Time Travel in Achill

On the Westernmost point of Ireland is a little island called Achill.  With gorgeous sweeping landscapes, bogs galore and the smell of burning turf, you can step back in time – hundreds of years.  

And with my trusty steed of a campervan, Fang Face, I did just that.  After a necessary coffee and cake break, we crossed the bridge into Achill, passing the famous beaches and headed straight up to the Deserted Village of Silevemore.  

Tell you what… while you drive up, you’re not expecting to see rocky row house after house.  They’re not kidding when you see a sign that says ‘Deserted Village.’

I parked the van and could not take my eyes off the ruined houses dotting the gently sloped hill.  I eased my way up the hill avoiding the black little nuggets the Achill Sheep left behind. I slipped once, everyone in Achill watched… I pretended nobody saw… and I checked for sheep nuggets… None were harmed on my slipping!  

The footing was uneven but it was so great!  I felt like a hobbit going on an adventure.  I weaved in and out of the old houses.  I noticed how some of the doorways were so incredibly low that I needed to duck.  I’m not tall at all…. but, were people shorter back then?  That got me thinking.  These dwellings were about 5,000 years old.  Maybe they were.  

A fine mist rolled over the hill that I was sitting on and then in the distance the hills quietly disappeared as quickly as they appeared.  There were a few kilometres away  and were revealed one by one.  It was beautiful.  I wonder what the people who lived here 5,000 years ago thought? Lived? Loved? 

You can spend hours wandering the hills just like I did. It’s pretty easy to let your imagine run wild.  It’s magic here and I recommend that you do spend as much time as you can.    I consider these ruins kid friendly because the hills will tire them out – their imagine will run wild as will yours and there’s enough stuff to climb on that broken ankles and legs can happen, but that’s life.   The kids will also enjoy trying to chase the sheep but they’re way quicker on their feet than any of us.  

I just discovered that Achill has an archeological field school that operates every year.  You can find more informations about it here. 

There’s great stuff that I found here, if you want to feed your mind:  http://www.achillislandholidays.com/401229049

here’s a little video so you know what to expect.   Enjoy!