On Ireland’s stunning west coast, Tim Wellock had a warm welcome, despite ‘nice soft weather’

GO WEST is sound advice when visiting Ireland. The further, the better, was Italian inventor Marconi's verdict and a trip to savour the delights of Achill Island and Connemara confirms his wisdom.

A visit to the bogland near Clifden, where Marconi made his first transatlantic wireless transmission, is surprisingly rewarding. There is a stark beauty to the landscape here, but Connemara is a kaleidoscope of everything associated with scenic splendour. The same applies off the coast further north, where the visual attractions of the wild west and the retention of old traditions over-ride the risk of a soaking.

We flew into Knock airport on what the Irish call a nice, soft day. In other words, it was tipping down and continued to do so on drive west to Keel. Our bedroom at the supremely comfortable Stella Maris bed and breakfast overlooked one of Achill's five blue flag beaches, but persistent low cloud meant we saw only the base of the Minuan cliffs across the bay.

Long midsummer evenings, culminating in glorious sunsets, were part of the attraction. But they remained sadly elusive as a couple of surfers riding Atlantic rollers whipped up by a strong, cold westerly remained the beach's only pleasure seekers.

It was still a joy to spend two days discovering this little-known gem, which is reached by a short road bridge over Achill Sound. Rhodedendrons are rife, but we were just too late to catch them in full bloom in what had been sparkling late May weather.

The rain which greeted us made the extensive boglands too wet for walking, as we discovered when we set out on the Granuaile Loop, named after a legendary pirate queen. It starts outside Patten's pub, where there is also a statue of former world flyweight champion Johnny Kilbane. The Kilbanes feature in the well-kept Kildavnet cemetery along the road, where victims of the 1845-48 potato famine lie in unmarked graves alongside those with Celtic crosses.

The Atlantic Drive round this southern section of the island is spectacular, as is the hair-raising drive to Keem Bay, where until the 1960s shark fishermen lived in huts, walked five miles home for Sunday mass and back again on Monday morning. It is hard to believe that basking sharks were harpooned in such a beautiful bay, which is matched by the Silver Strand at Doogart, overlooked by the 672-metre Slievemore.

Doogart boasts a lovely cafe called The Cottage, while from our base at Keel we had a choice of three restaurants within 400 yards. The breakfast at Stella Maris was outstanding, with the choices including scrambled egg with local smoked salmon and pancakes piled high with fresh fruits and berries.

The drive from Keel to Clifden went via the lovely town of Westport, where the “road closed” sign proved a blessing in disguise. Although it put half an hour on the journey, the alternative route proved joyful, along the shores of Clew Bay then down the Doolough Valley – more than a match for Glen Coe – before traversing Ireland's only fjord with a stop at Leenaun.

Then comes one of the country's most photographed sights, Kylemore Abbey, where the lakeside grounds include a beautiful Gothic church and a woodland walk (shuttle bus available) to the lovingly-restored Victorian walled garden.

Originally a private home, it became an abbey when Benedictine nuns somehow found £45,000 to buy it after being bombed out of Ypres in 1919.

They turned it into a school, but although the nuns are still there, it is now a massive tourist attraction, worth three hours of anyone's time at 13 euros.

The Marconi station is even better value as it's free, despite the work put into creating the three-mile walk with interactive information boards. The site employed 40 people in the early 1900s, with housing and a social club at a good distance from the noisy powerhouse, condenser room and eight 210-foot masts.

By coincidence, it was in the adjoining bog that Alcock and Brown landed after the inaugural transatlantic flight. They were heading for Galway, but poor visibility encouraged them to put down on what they thought was a flat field. The Marconi workers came to their rescue.

The fame of these people lives on in Clifden, where our hotel, run for four generations by the Foyle family, serves excellent food in its Marconi restaurant, while the nearby Alcock and Brown Hotel is an architectural misfit in a town which retains its old-fashioned Irish charm.

Clifden stands at the head of a two-mile sea inlet and is the perfect base for exploring Connemara. Traditional Irish music is alive and throbbing here, and while it doesn't start until 10pm in most bars, O'Malleys kick it off at seven.

Admittedly it's for tourists and on our visit the green-haired banjo player asked: “Is there anyone here from Ireland?” An American lady raised her hand, but when asked where from she replied: “It was four generations back.”

The welcome and hospitality remain as strong as ever and, despite being a very hands-on hotel manager, Stephen Foyle always made time for a chat. He helped to serve our freshly-cooked breakfast before checking us out prior to our two-hour drive back to Knock.

It was raining when we left Clifden and sunny when we landed. But just outside the airport we hit a traffic jam, prompting the thought: Never mind the weather, as long as we're together, we'd much prefer the wild west show.

  • Tim Wellock flew with Ryanair from East Midlands to Knock for £40 return. Passengers are allowed 10kg of hand luggage each; bags to go in the hold have a limit of 15kg and are charged at £30 return. Cheaper early morning flights are available from Liverpool.

Car hire at Knock is available from several operators at around ten euros a day.

A double room, with breakfast, at the luxurious Stella Maris b & b costs 90 euros a night. There is a suite for 100 euros, providing extra space and two comfortable armchairs to appreciate the best view in the house. It's run by Greg and Mary Toolis (stellamarisachill@gmail.com).

Foyles Hotel, Clifden, has double rooms from 75 euros and a variety of deals involving dinner (info@foyleshotel.com)

Further information on the tourist board website: http://www.failteireland.ie