Beautiful Achill Island

I took a day trip from Westport to Achill Island, traveling around Clew Bay and taking this bridge to the island:

It is a beautiful place, windswept and rather desolate with wonderful views of steep mountains and sandy beaches. The human residents probably number in the hundreds while I would say the sheep number in the thousands.

The remains of a deserted famine village are on one hillside. About one hundred cottages abandoned in the 1840's famine.

Such a sad time in Ireland's history. Standing among these ruins, one can feel the hopelessness these poor starving people must have felt, having to give up their land and their homes.

This is all that is left.

On a brighter note, back in Westport I went pubbing with my pal, George, at Matt Molloy's (of Chieftains fame for those of you in the know) and met some fun people, including a group of french girls, all of us dancing and calling out "merci beaucoup, merci beaucoup!"