Each new glory here outdoes the last
GREAT IRISH BOLT HOLES
NORTH CONNEMARA
In the latest instalment of this occasional series celebrating a correspondent’s favourite getaway, Robert Cox extols the charms of north Connemara.
THE grey clouds hang in the sky, but it’s hard to care. The pleasant sea breeze tugs at the waterproof top, as yet unrequired. In the background, all you can hear is the subtle but constant crash of the gentle waves – mixed with exuberant childish cries.
I am on Glassilaun Beach in Co. Galway – near the mouth of the Killary Fjord. Due to lockdown I have not been back since last September. It’s a hidden gem that locals prefer to be kept a secret (I risk being ostracised for writing about it).
The Atlantic Ocean stretches out as far as the eye can fathom. Clare Island and Inishbofin are somewhere out there. Rosroe Pier, where German philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein once sought solitude, is a stone’s throw away. Mountains rise behind me, giving the isolated spot an even greater sense of seclusion. Mweelrea, the highest peak in Connacht is to my right, on the other side of the fjord. It is an epic setting. And, crucially, it is not unique. All around this coast, glorious beaches provide access to the healing power of the seaside.
A native of Galway, I have been visiting Connemara since I was a child, mostly Roundstone back then. I have ventured further north over the past 20 years or so – under my own steam. In dribs and drabs at first, but more frequently and with greater purpose over the past decade or so. Onward from Glassilaun in the direction of Renvyle is Tully Cross. Paddy Coynes, a proud and fabled pub, is closed when we drove by. Hopefully not for long. Renvyle, Cleggan, Omey, Letterfrack, Kylemore Abbey, Leenane. Places to stop, enjoy refreshment. All of that has yet to fully return. But it will.
And it is not just the hospitality that will bring you back again and again. It is the unchanged wonder you feel at the scenery that has beguiled generations of travellers. Each new glory of nature you come across will outdo the last, until you see the first again and fall in love anew. Familiarity does not breed contempt. Indeed each time we come, it seems we travel down a road we’ve never been before. Usually on purpose.