DAY 10 - DRUMMIN TO WESTPORT

Our last day took us to journey's end, the town of Westport.  We needed two maps again.

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The start of the day's walk

The route to the town of Westport at the end of the walk

Our walk didn't pick up where we left off at Breslin's pub but we were driven to the Western Way in the shadow of Croagh Patrick.  Our walk was just 10 kilometres, an easy prospect after some of the other days. Croagh Patrick loomed above us and the photograph shows the track to the summit.  It is the site of Christian pilgrimage associated with Saint Patrick who reputedly fasted on the summit for forty days in the fifth century A.D. Thousands of people climb the mountain every Reek Sunday which is the last Sunday in July.  The climb was not part of our itinerary.

The track to the summit of Croagh Patrick

The rough track at the start of the day

Over the top and the view of Clew Bay

A few cows for a change in the outskirts of Westport

And here we entered Westport

One of the recommended eating places but it was too far out of Westport for walkers

Our last view of Croagh Patrick

An Insect Hotel

Our path took us from the Westport Quay on Clew Bay along a path to the town centre passing the insect hotel.  It followed the route of an old railway line from the harbour quay to the current station.

The last waymarker on the Western Way - we had reached our objective

We walked down to the clock tower and out to the last B and B

The Altamount B and B Westport

It was a bit of an anticlimax as the owner wasn't at home but we had arrived quite early in the afternoon as the day's walk was relatively short.  She arrived back home and we were warmly welcomed and re-united with our back pack.  This time we were given a cup of tea and a slice of barmbrack (a kind of fruit bread).

Our European fellow walkers had arrived safely the day before and they had spent the day riding bikes on another converted railway track from the coast near Achill Island and they were returning home the next day as well.

A charming view in Westport

The final short section of the walk on the Western Way can be found by clicking on "Older Post" below right.