15/9/18 day no 9. Out of Achill

I had half heartedly looked out my walking gear the evening before at Keem, the wind had settled down, the hills had all cleared and there was a peak called Croaghaun right above the bay where we were parked. I hadn't went as far as making a sannie however as I wasn't that confident.
Croaghaun is 680 metres high, but what makes it special is that its north western slopes plunge right down into the Atlantic.  They are (arguably) claimed to be the 3rd highest cliffs in Europe also. I didn't have a map other than Kenny and Sheila's Wild Atlantic Way atlas but I figured given clear weather, and the fact I could see right to the top from where the van was parked I could get up and down safely and quickly. But alas, through the night the wind got up again, the rain battered down and when I looked out the van window the hill was shrouded in cloud....I would probably have got to the top but there would be no view, so no real point. Game over!!
We got up and had breakfast and headed east, I had promised to take the boys to the Sea life aquarium at Keel, and as I hadn't been out walking we had plenty time. We drove along, and low and behold it was shut this weekend....Game over again!!
We stopped at the shops beside the Bridge over the Achill Sound, I wanted an Achill Island sticker for the van to add to its island collection, it took a while to find one, but eventually in the 3rd shop I had my sticker, and got it for free, Joyce had bought a tea towel for our next door neighbour who likes these things and the lady gave me my sticker for nowt, it was meant to be 5 euros. The boys were also given a fridge magnet each, again, meant to be 5 euros a piece, AND Logan had picked up a diferent fridge magnet, the lady would hear none of me trying to get the boys to give them back, and also was definitely taking no more cash...... It was very generous of her I must say, not good from a business point of view however.
We headed out of Achill via the wee turntable bridge that doesn't look like its turned in many a year, down through Newport and into Westport, this is a big town and was very busy. It would have been nice to have a wander around, but it was so busy parking looked almost impossible in the big van. We stopped for lunch at the National Famine Memorial which is right at the bottom of Croagh Patrick. The Famine Memorial is a rather haunting sailing ship with 3 masts, the sides of the vessel are made up of human skeletons, the boats taking emigrants to America were nicknamed Coffin Ships as so many people perished on them due to either starvation or disease. Joyce is currently reading a wee book we bought about the famine years in Ireland, it really is horrendous period in Irish hisrory.
Craogh Patrick is Ireland's most climbed mountain, about 1 million people climb it every year, with 25000 or so doing so on Reek Sunday, the last Sunday in July when there is a pilgrimage to its summit. There is a ruined prehistoric settlement on the summit, and it is also said the Saint Patrick fasted up there for 40 days and 40 nights. I am in no way religious, but it all make interesting reading. Joyce did suggest we climb it, until I explained there is more ascent on it than Ben Ledi back home, it was 2pm, and the boys would probably find it a bit tough......we left it for another day.
After lunch we pressed on west then south, through the stunningly beautiful Doo Lough Valley, here there is another memorial to the 600 or so starving people who tried to get work in the Westport Workhouses, a request which was refused, they were sent away and told to go to Delphi as they would get work there. Many perished during the freezing walk through the valley, and the survivors who made it were turned round, told there was no work and sent away again. No one knows how many died during this tragic event. The Doo Lough valley is hemmed in by superb looking mountains which are just around the 800metre mark, this area and Connemara a wee bit further south would certainly make a great area for a weeks hillwalking and Guinness tasting, there's plenty on offer.
The boys were getting cabin fever so we stopped at a river near Killary, checked out the falls and wandered a few miles up the river and back, we chatted to some fishers trying to land a fresh run salmon, however the fish weren't biting today. After following a wee bit more of the Wild Atlantic way we made it to Clifden campsite, we had wanted to go down into town for a meal, but it was quite late, it was lashing down with rain, Callum was also being a proper pest so we decided a curry in the van was a safer bet, lol. Joyce pulled out all the stops and soon had a tasty curry on the table ready to be washed down with a few beers. My Scrabble winning streak ended here though, 5-4 to Joyce.