My purple fingers gave the game away. The tell-tale signs of my blackberry picking on a sunny afternoon as I slowly feasted my way along the briers fringing a hilly boreen near Ballycastle. September … Continue Reading
Featured
Bridge over troubled water
Only the lyrical words of a poet could give meaning to the sad origins of Bunlahinch Clapper Bridge by the coast near Killeen, south of Louisburgh, a unique relic among Irish bridges and a reminder of … Continue Reading
Kites over Keel
A brisk south-westerly lifted the menagerie of cartoon character kites over the crescent of Trawmore strand in Keel. Giant-sized, inflatable kites rising, trailing, bobbing and dancing in a colourful … Continue Reading
A visit to Inishkea North
We had a magical start to our journey to the Inishkea Islands from Blacksod. Shortly after leaving the harbour, we were joined by a school of playful dolphins swimming alongside and in front of the … Continue Reading
Foxgloves in bloom
It's early July and the tall and elegant foxgloves are in bloom along hedgerows and wild places all over Mayo. Its bright purple, bell-like flowers make the foxglove one of the most imposing and … Continue Reading
A hauntingly beautiful valley
The words hauntingly beautiful perfectly describe the Doolough Valley, evoking the natural wonder of this remote glacial scene of towering mountains and brooding lake that is forever scarred by the … Continue Reading
Mayo’s most beautiful wall
If there was a competition for the most beautiful wall in Mayo surely it would be hard to beat the dry stone wall at the entrance to Enniscoe House and Gardens nature trail when the fairy foxglove … Continue Reading
Belleek’s blue haze returns
That lovely blue haze returned to Belleek Wood at Easter. The bluebells in bloom along the Fairy Trail burst into life at the first hint of spring warmth. A flood of native bluebells hazed the … Continue Reading
The joys of spring
We miss so much that past generations loved - the walk along a quiet country road or boreen. Following the green line as I like to call it - that mossy band of worn grass flecked with cheerful daisies … Continue Reading
Timeless link to Killala Railway Station
When James Henry Casserly who was the first Station Master in Killala Railway Station was leaving in 1894, the people of Killala and Ballycastle came together to present him with a pocket watch as a … Continue Reading
Storm, snow, surf
March brings both the promise of summer and sharp reminders of winter. Icy cold north westerlies, not unexpected here in mid-March, brought snow to the mountain tops ahead of Storm Gareth. And so an … Continue Reading
A walk in Turlough Park
It's early March and Nephin is snow-capped once more. But just a few days ago February borrowed from early summer to present us with a delightful week of warm sunshine. Turlough Park looked … Continue Reading
Big wave surfers in Kilcummin
Hunched down, seeking shelter behind a tall boulder from the bitingly cold wind and rain, I watched the surfers, a few hundred metres off Kilcummin pier, bobbing up and down in a wild sea - their … Continue Reading
Rainbow over Enniscrone
The weather forecaster said changeable in the west with scattered showers and sunshine. Along Enniscrone promendade and coastal walk it was blowing a rain-laced gale. In a brief break from the … Continue Reading
Crescent Moon over Ballina
The Crescent moon hung over Ballina to the south sinking between Venus and Jupiter both planets bleached out in the creeping light of a new dawn. In those magical minutes between darkness and … Continue Reading
Where surf meets the sky
There's nothing so exicting and unpredictable as the natural wonders that surround us. Like the energy and randomness of waves crashing onto the shore. Atlantic ocean waves can change very quickly … Continue Reading
Mayo’s Celtic Rainforest
Cong Wood is one of Mayo's temperate rainforests - typical of lush, green and mostly deciduous woodlands found along the wet and mild Atlantic coastal counties of Ireland and the UK. These beautiful … Continue Reading
Ballina soldier still remembered in Norwich
As we approach the centenary Armistice Day commemoration here in Ballina, I am glad to report by the strangest of coincidences that we can shine some light on the fate of one of those young men whose … Continue Reading
Brent Geese return to Mayo
It's mid-October and the Brent Geese (light-bellied) have returned to Mayo for the winter from their summer breeding grounds, over 7,000km away in Arctic Canada. … Continue Reading
Panoramic views on Ballycastle Loop Walk
Ballycastle, the gateway village to the wild wilderness that is North Mayo, has one of the most scenic looped walks in Ireland. … Continue Reading
Sailing by the Stags
For a few short months, every summer, sailing vessels from far-flung shores cruise Mayo's Wild Atlantic waters navigating the many islands, stacks, rocks, and hidden reefs that make our coastal waters … Continue Reading
Climbing Diamond Hill
Diamond Hill, overlooking Connemara National Park Visitor Centre in Letterfrack, is one of the most easily climbed mountains in Ireland, rewarding those who venture to the summit with magnificent … Continue Reading
Mayo wave power
Standing in the safety of Killerduff, watching the awesome power of Mayo's Wild Atlantic waves crashing over Downpatrick Head, got me thinking of the terrifying conditions only seafarers witness as … Continue Reading
Story behind Ballina to Killala railway
The newly-opened Ballina and Killala sections of the Monasteries of the Moy Greenway, the 10km walking and cycling trail, partly follows the route of the old railway line that once linked the two … Continue Reading
Memorable Lough Feeagh walk
It's great fun to create a looped walk from scratch. Spread the Ordnance Survey Map out on the kitchen table and, as the radio jingle used to say, "let your fingers do the walking" while you set about … Continue Reading
Protecting Mayo’s Dark Sky
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
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