Bogs, Beaches and History, a Mini Tour of Mayo
Doohoma beach near us was one of the most unusual landscapes I've ever seen - it had peatlands and the remains of a prehistoric forest which had been uncovered due to erosion and storms. It's hard to describe how unusual it looks, it's almost like a giant open air art installation. The tree trunks emerge from the sand and the soft bog surfaces feel springy underfoot. We also had the pleasure of a personal escort to the beach by a local dog who did his best to make sure we got there safely :)
There is something truly awesome at being in the presence of such ancient living things - the forest is thought to be almost 8,000 years old.
However, I'm skipping ahead somewhat - before we arrived at our holiday cottage, we visited the Céide Fields at the very north of the county. Unfortunately the visitor centre wasn't open as they are doing renovation works but we walked around and explored the area which contains the 'oldest known stone-walled fields in the world' according to the website. Again, there is something very magical about walking in the footsteps of our ancestors and trying to imagine them working in the wind and the sun, living in tune with the landscape.
The area is abundant with wildflowers and has an incredible view of the ocean and the cliffs. We spotted this little frog bounding through the grass.
The next highlight of our trip was a visit to Ballycroy National Park - you're not likely to ever get tired of the views in Mayo and this was another amazing spot. I'm in love with peatlands and the myriad of wild flowers you can see, as well as obviously being in awe of the carbon sequestration associated with them, and the massive benefit they have for our environment.
The centre has a little exhibition area and also a great outdoor space for coffee. At the centre itself is a short 2km walk which is all we attempted because it was so incredibly hot on the day we visited and there is no shade at all on the walk. There are, however, longer hikes which can be done in the area and you can see all the details on the website.
It's a glorious walk, the sense of space and sky is so liberating and then, in contrast, you can look down and see the tiniest, most perfect little flowers and soft bog cotton.
Ginger and Wild is the café and I can really recommend the scones, as well as the view.
Apart from the main events, we did short walks and beach visits and had a picnic in a graveyard.
I hope to be back in the future, it was such a lovely experience and we found the Mayo people to be so lovely and chatty and friendly too!
