast on the southern side of the island.      

The story is that Aughinish (Horse Island) was connected to the mainland near the Flaggy Shore until 1755. In that year there was a great tsunami in Portugal which even had an impact in the west of Ireland. I know Aughinish is officially in Co. Clare and that seems to back up the argument that it was originally connected to Co. Clare on the south side. Standing here on the island and looking across to New Quay about 200 metres away, I find it hard to believe that only 268 years ago that the island was connected to the mainland. Maybe 20,000 years ago! In any case the island is now linked to the mainland by a bridge on the east side, so to get to Aughinish in Co. Clare you must go through Co. Galway.

There was an abundance of fushia everywhere today 

There are muddy tractor trails along the southern shore of the island but it is achievable to stay by the coast. The writer Thomas Cook who I suspect was the famous travel agent, referred to this Redbank area with its coral weeds that have a reddish colour. He was here in 1842 and became quite excited when he saw some local ladies working on the shore. He commented as follows.   

It is not unusual to see one hundred and fifty girls employed on the oyster beds here, either sowing or arranging the shellfish. These young women form a picturesque corps of mermaids, when seen paddling in the shallow water, with red petticoats tucked up as high as their knees, and sometimes even higher.’  Steady on, Mr. Cook.

I leave the island (back into Co. Galway again) and follow a proper road along the coast. I pass the townland of Rinneen and at a small crossroads I was tempted to take a right turn down to the shore and try to make a short cut to the N67. However, I knew low tide wasn’t until 1.24pm so I continued straight. I pass near the Travellers Inn at Nogra, and eventually come back to the main road. I wasn’t looking forward to running on the N67 and it was every bit as difficult as I suspected. I’ve encountered some dodgy experiences on my coastal run but running along a narrow busy road like the N67 is more dangerous than anything else I’ve done. About halfway along here I come to a big sign that says, ‘Welcome to Co. Clare’. I realise that I’ve finally covered the whole coast of Connacht. However, I don’t have time to celebrate my achievement as I’m standing on the N67 and still have another 2.5k to go. A sign for Boston confuses me. No, I’m not hallucinating as there is a Boston in Co. Clare - it's only 15km from here. 

Crossing into the province of Munster

Boston, Co. Clare

I decide to get off the busy road and take a left up a steep hill (L1014) and then a right to follow a ‘green road’ which runs parallel to the N67. This trail is part of the route to Abbey Hill (Cnoc na Mainistreach) or Monastery Hill. It is great to be off the main road, but I’ve made more work for myself. I’ve already run 30km today and light misty rain is beginning to fall. In hindsight, taking this green hilly road wasn’t such a good idea. It seems to be taking me higher and higher up the mountain. I'm struggling up the hills and I've now added another 90 metres (or 300 feet) of elevation. Also, the spectacular views across the bay and over the Burren are, today covered in mist. 

I spot the main road down below and decide to make a deep descent through the steep fields. Once I’m back on the N67, I shortly I see the sign for New Quay (L1018). It’s still another 2k down the hill to Linnane’s Lobster Bar but at least I’m off the main road. Maureen, her sister Aideen and our Brian are already there sitting at the table in the restaurant. I join them and settle for some tasty Seabass, washed down with a pint of Guinness.