Monday 6th - day 344
After several days of neglecting the diary, there was nothing for it but to catch up this morning before we went out for the afternoon, which was a bit of pain as the weather is lovely again, but once the necessary job was done, we were free to move off!
Alas the weather deteriorated as we set out, but we did manage to stay dry as we enjoyed a wander round Ballintober the “Abbey that wouldn’t die”!
It was built in 1216, and despite a turbulent history it was still receiving worshippers to Mass in
the mid 1900’s, although there was no roof and the walls were at risk!
It was restored in the 1960’s and was quite magnificent in all its simple glory. It would appear that the two latest incumbents were responsible for its renaissance, and as well as an atmosphere of peace inside the Abbey (and no mention of how much it’s upkeep cost – Hallelujah) there was a stunning garden with a Rosary Walk, where you could enter the stable
and cousin Elizabeths house, the crucifixion site and the empty tomb, as well as the 12 stations of the Cross laid out in modern stone work. The inscriptions were simple and thought provoking, and we lingered a long time there – just as well with what we were to learn later.
We returned home over the moors via Aghagower. We were looking forward to visiting the village that got a cheery mention in the DVD running in the Abbeys visitors room, but what we had not anticipated was the panoramic view that opened up to us as we rounded the last summit. It was a breath taking sweep of Party Mountains to our left, Clew Bay and Croagh
Patrick in front of us, and the Nephin Beg Range to our right. Wow, and the clouds were just wisping round the tops as we stopped (though it did rain heavily again soon after!)
Aghagower was a village of cemeteries – the dead centre of Mayo as the resident comedian put it, but there were obvious historic links to St Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ad 400, so we took a walk round.
We were home in time to listen to the 7 o’clock news, and the crushing of all our hopes.
The savings that we had accrued and were making our trip possible were being housed in an Icelandic bank (safe and respected we were advised during our research!!) and we were informed that the banks had ceased trading – which means that we have no access to our savings, and in fact they may be lost for ever. I am not sure which of us felt more sick, but it was a deep body blow, and effectively brings our holiday to an end, as we cannot fund it now, and will have to look for work, sooner rather than later (gone in a moment are all dreams of part time work and greater freedom!)
It was hard to recover, but we had already bought tickets to hear John Spillane from Cork, so in
the light of inpending poverty we felt it too wasteful to let the tickets go, and we did hope that he might distract us. Unfortunately although he was very entertaining he did not! And we were ready to leave the noise and bustle just as soon as we could.
Any thoughts of sleep were lost in a night of tossing and turning, and we can only pray for brighter news to emerge at some point.
Tuesday 7th - day 345
It rained all night, which robbed the last hopes of rest, and the morning was not much brighter. We tried to contact Icesave for more information but reached an ansaphone apologising for inconvenience caused but the bank was not receiving deposits or making withdrawals!!! Oh, and we would find the latest news on the web site as soon as they had any!
So we sit tight and wait, like thousands of others. It is now a time to be thankful for all that we do have, and count our very many blessings, rather than dwell on the difficulties!
Needless to say, there was not much of an appetite for going out and about today so we busied ourselves with the stuff of life and tried to stay calm!! (well one of us!!)
By mid afternoon the desire to feel the wind on our faces stirred us into action, and we drove down to Lough Mask, with the hope of finding a path to walk by the waters edge. We were not lucky in that respect, but we did catch a news flash that indicated that it looked like the Icelandic banks were about to go into liquidation, and if they did British savers would be allowed to claim compensation up to £50,000 (from various quarters!!). For us that is good news as we have less than that amount in the bank, but for those serious savers it would have been a body blow!
So despite the lack of a lovely pathway, we took a determined and warily cheerful stride out to blow the cobwebs away.
We still have to wait for the announcement regarding liquidation and compensation process, and there will be no certainties until we see (at least some of) our savings returned back to us, but at least there is more of a hopeful atmosphere than was 24 hours ago!
Wednesday 8th - day 346
Today we were blessed with sunshine again, that and the latest good news from the Chancellor regarding our savings with Icesave meant that we enjoyed a really happy day!We had planned to drive over to Achill Island, but stopped first at Newport, which had looked worthy of closer inspection on a previous visit, but alas it did not really warrant the time we spent there, though I
did enjoy watching the tide coming in, up the river which was flowing in the opposite direction, as DB went in search of the perfect photo opportunity!
We continued on to Achill an island connected to the mainland by a small bridge. We had been told that it was lovely, but it was much more than that. As we drove round its weaving contures,
we kept coming across another beautifully sweeping sandy beach that was the playground for a cluster of charming little whitewashed cottages. There were two real high spots of the day though. The first was when we came across Dooega. We had to back track a little up a steep and narrow road up the mountain side to reach a viewing point, but it was so worth it. As we got out of the car we read a small inscription that read “All the people will come and worship before you 
oh Lord, they will bring glory to your Name” Ps86v9 and as we looked up, we knew exactly what the inscriber was getting at. The sky was clear, the sun was high and the wind was lapping up the waters, and you could feel the powers of the wild natural forces and wonder at our creative God. It was a dramatic moment, and we lingered a long time, walking to the edge of the cliffs and taking time to let the place restore the battered edges!
In fact we lingered long enough to have worked up a thirst, so out came the basket, and we enjoyed an alfresco feast, which we had to hold down in the face of a 25 mph wind. Needless to
say this caused some wry smiles from fellow visitors- but frankly, were we bovvered!
From Dooega Head we drove round to the end of the island, through lovely Keel, and on to Moytoege Head, where the road came to an end, at another beautiful clean sweep of a sandy bay. The final approach to the beach was taken along a narrow road cut into the hill, with the edge rather too close to an unprotected verge, we were told that it was a bit scary for some, but we carried on regardless just leaned to the right a bit harder!! Our reward was a lovely walk on golden sands!
As usual time was beating us, and it was getting close to dusk and dinner time, so we drove the
rest of the way round the island in fading light, but it will remain in one of the top ten attractions I think for a long time, and we left with thoughts of further visits (and easy and quick suppers!)
Thursday 9th - day 347
All attempts to stay upbeat and optimistic today were being drowned by the persistent rain, and deepening crisis in Iceland. We remain comforted by the headlines, but details like how we retrieve our savings are being kept firmly behind a locked website! Still, we have so many blessings to be thankful for, it is best to dwell on them rather than the difficulties, as it is starting to emerge that many councils and charities have invested in Icesave, following the same “sound financial advice” as us, and they must be worried!
So, we continue to wait, and say thank you for all that we do have.
The rain did not shift so by lunch time we decided to go out regardless. This is our last day in Mayo, as tomorrow we depart for Ulster prior to returning to blighty. We will be leaving with mixed feelings. This was a much anticipated leg of our trip, and it seems to have been dogged by bad weather and bad news. The comforting thing is that hopefully when all financial upheaval has settled, and we are back in the saddle, we will be able to plan a return visit!
With all these thoughts whirling through my brain we set off for Ballina, and the Killala harbour.
We stopped first to look in at Foxford Mills, a very reputable Irish woollen mill that had a very posh “lifestyle” shop. In other circumstances we may have purchased, but the purse is tight shut now!
So on we went to find a lovely bit of coastline to enjoy our cuppa, and a stroll. Unfortunately Inshcrone was a bit of a mini Skegness, looking grim in the rain, so we carried on until we found a lonely little pebbly bay that we could enjoy all to ourselves!
It may not be very sophisticated, but I do enjoy these little picnics, looking out over the stormy seas.
For a while the rain fall quietened to a drizzle so we went for a wander and a forage.
The landscape here was a rather unusual mix of stepped rocks and little round pebbles. Mistakenly we thought that the flat rocky ledges would be easier to walk on but after a brief but exciting episode of skittering, and flailing we carefully edged our way back to the pebbles, where we concentrated our efforts on searching out some interesting fossil filled gems!
We returned to the car wet, windswept and happy, and ready for the journey back to warm and dry!
We had not been travelling long before we met a rather soggy looking chap who was madly waving his thumb in the air. Understanding his dampness we stopped, upon which he asked for lift to Castlebar, for himself …… and his bike! Fortunately we could squeeze it in the back of the land rover so with all cargo on board we set off again.
It did not take long for the heady aromas of Vodka to reach our nostrils, and as he lurched and spluttered in the back I did wonder whether to advise Chris to draw his seat up to protect his neck from a possible technicolour yawn! He kept us entertained for most of the journey, and we understood enough of his ramblings to know that he was Latvian, a chef, an alcoholic with criminal tendencies (his admission) and no money. For a while I considered hiding any gold jewellery I could discreetly remove, and as he rustled in his plastic bag I have to admit that I felt a little nervous. However all that he wanted from us was to take him to his old house to pick up his blankets, and then drive him on to his new digs. I have to say that I am glad that they were both in Castlebar. And when he offered us a bed in his new place as a thank you, I chastised myself for my prejudice, and once we had dropped him off we returned to our own warm and dry haven of comfort!
Friday 10th - day 348
Once again we are on the move, leaving lovely Westport, feeling that we have not really been able to make the most of it. Somewhere between the rain and the news of financial meltdown,
the joy of being in this lovely corner of Ireland has been diminished unfortunately.
And again it rained through the night, (though looking at the photo of the campsite, we obviously did have some good weather!!) and in fact did not stop until we were sitting down to supper.
So we made the whole journey across the middle of Ireland to Aghalee on the south edge of Lough Neagh, in the rain!
We were on the road for six hours, and Chris’s eyes were on stalks by the time we arrived.
But the CL that we are staying on for the weekend is a lovely little part of an orchard on a farm in the middle of nowhere, and costs £8 per night which is a very welcome change from the 20+ euro per night that we have been paying for the rest of our stay in Eire!
Saturday 11th - day 349
It has been a lovely day, so we decided to stay local, and try not to spend, so opted for fresh air and freedom – which always does the soul good!!
Unforunately we did not get off to a good start though, as the countryside flatter and rather uninspiring, but there was an RSPB nature reserve near by so we drove to Portmore lough in the hope of walking round the small lake and doing a little bird spotting, but recent rain had
flooded the pathways so all was closed. Fortunately we met a local man who told us about the joys of Oxford Island, another RSPB site, so we drove round to the shores of Lough Neagh.
Oxford Island was a larger nature reserve, very manicured with a marina, visitors centre, café
and laid out paths. It was not really very stimulating but the late afternoon light brought a glow to the autumn colours, and we were able to walk right round the perimeter on woodland paths, checking out these glorious little treasures, and pretending to be out in the country for a couple of hours!
And there was a lovely sunset to finish the day well!
By 7.30pm we were back at the caravan, feeling relaxed – there is nothing like a blast of fresh air and some exercise to settle the spirit!
Sunday 12th - day 350
We have enjoyed another day without rain (yippee), though it was a mix of sunshine and cloud.
The Mourne mountain range had been recommended to us by a couple of folk, so we drove down
to check them out. They were indeed a striking mountain range sitting right by the east coast.
We parked up in Silent valley visitor’s centre, (in the centre of the mountains) and picnicked in the car park! Once revived, we walked through the woodland grounds up to the dam, and almost left the madding crowd as we continued to walk the length of the reservoir.
The landscape was very wild, bleak and had a wintery feel, and the hard road made feet sore,
but we as always, enjoyed our thrash in the fresh air, and we were regularly entertained by the sight of Irish folk pounding the pavements at speed - taking very seriously their daily thirty minutes of exercise!
We had also packed a picnic supper (of spicy bean soup, so we needed to be outside!!) so that we could make the most of the day, so once back at the car we drove on round to the coast.
It should have been fabulous, but by now the clouds were right down, so we were unable to take photos of the area, but the land that swept down to sea was divided up into small fields (quite like the Peak District) which were separated out by very straight, very level walls made of large round bouldery type stones, it all looked very striking.
We drove and drove to find that perfect view of the sea, but it was dark by the time we reached anywhere that we could park and look out, so in the end we ate our broth looking across at the lights of Newcastle listening to the waves!!
We were back at the caravan in time to listen to a special edition of Moneybox live, to try and find out the latest in the financial maelstrom, and particularly when we might see our savings again!!
After several days of neglecting the diary, there was nothing for it but to catch up this morning before we went out for the afternoon, which was a bit of pain as the weather is lovely again, but once the necessary job was done, we were free to move off!
Alas the weather deteriorated as we set out, but we did manage to stay dry as we enjoyed a wander round Ballintober the “Abbey that wouldn’t die”!
It was built in 1216, and despite a turbulent history it was still receiving worshippers to Mass in
the mid 1900’s, although there was no roof and the walls were at risk!It was restored in the 1960’s and was quite magnificent in all its simple glory. It would appear that the two latest incumbents were responsible for its renaissance, and as well as an atmosphere of peace inside the Abbey (and no mention of how much it’s upkeep cost – Hallelujah) there was a stunning garden with a Rosary Walk, where you could enter the stable
and cousin Elizabeths house, the crucifixion site and the empty tomb, as well as the 12 stations of the Cross laid out in modern stone work. The inscriptions were simple and thought provoking, and we lingered a long time there – just as well with what we were to learn later.We returned home over the moors via Aghagower. We were looking forward to visiting the village that got a cheery mention in the DVD running in the Abbeys visitors room, but what we had not anticipated was the panoramic view that opened up to us as we rounded the last summit. It was a breath taking sweep of Party Mountains to our left, Clew Bay and Croagh
Patrick in front of us, and the Nephin Beg Range to our right. Wow, and the clouds were just wisping round the tops as we stopped (though it did rain heavily again soon after!)Aghagower was a village of cemeteries – the dead centre of Mayo as the resident comedian put it, but there were obvious historic links to St Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ad 400, so we took a walk round.
We were home in time to listen to the 7 o’clock news, and the crushing of all our hopes.
The savings that we had accrued and were making our trip possible were being housed in an Icelandic bank (safe and respected we were advised during our research!!) and we were informed that the banks had ceased trading – which means that we have no access to our savings, and in fact they may be lost for ever. I am not sure which of us felt more sick, but it was a deep body blow, and effectively brings our holiday to an end, as we cannot fund it now, and will have to look for work, sooner rather than later (gone in a moment are all dreams of part time work and greater freedom!)
It was hard to recover, but we had already bought tickets to hear John Spillane from Cork, so in
the light of inpending poverty we felt it too wasteful to let the tickets go, and we did hope that he might distract us. Unfortunately although he was very entertaining he did not! And we were ready to leave the noise and bustle just as soon as we could.Any thoughts of sleep were lost in a night of tossing and turning, and we can only pray for brighter news to emerge at some point.
Tuesday 7th - day 345
It rained all night, which robbed the last hopes of rest, and the morning was not much brighter. We tried to contact Icesave for more information but reached an ansaphone apologising for inconvenience caused but the bank was not receiving deposits or making withdrawals!!! Oh, and we would find the latest news on the web site as soon as they had any!
So we sit tight and wait, like thousands of others. It is now a time to be thankful for all that we do have, and count our very many blessings, rather than dwell on the difficulties!
Needless to say, there was not much of an appetite for going out and about today so we busied ourselves with the stuff of life and tried to stay calm!! (well one of us!!)
By mid afternoon the desire to feel the wind on our faces stirred us into action, and we drove down to Lough Mask, with the hope of finding a path to walk by the waters edge. We were not lucky in that respect, but we did catch a news flash that indicated that it looked like the Icelandic banks were about to go into liquidation, and if they did British savers would be allowed to claim compensation up to £50,000 (from various quarters!!). For us that is good news as we have less than that amount in the bank, but for those serious savers it would have been a body blow!
So despite the lack of a lovely pathway, we took a determined and warily cheerful stride out to blow the cobwebs away.We still have to wait for the announcement regarding liquidation and compensation process, and there will be no certainties until we see (at least some of) our savings returned back to us, but at least there is more of a hopeful atmosphere than was 24 hours ago!
Wednesday 8th - day 346
Today we were blessed with sunshine again, that and the latest good news from the Chancellor regarding our savings with Icesave meant that we enjoyed a really happy day!We had planned to drive over to Achill Island, but stopped first at Newport, which had looked worthy of closer inspection on a previous visit, but alas it did not really warrant the time we spent there, though I
did enjoy watching the tide coming in, up the river which was flowing in the opposite direction, as DB went in search of the perfect photo opportunity!We continued on to Achill an island connected to the mainland by a small bridge. We had been told that it was lovely, but it was much more than that. As we drove round its weaving contures,
we kept coming across another beautifully sweeping sandy beach that was the playground for a cluster of charming little whitewashed cottages. There were two real high spots of the day though. The first was when we came across Dooega. We had to back track a little up a steep and narrow road up the mountain side to reach a viewing point, but it was so worth it. As we got out of the car we read a small inscription that read “All the people will come and worship before you oh Lord, they will bring glory to your Name” Ps86v9 and as we looked up, we knew exactly what the inscriber was getting at. The sky was clear, the sun was high and the wind was lapping up the waters, and you could feel the powers of the wild natural forces and wonder at our creative God. It was a dramatic moment, and we lingered a long time, walking to the edge of the cliffs and taking time to let the place restore the battered edges!In fact we lingered long enough to have worked up a thirst, so out came the basket, and we enjoyed an alfresco feast, which we had to hold down in the face of a 25 mph wind. Needless to
say this caused some wry smiles from fellow visitors- but frankly, were we bovvered!From Dooega Head we drove round to the end of the island, through lovely Keel, and on to Moytoege Head, where the road came to an end, at another beautiful clean sweep of a sandy bay. The final approach to the beach was taken along a narrow road cut into the hill, with the edge rather too close to an unprotected verge, we were told that it was a bit scary for some, but we carried on regardless just leaned to the right a bit harder!! Our reward was a lovely walk on golden sands!
As usual time was beating us, and it was getting close to dusk and dinner time, so we drove the
rest of the way round the island in fading light, but it will remain in one of the top ten attractions I think for a long time, and we left with thoughts of further visits (and easy and quick suppers!)Thursday 9th - day 347
All attempts to stay upbeat and optimistic today were being drowned by the persistent rain, and deepening crisis in Iceland. We remain comforted by the headlines, but details like how we retrieve our savings are being kept firmly behind a locked website! Still, we have so many blessings to be thankful for, it is best to dwell on them rather than the difficulties, as it is starting to emerge that many councils and charities have invested in Icesave, following the same “sound financial advice” as us, and they must be worried!
So, we continue to wait, and say thank you for all that we do have.
The rain did not shift so by lunch time we decided to go out regardless. This is our last day in Mayo, as tomorrow we depart for Ulster prior to returning to blighty. We will be leaving with mixed feelings. This was a much anticipated leg of our trip, and it seems to have been dogged by bad weather and bad news. The comforting thing is that hopefully when all financial upheaval has settled, and we are back in the saddle, we will be able to plan a return visit!
With all these thoughts whirling through my brain we set off for Ballina, and the Killala harbour.
We stopped first to look in at Foxford Mills, a very reputable Irish woollen mill that had a very posh “lifestyle” shop. In other circumstances we may have purchased, but the purse is tight shut now!
So on we went to find a lovely bit of coastline to enjoy our cuppa, and a stroll. Unfortunately Inshcrone was a bit of a mini Skegness, looking grim in the rain, so we carried on until we found a lonely little pebbly bay that we could enjoy all to ourselves!
It may not be very sophisticated, but I do enjoy these little picnics, looking out over the stormy seas.
For a while the rain fall quietened to a drizzle so we went for a wander and a forage.
The landscape here was a rather unusual mix of stepped rocks and little round pebbles. Mistakenly we thought that the flat rocky ledges would be easier to walk on but after a brief but exciting episode of skittering, and flailing we carefully edged our way back to the pebbles, where we concentrated our efforts on searching out some interesting fossil filled gems!We returned to the car wet, windswept and happy, and ready for the journey back to warm and dry!We had not been travelling long before we met a rather soggy looking chap who was madly waving his thumb in the air. Understanding his dampness we stopped, upon which he asked for lift to Castlebar, for himself …… and his bike! Fortunately we could squeeze it in the back of the land rover so with all cargo on board we set off again.
It did not take long for the heady aromas of Vodka to reach our nostrils, and as he lurched and spluttered in the back I did wonder whether to advise Chris to draw his seat up to protect his neck from a possible technicolour yawn! He kept us entertained for most of the journey, and we understood enough of his ramblings to know that he was Latvian, a chef, an alcoholic with criminal tendencies (his admission) and no money. For a while I considered hiding any gold jewellery I could discreetly remove, and as he rustled in his plastic bag I have to admit that I felt a little nervous. However all that he wanted from us was to take him to his old house to pick up his blankets, and then drive him on to his new digs. I have to say that I am glad that they were both in Castlebar. And when he offered us a bed in his new place as a thank you, I chastised myself for my prejudice, and once we had dropped him off we returned to our own warm and dry haven of comfort!
Friday 10th - day 348
Once again we are on the move, leaving lovely Westport, feeling that we have not really been able to make the most of it. Somewhere between the rain and the news of financial meltdown,
the joy of being in this lovely corner of Ireland has been diminished unfortunately.And again it rained through the night, (though looking at the photo of the campsite, we obviously did have some good weather!!) and in fact did not stop until we were sitting down to supper.
So we made the whole journey across the middle of Ireland to Aghalee on the south edge of Lough Neagh, in the rain!
We were on the road for six hours, and Chris’s eyes were on stalks by the time we arrived.
But the CL that we are staying on for the weekend is a lovely little part of an orchard on a farm in the middle of nowhere, and costs £8 per night which is a very welcome change from the 20+ euro per night that we have been paying for the rest of our stay in Eire!Saturday 11th - day 349
It has been a lovely day, so we decided to stay local, and try not to spend, so opted for fresh air and freedom – which always does the soul good!!
Unforunately we did not get off to a good start though, as the countryside flatter and rather uninspiring, but there was an RSPB nature reserve near by so we drove to Portmore lough in the hope of walking round the small lake and doing a little bird spotting, but recent rain had
flooded the pathways so all was closed. Fortunately we met a local man who told us about the joys of Oxford Island, another RSPB site, so we drove round to the shores of Lough Neagh.Oxford Island was a larger nature reserve, very manicured with a marina, visitors centre, café
and laid out paths. It was not really very stimulating but the late afternoon light brought a glow to the autumn colours, and we were able to walk right round the perimeter on woodland paths, checking out these glorious little treasures, and pretending to be out in the country for a couple of hours!And there was a lovely sunset to finish the day well!By 7.30pm we were back at the caravan, feeling relaxed – there is nothing like a blast of fresh air and some exercise to settle the spirit!
Sunday 12th - day 350
We have enjoyed another day without rain (yippee), though it was a mix of sunshine and cloud.
The Mourne mountain range had been recommended to us by a couple of folk, so we drove down
to check them out. They were indeed a striking mountain range sitting right by the east coast.We parked up in Silent valley visitor’s centre, (in the centre of the mountains) and picnicked in the car park! Once revived, we walked through the woodland grounds up to the dam, and almost left the madding crowd as we continued to walk the length of the reservoir.
The landscape was very wild, bleak and had a wintery feel, and the hard road made feet sore,
but we as always, enjoyed our thrash in the fresh air, and we were regularly entertained by the sight of Irish folk pounding the pavements at speed - taking very seriously their daily thirty minutes of exercise!We had also packed a picnic supper (of spicy bean soup, so we needed to be outside!!) so that we could make the most of the day, so once back at the car we drove on round to the coast.
It should have been fabulous, but by now the clouds were right down, so we were unable to take photos of the area, but the land that swept down to sea was divided up into small fields (quite like the Peak District) which were separated out by very straight, very level walls made of large round bouldery type stones, it all looked very striking.
We drove and drove to find that perfect view of the sea, but it was dark by the time we reached anywhere that we could park and look out, so in the end we ate our broth looking across at the lights of Newcastle listening to the waves!!
We were back at the caravan in time to listen to a special edition of Moneybox live, to try and find out the latest in the financial maelstrom, and particularly when we might see our savings again!!
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