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Achill & Mulranny
fast facts Paul Henry
Belfast born artist, Paul Henry spent eight years on Achill Island. Keem Bay is said to be the location of his famous painting, ‘Launching the Currach’ (1910), which is on display in the National Gallery of Ireland. Henry’s painting of Dooagh village is on display at the permanent exhibition at The Luxemburgh Gallery in Paris.
Highest Cliff Croaghaun Mountain has the highest sea cliffs in Ireland and Great Britain, and the third highest in Europe. Its 688 metre (2,257 ft) cliffs lie on the northern slope of the mountain. The cliffs at Croaghaun can only be seen by hiking around or to the summit of the mountain, or from the sea. The cliffs are also home to two families of peregrine falcons and September/ October are the best time to see these fascinating creatures.
Nobel Writer Heinrich Boll, German-born writer and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1972, lived and worked in Dugort, Achill in the 1960s and 1970s. He is best known for works such as Billiards at Half-past © c at w a l ke r Nine, And Never said a Word, The Bread of Those Early Years, The Clown and The Safety Net to name but a few.
Must-Do ADVENTURE, SPORTS & EVENTS Outdoor adventurers love Achill and it’s easy to understand why, with the variety of activities available. Achill Outdoor Adventure Centre (09847253) offers archery, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, windsurfing, surfing, hillwalking, rock-climbing, orienteering, mountain boarding, power boating and raft-building. Phew! Achill OEC has a wealth of experience in these activities as Ireland’s first established outdoor education centre. It also offers environmental programmes, cultural language courses and accommodation. www.achilloutdoor.com To experience the highs and lows of kitesurfing, then hit for the hotspot that is Keel Lake. Pure Magic (0852439782) offers kitesurfing lessons and hostel accommodation nearby. www.puremagic.ie/achill If the surf’s up at Keel and you fancy an impromptu session then Surf le Tomás (098-45085) has surfboards, body boards and wetsuits available for hire by the hour. Achill Island Golf Club (098-43456) at Sandybanks in Keel boasts a 9-hole links course in a stunning location. The golf course is open to the public, with green fees of €15 and a weekly
rate available for holidaymakers. The course is open all year and hosts open competitions every Bank Holiday weekend and a Festival of Golf from July 30-August 14. www. achillgolf.com The Valley House in Valley, Achill offers pitch & putt (098-47204). There is also s 9-hole links course at Mulranny Golf Club (098-36262). Writer, Mark Twain, once famously said that “golf is a good walk spoiled” so for walkers/hikers there many challenging routes on Slievemore or Croaghaun Mountain. Mulranny and Achill host lots of events. Mulranny has a Food & Craft Fair every Sunday during the summer months (086-8526717). Achill hosts a range of walking festivals during the year, usually around special events such as St Patrick’s Day, Easter and the Summer Solstice. The Achill Yawl Festival is an annual series of races from June to September involving traditional Achill yawl sailing boats at various locations. The annual Scoil Acla Summer
School of traditional Irish music and culture and is open to all ages and abilities. www.scoilacla.ie In July, there’s the Achill Half Marathon (10km option also available) www.achillmarathon.com while the Achill Roar race later in summer offers triathlon type competitions for three different fitness levels. www. roar.ie The Achill Sheep Show in October is a local favourite and includes a host of novelty events. Experience New Year on Achill Island, watching the sun set over one of the most westerly points in Europe before experiencing one of the local pipe bands ringing in the New Year. Then, start the year with gusto by joining in the New Year’s Day Swim at Dugort.
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