Achill Island, Ireland – Island of Memories

Achill Island is the largest island off the coast of Ireland, and is in County Mayo, off the west coast. It is home to about 2,700 people, and attached to the mainland via a bridge, so you can drive there easily.

Grace O’Malley’s Kildamhnait Castle (15th Century Tower)

It has evidence of early settlement from around 3000-4000 BCE, so has been inhabited for a very long time – but it is still a very wild and rugged place, full of many heart-breakingly beautiful views. Megalithic tombs and small promontory forts give evidence of this long settlement. The island is a traditional home of the chieftains of Umhall, or O’Malleys, have been recorded since around 800 AD. It was later taken over by the Butlers and de Burgos.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, many people migrated from Achill to Ulster and other parts, as there was much political and religious upheaval.

The island was once home to Grace O’Malley, sometimes known as the Pirate Queen, who was born on nearby Clare Island. She was part of a powerful seafaring family, and inherited her father’s fleet. She is thought to have met with Queen Elizabeth I, another powerful woman of the time.

In Dugort, a historical site called the Achill Mission was built in the 1830s by Reverend Edward Nangle. The mission had schools, an orphanage, an infirmary and a guesthouse. It was closed in the 1880s.

Famine Village

There is a small village near Dugort that lies in ruins, at the base of Slievemore Mountain. About 80 ruined stone cottages lie crumbling at the foot of the mountain, strung along like beads on the landscape. This village was deserted in 1845, during the Great Hunger (An Gorta Mór), a time when the potato blight made the potato crop rot in the ground. There was enough food for all in the country, but the English landlords continued to export the other crops, leaving the natives starving. It is often mislabeled as the Great Famine. Many of the families of Dugort moved to Dooagh, as it was closer to the sea, and they could supplement their meager food with fish and shellfish.

I’ve got an historical fantasy novel coming out in October called Legacy of Hunger, and Achill Island is one of the settings within the story, which is set in 1846.

Achill is home to several beaches of striking natural beauty, including Keel Beach, which is a popular tourist location.

Famine Village

Other beautiful sites include Keem Bay, Moytoge Head, and the Atlantic Drive, which runs along the south and west of the island.

West of the Deserted Village lies an old Martello Tower, built by the British to warn of Napoleonic invasions. There is also a 5000 year old Neolithic tomb in the area.

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Don’t miss information on Celtic myth and history, as well as practical travel planning tips, and hidden places, in my travel books.

– Stunning, Strange and Secret: A Guide to Hidden Scotland
– Mythical, Magical, Mystical: A Guide to Hidden Ireland
More info at Green Dragon Artist :: Home,
Christy Jackson Nicholas, Author, and
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Green Dragon Artist Blog

About Green Dragon Artist

Celtic Fairies, Fables, and Folklore! Bestselling author (top #100 Amazon Canada, #1 in Paranormal Fantasy, Amazon Canada) Christy Nicholas, also known as Green Dragon, is an author, artist and accountant. After she failed to become an airline pilot, she quit her ceaseless pursuit of careers that begin with 'A', and decided to concentrate on her writing. Since she has Project Completion Disorder, she is one of the few authors with NO unfinished novels. Christy has her hands in many crafts, including digital art, beaded jewelry, writing, and photography. In real life, she's a CPA, but having grown up with art all around her (her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother are/were all artists), it sort of infected her, as it were. She wants to expose the incredible beauty in this world, hidden beneath the everyday grime of familiarity and habit, and share it with others. She uses characters out of time and places infused with magic and myth. Combine this love of beauty with a bit of financial sense and you get an art business. She does local art and craft shows, as well as sending her art to various science fiction conventions throughout the country and abroad. Facebook: www.facebook.com/greendragonauthor Homepage: www.greendragonartist.com Blog: www.greendragonartist.net Twitter: www.twitter.com/greendragon9