UK Roadtrip Take Two - Sligo to Derry

27th September

We set off this morning heading north of Sligo along the Wild Atlantic Way, which runs along the entire coast of Ireland which fronts to the Atlantic Ocean.  Having followed some of this road in the Connemara National Park, I knew it was fairly well sign posted and we could follow it without much hassle.  We hadn't had internet at our accommodation last night, so I couldn't plan our day, and as a result was running by a tourist map and winging it!  All in all we ended up tonight in Derry at our Air BnB so all went ok!

We followed the Wild Atlantic Way north, passing and stopping for a wander and shop, at Rosses Point, Drumcliffe, Grange, Cliffoney, Tullan Strand, Bundoran and Ballyshannon, before stopping for lunch in Donegal. 

Tullan Strand is one of Donegal's renowned surf beaches. The beach possesses an extensive network of sand dunes and is framed by a scenic back drop provided by the Sligo-Leitrim Mountains.With scenic views for 360 degrees you can see back into Mullaghmore, County Sligo and across Donegal Bay to the magical Slieve League Cliffs.  However the main reason we stopped here wasn't to do a spot of surfing.  With the wind and the rain I was freezing in my three layers and overcoat, never mind putting on bathers!!  But we begun the Roguey Walk Experience along the coastline to visit the Fairy Bridges and Wishing Chair. The Fairy Bridges, unmagically known as sea stacks hundreds of years old were Bundoran’s original tourist attraction back in the 1800s. However, it is believed that as far back as the 1700s locals thought these to be haunted by the fairies with the result of the name “The Fairy Bridges”.  Also here is the Wishing Chair. Legend says it is advised to approach the chair with caution lest the powers of the chair be disrupted. Wishers are advised to sit down slowly holding on to both “arms” of the chair and then pause for at least 15 seconds to take in the stunning scenery that surrounds them – Donegal Bay to their left, Tullan Strand straight ahead and the Dartry Mountains to the right. It is useful to contemplate the figures, possible heroes and heroines who may have sat in the chair in the years and the centuries ahead of them, before making their wish which must be done in silence and kept private to the wisher in order to increase the chances of it coming true. Finally it is believed that tapping the seat twice as you get up will give your final commitment that your wish is a genuine one.

Donegal is a town in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland. The name was historically written in English as 'Dunnagall' or 'Dunagall'. Donegal gave its name to County Donegal, although Lifford is now the county town. From the 1470s until the very early 17th century, Donegal was the 'capital' of Tyrconnell, a Gaelic kingdom controlled by the O'Donnell dynasty of the Northern Uí Néill. Donegal sits at the mouth of the River Eske and Donegal Bay, which is overshadowed by the Blue Stack Mountains ('the Croaghs'). On 1 December 2016, National Geographic Traveller named Donegal as the number 1 coolest destination of 2017. According to Pat Riddell, editor of the UK magazine, “It’s a warm-hearted place, but wilderness always feels just a stone’s throw away. And it is wilderness . . . world-class wilderness. We think it’s due a big year.”  I visited the Tourist information centre here and picked up the next map of the Wild Atlantic Way as we still hadn't found free wifi yet, and received a wonderful recommendation for a tea room to have lunch at.   After we had wandered the crafty shops and centre of town (the had some beautiful hand made clothes and crafty things!! I wish I could have bought them all home) we went in search for the Blueberry Tea Rooms.  A small shop front of an old fashioned paned window and door didn't give much hint of the hustle and bustle of the small tea rooms going on inside.  We were seated at a table on the lower floor of the crowed terrace house and thoroughly enjoyed a hot cup of tea and soup and sandwiches for lunch before heading on our way again.

After my chat with the tourist ladies I had a bit more of a plan for the afternoon.  We left the Wild Atlantic Way, heading directly north along the N15 through Ballybofey and Stranorlar before making it to the town of Letterkenny.  Here we rejoined the Wild Atlantic Way and headed around the coast towards Bridgend making a detour from the route to visit Grianan of Aileach before making our way into Derry. 

The Stone Fort of Grianán of Aileach is sits on a hilltop in Inishowen County Donegal. 250m above sea level, the stone fort was probably first built on an earthen rath. The origins of the Grianán of Aileach fort are dated back to 1700 BC. It is linked to the Tuatha de Danann who invaded Ireland before the Celts and built stone forts on top of strategic hills. They worshipped Dagda (the Good God) and he too is associated with the origins of Aileach. It was he who ordered the building of a stone fort to act as a burial monument to his dead son. The round fort is built largely without mortar. The interior has three terraces and wooden structures were built against the terraces to provide accommodation. The outline of Bronze Age or Iron Age ramparts can be seen below the fort. Legend states that the giants of Inishowen are lying sleeping but when the sacred sword is removed they will spring to life reclaiming their ancient lands. Mr Walter Bernard of Derry restored the stone fort or cashel in the 1870's. It is the centrepiece of the site, 23m in internal diameter with walls measuring 5m in height and approximately 4m in thickness. The dry stonewalls contain two passages within them as well as terraces along their interior which would have allowed access to their summit. The view from Aileach is breathtaking. The glistening waters of Lough Foyle and Lough Swilly are clear, as is the form of the entire peninsula. A windy and exposed place, we watched the wind sweep the rain in across the bay and hurried to be back in the car before it hit us, making it just in time.

Crossing into Northern Ireland and making our way to Derry, all of a sudden the road names had changed and the speed limit was in miles/hour again.  This would have been fine but our car only had km/hr on the dashboard.  This made for a fun guessing game! This time we found our accommodation first and dropped off all our gear before heading out again.  We aren't in the centre centre of town but we aren't far from it! First stop was Tescos to replenish the milk supply before we went for a quick spin around the city centre and a visit to The People's Gallery on Rossville Street, in the Bogside neighbourhood.  The Derry murals here consist of 12 murals painted by the Bogside Artists, namely brothers Tom and William Kelly and their friend Kevin Hasson.  Beginning in 1994, the three men illustrated the events of The Troubles on the walls of the houses in the area.  The political murals were composed to commemorate the events and educate those who didn't live through the struggles.  They show class the effects of the British policies on the Irish Catholics, as well as their lack of democratic rights and opportunities.  See the captions under the murals for explanations of their pictures and meanings. 



William Butler Yeats's Grave



 

 

Churchl of Ireland at the Drumcliffe Cemetery where Yeats's grave is.



Tullen Strand, County Donegal

The Wishing Chair

 

The Fairy Bridges

 

 

 



Grianán of Aileach



 

 

 

 

A random artistic mural in Bogside, Derry

Free Derry Corner:  Whislt not one of the Bogside Artists murals, the first artwork you note when entering the area of Bogside is the Ferry Derry Corner Mural.  Now found on a free standing wall, it used to be attached to a row of homes.  It depicts 'Free Derry', a self declared autonomous nationalist area of town from 1969 to 1972.  Its frequently repainted and can includes messages from time to time regarding other current political movements.  It is currently painted pink in honor of the Derry Girls Against Borders,  a female group making a stand against Brexit and the possibility of a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.  Their hashtag is #makethemlisten

 

 

 

 

 

The Petrol Bomber:  This mural is a scene from the 'Battle of the Bogside' in this area in August 1969.  This is a young boy wearing a gas mask to protect himself from the petrol bomb he is holding.

Bernadette:  Also from the 'Battle of the Bogside', this mural features Bernadette McAliskey a social republican activist, addressing a crowd.  She received a prison sentence for initiating and participating in a riot.  She was later elected to parliament at the age of 21.



Bloody Sunday:  January 20th 1972 later became known as Bloody Sunday around Derry and the world.  On this day the British Army opened fire on a Civil Rights rally, killing 14 people.  This mural shows a scene from Bloody Sunday where a group of men carried the body of Jack Duddy.  At their feet a  civil rights banner is stained with blood.







Blood Sunday Commemoration: This mural remembers the 14 people killed during Bloody Sunday.  There are also 14 oak leaves to symbolize the deceased.  'Derry' comes from the Irish word 'Doire' meaning oak groves.



Death of Innocence: This is the mural of Annette McGavigan, a 14 year old girl who was killed in 1971.  The mural site is near where she died when a British solider killed her as she stood by the side of the road. 

Saturday Matinee: This piece is titled Saturday Matinee as it depicts a riot scene that became common on Saturday afternoons in the Bogside between 1969 and the early 1970s.

Civil Rights Mural:  This mural showcases the struggle for democratic rights for both Protestants and Catholics.  These early marches through the streets were inspired by Martin Luther King's civil disobedience campaigns.





Left: Operation Motorman: The mural depicts some of the events that occured during ‘Operation Motorman’ on 31 July 1972. Operation Motorman was a large operation carried out by the British Army (HQ Northern Ireland) in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The operation took place in the early hours of 31 July 1972 with the aim of retaking the “no-go areas” (areas controlled by residents, usually Irish republican paramilitaries) that had been established in Belfast, Derry and other large towns. During the operation, the British Army shot four people in Derry, killing a civilian and an unarmed IRA member.
Right: The Runner: Tear gas was often used during the Troubles and this mural depicts a young boy running away from the gas cloud.  The two portraits at the bottom are Manus Deery and Charles Love, the two boys killed in Derry.  Manus Deery was shot dead in 1972, aged 15.  Fragments of a ricocheted bullet stuck and hit him, shot by a British Sniper from the city walls.  Charles Love was killed during a Bloody Sunday Commemorative March in 1990 when the IRA detonated a bomb on the city walls, sending flying debris to hit Love who was standing a quarter of a mile away. He was 16. 

 

The Civil Rights, The Beginning: "This mural commemorates the beginning of the struggle in Derry for democratic rights. It cannot be stressed too often that this struggle involved Protestants as well as Catholics. The 5th October 1968 march ended in bloodshed in Duke Street Derry when the RUC ran amok beating up on protesters with all the hostility and abandon of a group of Stormtroopers. The event was captured by television crews and sent shock waves throughout the civilized world. Our mural shows a typical march of the period. Our intention was to describe it as it was, a happy, almost festive occasion conducted by people who were content that they were standing up, at long last, against prolonged injustice. These early marches were inspired by the civil disobedience campaigns of Martin Luther King."
William Kelly, Bogside Artists

 

 

 

Mothers and Sisters: Peggy O'Hara was the mother of INLA Hunger Striker Patsy O'Hara.  She stood in assembly of elections in 2017 as an independent, and was very active in socialist and republican groups. The young girl on this mural points down the street to the peace mural below. 

 

 

The Peace Mural:  The Peace Mural is a swirling dove, a symbol of peace and Derry's patron saint, Columba.  The dove emerges from an oak leaf, another symbol of Derry.  Squares are used as they are equal on all sides, representing the equality of citizens, and the bright colours promise hope and a bright future for Derry.