VIDEO SOURCE: WILD ATANTIC WAY/YOUTUBE

THE BAY COAST

From distant Erris to Connemara, the Wild Atlantic Way skims south around huge bays. The largest of these – Clew Bay is said to have 365 islets and islands, one for every day of the year. In Connemara, water and land merge in a lacy shoreline of loughs, coves, islands and bogs.

There’s history and culture too: elegant Georgian Westport House; the stronghold of legendary pirate queen Grace O’Malley on Clare Island… and Connemara’s Derrigimlagh Bog – where the world's first transatlantic flight landed.

Drive across the road bridge to Keem Strand on Achill Island, with its towering sea-cliffs, exposed mountains and sweeping sandy beaches. On Achill, while sheltering under Slievemore Mountain, you can wander through a strange and long abandoned settlement known simply as the Deserted Village. Simply walk from cottage to cottage, imagining life here through the centuries in this remote and poignant spot.