Wild Atlantic Way
A waypoint on the Wild Atlantic Way: Doolough Valley, County Mayo, Ireland. A shower passes through the valley in the background.
A few months ago, I dreamt up an idea to take my car over to Ireland for Matilda’s Dublin run. We had a week’s holiday scheduled immediately before the run and another immediately after, and having driven Scotland’s North Coast 500 and much of the Welsh coast, Ireland felt like the natural next step. Costs and other commitments meant the idea eventually got binned, but halfway through our run, I caught wind of a designated route called the Wild Atlantic Way, so I decided I would hire a car and give it a go!
At 2,500 km long, it wasn’t going to be feasible to do the whole route this time, so I picked a section starting in Galway and heading north through Connemara into County Mayo, as far as Achill Island. I booked my hotels and hired a car (all through UTC Travel, which I can highly recommend — they also offer a deal through the Musicians’ Union) and spent the holiday week after our Dublin run exploring the route.
I particularly loved the deliberately rusted waypoints along the route, with information boards about Ireland’s history and geology, perfectly positioned for taking lovely photos and learning more about the region. Who knew Ireland had fjords? When I reached Killary Fjord, the changeable autumn weather even produced a rainbow hanging over the water.
Killary Fjord, County Galway (looking over to County Mayo). The mussels I tried later were being farmed in the middle of the water.
As well as enjoying the scenery and driving, I visited Kylemore Abbey, a former castle now home to a community of nuns, and Achill Whiskey Distillery. I also ate great food and listened to lovely trad music in Galway, Clifden and Westport, the latter home to the renowned Matt Molloy’s pub, complete with Grammy Awards behind the bar. All in all, a rather perfect way to enjoy my final holiday week of this Matilda contract!
Back on the tour itself, all continues to go smoothly as these final few venues tick by. Audiences in Dublin maintained their superb support for the show, and we have just begun a run at Milton Keynes Theatre, which is at least a little closer to home comforts for many of us. Children and adults alike within the company have enjoyed getting into the Halloween spirit this weekend, with fancy dress at warmup and trick or treating between shows! This month also sees Matilda’s first-ever visit to the wonderful city of Glasgow, where audiences can often be quite boisterous — strap in!