Rothar Routes

Carraig na Faoileoga
Teach Dhónaill Uí Chléirigh
Strapa Chaora Pheigí
An Bád Bréige
Na Stacaí
Toinn a'Ghiorráin Bháin
An Charraig Mhór.

The place names, or logainmneacha, of the coastline around Dún Chaocháin roll off his tongue as Gaeilge. There is something enthralling listening to native Irish speakers. Uinsionn Mac Graith played in goal, and was captain, of the first Rathvilly team to win the Carlow SFC in 1983. He is a native of Portacloy in the Mayo Gaeltacht and we had a noon rendezvous on today’s leg of the Coast to Coast.

The names are so descriptive – they had to be as they were landmarks for the fishermen and farmers and the names give an insight into the natural and manmade landscape. They tell a story of the various customs and history of past times and of the people of the area. Uinsionn is an expert on the area. He knows every rock by name, he knows the geological history reaching back to 600 million years ago! The depth of his knowledge is staggering, from Pre-Cambrian times to the early Celts, through the Norman conquests, to famine times and the War of Independence. A love of place. Encapsulated beautifully in his joint publications with his good wife Treasa Ní Ghearraigh – Logainmneacha agus Oidhreacht Dhún Chaocháin, Teampaill Chill Ghallagáin and various walking guides of the area. We spent a lovely four hours walking and chatting along the cliff walks above Portacloy – is this beach the safest in Ireland? It is an unspoilt haven. On our way up to Teachain a’Watch we met a group of workers on their way down from some restoration work on the old watch tower. Listening to them chatting as Gaeilge was like listening to poetry. The melodious lilt of the Irish language transported me to another Ireland.

To meet Uinsionn I first had to cycle the beautiful Pullathomas cycle loop with its lovely coastal views. Uinsionn lives in Glenamoy and he was at the gate keeping a close watch in case I would miss the house. The weather was up and we took a spin out to Portacloy and had a quick recon of the Children of Lir Loop. The poor children of Lir of course spent 300 years as swans on Lake Derravarragh in Westmeath, 300 years on the Mull of Kintyre and the final 300 years on Erris. Magical walking in every sense. Our next walk took us up as far as Teachain a’Watch at the furthest end of Barr na Rinne, one of 83 look out posts constructed around the coast in 1941 to monitor warships during the Second World War. Nearby, a sign Éire 63 is outlined on the ground in quartz stones to indicate neutral Ireland for aircraft flying overhead.

We finished up our tour of the area with refreshments back at the MacGraith home in Glenamoy. I am forever grateful for the hospitality of Uinsíonn and Treasa who were so kind and helpful to me as they proudly showed me around their locality. Community in action.

It was getting on now in the afternoon and I just made it to the Céide Fields as it was closing, so I only managed a very quick run around this world famous neolithic site which features the oldest known field system in the world. Perched on the edge of the wild Atlantic, it is wonderfully located along this remote cost line. Well worth more than a fleeting visit like mine.

The climbing was over now and thankfully a grand descent to Ballycastle the nearest village to the iconic Downpatrick Head. I didn’t visit it on this occasion as the clock was against me and instead I headed for Killala and Ballina. Over my right shoulder was looming presence of mighty Nephin, the tallest stand alone mountain in Ireland. It really dominates the flat landscape around it. Mayo’s Mount Fuji! There was a notable change of scenery as I got further east; the vast blanket bog had morphed into a more agricultural landscape with plenty of hedges and trees defining this more productive farmland. 90 kms cycled and a few hours spent walking along the Ceathrú Thaidhg Walks best described by Lonely Planet as “The finest sustained coastal walk in western Ireland, with. profusion of precipitous cliffs, crags, caves, chasms and islands along the remote North Mayo coast”. I Couldn’t have said it better myself!