GreatRoads:Continuing on his Great Roads, Bob Montgomerytakes to the rugged rocks and obstinate sheep of Achill island
Achill Island is Ireland's largest island, and is connected to the mainland by a short bridge which carries the R319 to Achill Sound. Just outside Achill Sound take the road southwest, signposted with a brown sign for Atlantic Drive, as well as for Cloghmore and Dooega.
We'll follow this road along the coast through Sraheens Bridge, Cloghmore and Ashleam Bay. With a rugged mountainscape in the background, the road is bumpy in places, but quite acceptable, while everywhere - as indeed we found throughout Achill island - are sheep, many content to sit in the middle of the road and proving very reluctant to move for approaching traffic.
It's many years since I was last in Achill, and I was dismayed to see the proliferation of one-off houses throughout this part of the landscape.
However, as we rounded the southernmost tip of the island they became less obvious. It's really after we've passed the Achill lifeboat station close to the 15th century tower house, Carrickkildavnet Castle, believed to have been one of the pirate Grace O'Malley's strongholds, that this road becomes interesting.
Achill is an island of spectacular hills running down to the sea, often in rocky cliff-lined inlets, and that is what we begin to encounter now as we turn northwest along this road. Almost at once, as we change direction and begin to travel along the shore most exposed to the Atlantic, the coastline changes to a much more rugged and rocky aspect with steep cliffs.
Climbing all the time along this well-surfaced road, the mountain background of Claggan is barren and without any sign of life other than the numerous sheep.
A series of spectacular hairpin corners brings the road down to the large rocky inlet of Portnashally Bay before rising once more to the next section of spectacular cliffs.
This section of cliff road provides some quite magnificent views before the village of Dooega looms into view in the distance. Before that however, the road comes to a junction - turning left (northwest) taking you to Dooega and turning right (east) back to the R319 and Achill Sound.
The road just travelled is the most spectacular section of road on the island, but there is more that should be explored before returning to Achill Sound and the mainland. Follow the R319 round to its conclusion at Keem Strand near the island's most westerly point, passing first through the villages of Keel and Dooagh, and passing the fine Trawmore Strand just south of Keel along the way. The mighty peaks of Croaghaun (664m) and Slievemore (671m) form an impressive backdrop to the R319, although this most spectacular and rugged part of the island is not directly accessible by road. Despite the encroachment of dwelling houses on its landscape, Achill remains a destination not to be missed for its spectacular Atlantic Drive.