Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way with Overland Protection Systems
Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way - A 3 Day Recce Trip
For those members who, like us, enjoy camping and travelling overland in our Rangers, here is a little introduction to an often overlooked resource, Ireland and the Wild Atlantic Way. If the promise of Irish pubs and pristine beaches isn't enough, Ireland offers a well marked 1,500mile route travelling either direction from the most Southerly (Mizen Head) to the Most Northerly (Malin Head) point on the Island. The West Coast offers some of the most breath-taking scenery in Ireland, with several national parks, and plenty of attractions to suit. For fishermen, the west coast is a paradise for Sea Bass, Pollock, Mackerel, Dogfish and plenty of foraging and shellfish too. The defined route has led to tourism development in the towns along the way, with campsites, B&B's and hotels all thriving from the influx of overland tourists from the UK and Mainland Europe. There are two main ferry routes into Ireland, Holyhead to Dublin, or Pembroke / Fishguard to Rosslare.
Day 0 - Prep
We checked the forecast and loaded up our Thailand spec Ford Ranger 3.2 Wildtrak, in preparation for a few days driving along the midpoint of the WAW route. For sleeping and comfort, we have a rooftop tent, and ground tent and airbed for the kids (although a trailer with tent is in the works). We also have a large 320 degree Foxwing awning (learnings on that to be shared later). We wanted to cook all our meals along the way, so stocked up our 75l ARB fridge-freezer and on board 50l water tank, hose and pump. For cooking / kitchen, we have a Cadac dual hob with Calor gas tank and a firepit / BBQ, and cook off the tailgate with a camp tidy organiser and an Ikea chopping board which fits the tailgate well. For this trip we brought a porta potty and shower tent along. As we were planning to take some video and photos, we also brought the drone, and a kite for the beach. All camp electrics and lighting are run by a Renogy MPPT 200w solar system, with AGM battery and 500w pure sine inverter.
Day 1 - Home to Lahinch. (300kms approximately)
Lahinch is a popular surfing spot, with great restaurants and pubs, also a pretty easy drive from Dublin. It’s a good spot to take a ferry to the Aran Islands. We took the main road network to the town, and from there we began tracing the WAW route northwards, starting with the Cliffs of Moher. These incredible cliffs are best seen in the morning, and although quite touristy now (they featured in Harry Potter and other movies) still well worth a stop. Top tip; the cliffs are free to visit but the expensive car park charges per number of passengers, so drop them off at the cliffs before driving in to park. From the cliffs we continued along the route via several stops to look at the rocky scenery along the way, to a campsite on the beach. Beach camping is windy at the best of times, and after flying the kite for a while, and enjoying a windblown dinner of Thai curry and red wine, we settled down to sleep. It wasn't a great night, until we got up again to adjust the angle of the truck to face into the wind, and pegged down the awning and ground tent to feel safer in a full night of gales. Next time, we will bring the sides for the awning, as this would have made for a far more pleasant dinner!
Day 2 - Lahinch to Achill Island Via Clifden, Leenane
We left our windy campground early and stopped at one of the many picnic parking areas along the route to cook breakfast. Heading further north the scenery became more rugged and wild. For most of the route, the road hugged the coastline dotted with tiny islands, some of them inhabited or farmed. The Connemara National Park, home to the horses of the same name was a particular highlight, as was Killary Harbour, Ireland's only Fjord with scandinavian-esque scenery and a thriving fishing community. Despite its proximity to the UK, Ireland is such a different place, sparsely populated with unique culture and retaining so many of it's historical ways. Much of the central part of the route is in the Gealtacht, (Irish speaking areas). In the afternoon, we crossed a bridge over Achill Sound, to Achill Island. This tiny outpost, for those who are interested, has a long and deeply connected history with the independence movement. Nowadays it has become an adventure sports hub, with kayaking, windsurf, kitesurf and climbing centres on the island, campgrounds, and B&B's around the small central town with several good pubs and eateries.
After a quick stop at The Amethyst Pub, we continued to the end of the island, and Keem Beach, which we had spotted on the satellite map and thought we might camp at. The white sand beach looked like something from tropical island except covered in sheep! We explored the rocks and sand for a while, but decided to heed the signs saying "no camping", and headed back. We returned to the town but avoided the main campgrounds, following a tip for a wild camping spot which was perfect for us, right on a pebble beach at the base of a waterfall. After chatting to some interested local farmers, and enjoying a great cooked dinner, we settled down for a much more restful night, alongside a few other overlanders who were also in the know about the spot.
Day 3 - Achill Island to Newport
The purpose of our trip was to get some good photos and to enjoy the great weather, but it had become apparent that we were following a wave of poor weather northwards, the forecast now showing worse to come. Meanwhile the reports of bright sun back at home on the South coast were getting to us. So we decided to cut our drive short by a day and head back via a different route. As we were leaving, the friendly farmers told us of a road which led to the island's communication station on the top of a mountain overlooking the whole bay. The morning fog was lifting, so we headed out onto the road and found the turning close to the bridge, following it through an amazing peat bog valley before climbing up a steep constant grade past scruffy sheep and goats until we reached the top. The fog had not lifted enough to get the view, but it was quite an experience not being able to see more than 5 meters ahead, so we crawled back down before crossing to the mainland and towards home.
Although we cut our recce trip short (We can do that as it was only a few hours drive home) we will return in August to do the full route and with a strong likelihood of better weather. I can't recommend enough the beautiful resource that is the Wild Atlantic Way and of course the wonderful Irish people.
Overland Protection Systems is owned and operated by Daniel Moylan and Nee Lodthon. Their range of Winch Bumpers, Towing rear bars, tree and rock slider sidesteps, pick up bed racks, rooftents, bicycle and dirtbike racks can transform your vehicle into your next big adventure.
