July 19 or there abouts. Ireland at last!

As you’ve probably gathered, we’re in Ireland (Republic of - if you’re in any doubt!). There are boulders, rocks and stones everywhere - fences, narrow bridges spanning rocky brooks where wild fuchsia trail streamers of red and purple, hillsides, roadsides, old houses and churches. Single (often barely that) lane roads hemmed with bright red fuchsia, brambles heavy with unripe fruit grab at the sides of our van, mauve and yellow bells, deep pink heather all flutter crazily as we bounce past (the roads are rough) - and hemmed with the ubiquitous rock fences. Up and down green velvet hills studded with lichen covered granite and all of a sudden a wide yellow beach or high cliff hanging out over the sea. And on one remote beach we found a lone life guard! Busy in the drizzle watching over a small cluster of brave swimmers. It was at Inishowen Head overlooking this wee beach that Colmcille, patron saint of emigration, farewelled his native Ireland and set off to Scotland in a leather covered boat to convert the heathens in the mid C6th. This is the same Irish monk who landed on and established a monastery on Iona which we visited on our sea expedition last month. 

We were on Inishowen, a peninsula in county Donegal on the northern tip of Ireland. This peninsula was once an island, hence the name. To the south and east is Northern Ireland. In which we spent 2 days driving up the east and north coast from Belfast. The roads were jam packed with tourist buses as well as camper vans and local sightseers. Unfortunately we couldn’t get near the Giants Causeway which I had wanted to see. It was simply too crowded and we couldn’t wait to get to quieter roads. 

However ..... every cloud, as they say! We discovered Inishowen and the Wild Atlantic Way which tracks the coast from this lovely peninsula in Ulster to Kinsale in Munster on the coast of the Celtic Sea.

This part of our long journey started at the northern most point of Ireland, from Malin Head (where some of Star Wars episode 8 had been filmed) and will take in the most westerly and southerly points of the mainland before finishing 2500km away - plus depending on whether you explore all the scribbly bits along the coast. 

Caption tower 

The British built many watch towers like this around 1800 to guard against invasion from France during the Napoleonic wars. They have been used for communications and during both world wars as lookout towers. 

Note the misty sky and road surface. Not ideal but it keeps the crowds down!

This hedge had been trimmed but many almost leap out and grab you.

I rather like driving along roads like this- the world is a small circle around you - and so pretty!

There are houses like this everywhere. In many areas there are new homes built right along side but in other areas you could imagine that people abandoned them for whatever reason, and moved on.

Makes a quaint rather iconic scene 

Lots of birds circling and nesting in these cliffs.

Weird and wonderful shapes worn into these chalky cliffs

This is Malin Head, the most northern point in Ireland.

The British built many watch towers like this around 1800 to guard against invasion from France during the Napoleonic wars. This one at Malin Head has been used since for communications and during both world wars as lookout towers.

The Wild Atlantic Way

Lots of road works as we’ve travelled with lengthy delays. I thought this was cute - this sign had a changing message to entertain the motorist as they waited to get going.