We’re still in Westport and woke up this morning to what we thought was going to be a rainy day.
Our plan was to take a drive out to Achill Island, about 45 minutes or so from our Airbnb.
But first…
Breakfast.
We walked downtown and found a cute little restaurant called Servd. It was a busy spot, and when we gave them our name, we were told it would be about a 20-minute wait.
About five minutes later, they called us.
Works for me!
We settled into a nice booth and looked over the menu. There was plenty to choose from, and since we knew we were probably going to have a long day of exploring ahead of us, we figured we’d better bulk up.
Because clearly none of us have been eating enough on this trip.
After breakfast, we walked back to the apartment, hopped in the car and headed toward Achill Island.
And apparently Mother Nature decided to cooperate with us.
That rainy day we’d been expecting?
Not so much!
As we headed toward Achill, the clouds started clearing, the sun came out and it turned into an absolutely beautiful day. We ended up enjoying sunshine for our entire trip around the island.
And what a difference that made.
Blue skies, sunshine and the Atlantic sparkling beside us as we drove around the island?
We’ll take it!
Achill is the largest of Ireland’s offshore islands and sits just off the coast of County Mayo. But unlike many of Ireland’s islands, you don’t need a boat to get there. It’s connected to the mainland by a bridge at Achill Sound, so you can simply drive right onto it.
People have been living on Achill for at least 5,000 years, and evidence of that history is scattered all over the island—from ancient tombs and forts to abandoned stone villages and old tower houses.
But the real star of Achill is the scenery.
Mountains, cliffs, beaches, little villages, sheep-covered hills and the Atlantic Ocean seem to surround you everywhere you look.
And if some of it looks familiar, there’s a reason.
Much of the 2022 movie The Banshees of Inisherin, starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, was filmed right here on Achill Island. Locations included Keem Bay, Cloughmore, Purteen Harbour, Corrymore Lake and St. Thomas’ Church in Dugort.
Apparently Hollywood figured out what we were quickly discovering.
This place is beautiful.
Our first stop was Kildavnet Castle, also known as Grace O’Malley’s Castle.
And if you’ve been following along, that name should sound familiar.
Grace O’Malley—or Gráinne Mhaol—was the famous Irish Pirate Queen we learned about yesterday at Kylemore.
And the more I hear about this woman, the more I like her!
Grace was born around 1530 into the powerful O’Malley clan, a seafaring family that controlled much of the coastline around County Mayo.
This was definitely NOT a woman who stayed home and let the men handle things.
She became a skilled sailor, sea captain, trader and clan leader and eventually commanded her own fleet of ships and an army said to number around 200 men.
In the 1500s.
A woman.
Commanding hundreds of men.
You go, girl!
Grace controlled important stretches of Ireland’s western coastline, and Kildavnet was one of the strategically located tower houses associated with the O’Malley clan. The tower overlooks Achill Sound, where Grace and her family could keep watch over boats moving between Clew Bay and Blacksod Bay.
The tower itself dates to the 15th century, so it was already standing before Grace’s time, most likely built by her O’Malley ancestors.
And Grace’s story gets even better.
As English control over Ireland increased, Grace refused to quietly surrender her family’s lands and power. Eventually, when her sons and half-brother were imprisoned by the English, she sailed to England and did something pretty extraordinary.
In 1593, Grace O’Malley met face-to-face with Queen Elizabeth I.
Two incredibly powerful women sitting across from one another negotiating.
Apparently they conducted their conversation in Latin because Grace spoke little or no English and Elizabeth didn’t speak Irish.
Grace managed to secure the release of her family members and continued to remain a powerful force in western Ireland until her death around 1603.
Quite a woman.
After our little jaunt around Grace’s tower, we continued along the road around the island.
And this is where Achill really shows off.
Part of our drive took us along the Atlantic Drive, more than 40 kilometers of coastal road winding past cliffs, rocky shoreline, beaches and little villages with the Atlantic stretching out beside you.
And with the sun shining, we really couldn’t have asked for a better day to drive it. And as luck would have it, we saw a pod of dolphin feeding and frolicking near the shore.
They don’t call this part of Ireland the Wild Atlantic Way for nothing.
Around almost every turn was another place where we wanted to stop and take pictures.
Ocean.
Cliffs.
Mountains.
Sheep.
More ocean.
Another cliff.
More sheep.
You get the idea.
It was gorgeous.
At some point during all this sightseeing, nature called.
Fortunately, we found a little pub.
And since we were already there…
It seemed rude not to order something.
Kelly and I had a beer and also sampled Grace O’Malley Whiskey.
And wouldn’t you know it?
Our favorite whiskey so far is named after the Pirate Queen.
Coincidence?
I think not.
Now we just need to figure out if we can buy a bottle and get it home!
Back on the road, our next stop was Achill Island Sea Salt.
This is a small family business that started in 2013, reviving an old tradition of producing sea salt on the island.
They actually started making the salt in their family kitchen before eventually moving into a larger facility in Bunnacurry.
The salt comes from the Wild Atlantic waters surrounding Achill and is still harvested in small batches using a slow evaporation process.
Of course, we couldn’t just LOOK.
We had to shop.
We picked up a few goodies, including a variety pack of sea salts that I can’t wait to try when we get home.
At this point, we’d had another full day of driving, sightseeing and exploring and were ready to head back toward Westport.
And somewhere along the way, the four of us came to a realization.
We were kind of sick of eating out.
I know.
I can’t believe I’m saying it either.
When we got back to the apartment, we dropped the boys off and Kelly and I headed to the grocery store.
We picked up everything we needed for a good old-fashioned pasta dinner with salad and garlic bread.
Nothing fancy.
No pub.
No restaurant.
No waiting for a table.
Just the four of us sitting around the dinner table in our apartment eating pasta.
And you know what?
It was delicious.
Sometimes when you’re traveling, even with all the wonderful restaurants and great food, it’s nice to just stay in and have a regular meal.
After dinner, we settled in for a quick episode of Reacher, and then it was time for us to hit the hay.
After all…
Tomorrow’s another day.
See you down the road!
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