Words and pictures cannot begin to express the raw, powerful beauty of Achill Island a place where the mountains come down to the sea. With  all of its natural beauty however, Achill Island has a cruel side to it …. the winter months. The summer months will find the meadows in their full, vibrant green… a green most outsiders will never experience. The small villages nestled along the North Atlantic coastline… that have been seen in many, many movies. The majestic mountains, their peaks surrounded in an ever-present smokey cloud. The sheep painted every color of the rainbow to identify their rightful owner.  The sheep who are left to range unattended, completely free to find their own places to graze.  Sheep everywhere… in the middle of the roads, standing on boulders staring at the infidel with wary, watchful eyes, grazing in the bogs and the fields, grazing the sides of the mountains… sheep EVERYWHERE! And then the summer days vanished into the cold, blustery winds blowing strongly off the North Atlantic, frequently accompanied by sheets and sheets of driving rain. Day after day of heavy clouds and frequent rain. Gone are all the tourists leaving the few natives to a winter of nothing to do but stay inside their homes, lonely. Most nights will be spent in the pubs socializing, discussing politics, and sharing their love for traditional Irish music.

Our first stop on the island today in Lavelle’s  Pub in Cashel where we stopped for a Guinness and Michael not only swapped a Lavelle t-shirt for one of his Blue Shamrock t-shirts, but the lady bartender invited Michael to “pull” a few Guinness. Our next stop at was Gielty’s Clew Bay Pub further up the coast in Dooagh. Shawn’s friend Maureen, who owned an Irish gift shop in Fowlerville, had recommended the pub for its food. Further stops were at the “Abandened village where in 1863 a village of 183 people simply picked up their stuff and moved out to avoid the potato famine.  Oddly this same scene was repeated in the late 2008 era when the global economy sank worldwide. We finished the day at Shawn’s friends’ home overlooking the beautiful North Atlantic coast. The following image gallery will give you a taste of the beauty of Achill Island, but only a taste. Lots more pictures coming to this page when I get a minute.

Karen and Mike standing on one of the mountain cliffs overlooking the N. Atlantic.