Day 24: Westport to Acail (Achill) Island

June 7, 2024

Greenway and Peninsula

Of course . . . wouldn't you know . . . as soon as we loaded the tandem and were ready to set off from Westport, it started to shower on us. No surprise since we watched two different squalls come through while we were eating breakfast. With light rain jackets and helmet covers on, we set off in search of the Greenway that would take us all the way to the town of Acail (Achill). We followed the route on our Garmins only to find freshly paved new roads that weren't even showing on the map base. After several turn arounds, we finally found a Greenway . . . but was it going to Acail? A cyclist came towards us and we were able to confirm with her that we had found the correct bicycle path to the island.

We entered Newport, the next town on our route today, and saw a monument in honor of Grace O'Malley. I had read previously that she was the pirate queen, but this monument portrayed her quite differently. Newport honors her as a fearless leader by land and by sea, as well as a political pragmatist.

Clew Bay looking at the bridge crossing in Newport.

The tide was OUT in Clew Bay when we rode in!

Leaving Newport we ended up back on the Greenway crossing many bridges and cattle guards, and had to work to avoid collisions with the sheep and lambs. A squall would blow in and by the time we put on the rain gear, it was over. The wind was blowing in from the northwest again and it had a chill to it. We changed our layers multiple times today - it was tough to decide what clothing was needed and for how long.

One of the many bridges we crossed today.

And another bridge - wavy. We actually crossed a half dozen of these; some were painted blue, some red, and some green. All were curved back and forth.

We came across this statue along the Greenway. We assumed it represented a family from the Great Famine, a terribly diffucult time in Irish history.

We assumed this because they were standing next to a house that had been destroyed. During the Great Famine, the landlords actually had the tenant's properties destroyed so that they would not be habitable any more.

In the village of Mallaranny, based on the suggestion of the bike shop owner last night, we left the Greenway to ride around the Currane Peninsula. The advice turned out to be well worth considering. The ride along the Coast Route did not disappoint!

Out in Clew Bay, there are a bunch of small islands. These islands are the hilltops that are left over from the glacial action during ice age.

Looking at the Maumtruk Mountains across the bay. We rode along the base of those yesterday.

The Wild Atlantic Way viewpoint for the Spanish Armada. Several of the ships that escaped from the English Channel met their fate here on the rocks on their journey back to Spain.

We arrived at our destination, Hy Breasel B&B on Acail Island. Marie met us at the door and served us tea and biscuits in her garden. We're happy to be in before any rain happened in earnest. It was a pretty day and because of the cycle path, we dealt with very little traffic. Even when we were on the coast road along the peninsula, we saw very few cars. We finished our day with dinner at the Achill Sound Hotel. What a hoot! Dinner was simple, but it hit the spot.

Day 24: Westport to Acail (Achill) Island

Note to ourselves: We had two squalls that were very short, but made the roads wet. We wore light rain jackets several times, vests most of the day, and got rid of the knees early on.

Accommodation: Hy Breasel B&B is the main house with a campground adjoining it. We're here for two nights and our room is cosy and comfy.

Today's ride: 57 km (35 miles)
Total: 1,511 km (938 miles)

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