The Wild Atlantic Way

Well! How’s she cutting? (Greetings, friend. How are you?) Well I’ve finally arrived stateside, thousands of miles from my lovely little town of Castlebar, Co.Mayo; a place where the sheep to human ratio is about 50:1. Although moving across the world was a bit scary, I was lucky to have found a small patch of Ireland here, in South Haven, Michigan. I recently graduated from Maynooth University, Co. Kildare with a BA in English Lit. & German and now I'm here, at BiddyMurphy.com as their new Digital Marketing Intern. Here in the office, I’m surrounded by a plethora of products from home, each with it’s own character and charm. Looking at all of these beautiful celtic items and hearing the occasional Irish accent drift over the top of my laptop, I can’t help but be transported back there. Of course, my little slice of Ireland has it’s own charms too; it’s called the Wild Atlantic Way.

The Wild Atlantic Way is quickly becoming one of Ireland’s most  popular tourist attractions. Drawing acclaim from those who have visited, the WAW is now quickly climbing the list of must see places in the Irish travel guide.The WAW is a combination of roads and cyclepaths that run along the entire west coast of Ireland. There is 2500km of coastline to enjoy! Should you choose to travel by bicycle, you can enjoy huge stretches of bicycle-only paths that will take you into the heart of the Irish countryside and onto the 15 WAW beaches. But worry not, those who travel by car will also be taken to each beach and lookout as the road winds around Ireland’s jagged coastline. There is so much craic to be had in each town along the way (and by ‘craic’, I mean fun or banter...don’t be getting ideas!). If seafood is your thing, you’ll be stuffed to the gills as the local fisherman restock restaurants everyday. And I’m sure I don’t need to even mention the drink!

Along the way, there are thousands of landmarks and sights to see. There’s the Cliffs of Moher, Keem Bay, the Ceide Fields, The Skellig Islands (where the most recent Star Wars film was shot) just to name a few. There’s surfing, kayaking and all kinds of adventure sports. Not too far from the WAW route, is the Foxford Woolen Mills. This historical woolen mill produces some of finest woolen blankets, throws and knitwear in the world. Construction on the mill began in 1892 and some of the original mill equipment can still be seen there today. We are very lucky here at BiddyMurphy.com to have a relationship with the Foxford Woolen Mills as we have a number of their products in stock and in store. The mill is a lovely site to visit when you find yourself looking to stretch your legs or take a break on your journey along the Wild Atlantic Way.

You could also find yourself popping into the National Museum of Country Life to discover what life was like in the ancient Irish settlements located around the area. At the foot of Croagh Patrick (a mountain on Clew Bay, Co.Mayo from which St. Patrick said mass and banished the snakes from Ireland) you’ll find a tribute to the ‘coffin ships’, that carried the starving to America in hopes of finding food during the famine years. Unfortunately, not many made the journey. The west coast of Ireland is rich with history with so much to discover and learn.