We wiggled our way on the narrow roads over the bog hills to Westport. It is a small busy town with steep streets down to the river and Clew Bay estuary. We managed to park the camper exactly at the moment the downpour started. We did our best to do a bit of sightseeing but in the end had an early lunch in a cafeteria to get away from rain.
It was rain and wind for most of the rest of the day so cycling on one of the old train tracks was out of the question. We followed the N59 further towards Achill Island. It lies just off the coast so there is a bridge. The island has several sand beaches where you then find large (now empty) campsites and vacation homes. The majority of the hilly island is covered with bog/heather where sheep freely roam around. We drove to Keem strand over a steep hill at the end of the island. A beautiful beach setting but now deserted. On the way back to our campsite we detoured off the main road to visit an old abandoned settlement. The stone remains of this 19th century town are sticking out of the bog land and sheep are finding shelter in them. Rainwater streams run through the ruins down the hill. The people left during and after the famine. There was nothing left here to make a living. Now there is a seasonal tourist industry.
