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Wild Atlantic Way

Ireland

By Yes Mom I'm Alive

In October 2018, I took a solo road trip along Ireland’s western coastline, following the southern section of the 2,500 km coastal route known as the Wild Atlantic Way.

I picked up a rental car at the Dublin airport and was surprised to learn that Ireland is one of two places—along with Jamaica—that most credit card companies, including mine, decline to cover rental car insurance. As soon I started up the western coastline, I understood why: narrow, twisting roads trace the shore, sometimes barely wide enough for a single car, while tourists adjust to driving on the opposite side and large coach buses appear around blind curves. A wild way, indeed.

Killarney National Park

The Ring of Kerry

The Ring of Kerry is a 179 km (111-mile) circular driving route around the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry. It’s popular for its combination of coastal views, small villages, and mountain landscapes along the Atlantic.

Skellig Islands

From the mainland at Portmagee, boats set out to the Skellig Islands, which rise sharply from the Atlantic. Settled by monks well over a millennium ago, Skellig Michael preserves the remains of a 6th-century monastery. Small stone beehive huts, or clocháns, mark where the monks lived and worked. By late October, boats no longer dock, so I could only view the island from the water, impressed by the steep slopes and stone structures that did little to deter the monks from the solitude they sought.

"I tell you this place does not belong to any world that you and I have lived and worked in: it is part of our dream world."

- George Bernard Shaw

Caherconnell Fort

I stopped at Caherconnell Fort to stretch my legs and catch a sheepdog demonstration. Sharp whistles and commands guided the Border Collies as they corralled the sheep across the Burren fields.

Dunguaire Castle (Irish: Dún Guaire), County Galway.

Sky Road

The Sky Road near Connemara climbs above the Atlantic and loops along the coastline outside Clifden. The landscape shifts between rocky outcrops, bog, and small green fields edged with stone walls. At several points the road opens to wide views of the ocean and the offshore islands. The route is short, but the scenery changes constantly as it winds along the coast.

Connemara National Park

Connemara National Park was one of the highlights of the trip. The park protects a large area of bog, heath, and low mountains along Ireland’s west coast. I hiked the Diamond Hill Loop (7km, 400m) to the summit, which looks out over the Atlantic and the surrounding countryside. In October the hills were covered in dry grasses and peatland, giving the landscape a bright orange-brown color.

Lost Lough

I don’t remember exactly where this lake was or what it might be called. I recall driving aimlessly outside of the park, in no rush to return to Dublin that evening to end my trip. I’m certain it must be well known; it is too beautiful to be just a wayside stop on a wayward drive.

Then again, my road trip showed me that much of Ireland is exactly that.

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