I'm sad to say that I have taken one of the great natural wonders of Mayo for granted - and until last week I didn't realise that it is under threat. … Continue Reading
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Surfing Enniscrone’s big wave
Before setting off for Enniscrone I had to use a spatula to scrape the layers of ice off the car windscreen. It was showing 1 degree Celsius on the car monitor and the road from Ballina was icy and … Continue Reading
Storms reveal Mayo’s ancient forest
The mists of time have once again briefly lifted on beautiful Doohoma beach to reveal the preserved remnants of a prehistoric forest that once covered Mayo. … Continue Reading
Purple Sandpipers at Kilcummin Head
The Purple Sandpipers, perched on the cliff-top at Kilcummin Head, seemed completely unbothered by my presence, even when I edged closer to take a photograph. … Continue Reading
Time out at Drumleen Lake
When the R312, linking Belmullet and the wider Erris region to Castlebar, makes the headlines it's usually to do with justifiable calls to upgrade the road that takes motorists through many dangerous … Continue Reading
Timeless Blanemore Forest
Blanemore Forest Archaeological Walk near Moygownagh is another gem in Mayo's treasure chest of extensive Neolithic sites - the best known of which is the Ceide Fields near Ballycastle. … Continue Reading
A walk in McMahon Park, Claremorris
The lovely aroma of Meadowsweet filled the air as I wandered through McMahon Park in Claremorris on a beautiful July Saturday. … Continue Reading
A good year for Bog Cotton
I was standing in the middle of the bog that covers Benwee Head on the Children of Lir Loop Walk in one of the most scenic places in Mayo talking to a local man as he put in a late evening shift … Continue Reading
Book tells Inishkea Islanders’ story
'Amongst Our Own' is a book about the Inishkea Islands by Tomás Bán O'Raghallaigh, whose parents were among the last inhabitants of the islands, located a few miles off the Mullet Peninsula in North … Continue Reading
A Bluebell blanket in Belleek Wood
Just as the flowering daffodils signal the end of winter, the carpets of Bluebells that decorate Ballina's Belleek Wood in late April and early May are a sure sign that summer is on its way. … Continue Reading
Palmerstown Bridge – spanning the centuries
It's hard to believe that Palmerstown Bridge, the main artery linking Mayo's remote north-west corner to the rest of the county, dates back to the decade before the 1798 Rebellion. … Continue Reading
Saturday in Sligo
Saturday in Sligo saw me happily escape the shopping duties to take a stroll along Rockwood Parade. My wandering took me along the banks of the Garavogue River near the end of its journey to the sea … Continue Reading
Distilling a dream in Ballina
The making of fine whiskey is a craft as ancient as civilization itself. The skill and knowledge needed to distill something as common as barley and water into an elixir to be savoured by many, and … Continue Reading
Moonset over Ballina
There was a most beautiful Moonset over Ballina this frosty, mid-winter morning, as the clear sky and the rising sun creeping above the horizon played their parts in creating a beautiful scene that … Continue Reading