OPINION (AN COLÚN): In the footsteps of pilgrims and vikings on the coast of Sligo

A COUPLE of weeks ago, on a bitter winter's day, Rosalind and I parked outside the Beach Bar in the middle of nowhere. The pub was beautifully thatched. It's always a delight to see a thatched cottage, its elegance and good taste putting a lot of our contemporary dwellings to shame.
We were parked by the sea on Aughris Head, not far from Sligo Town and were looking forward to a short but excellent walk, hugging the Atlantic for much of its distance. The wind was strong and bitter, the sky was grey and the sea was agitated. The occasional seagull flew overhead battling the winds.
I was looking forward to this walk because of its proximity to the ocean and some very interesting historical associations along the route.
Aughris is Irish for Point of the Horses. The area was a location for tribal assemblies in early Medieval times, where celebrations including horse racing, singing, dancing, sporting and religious activities were enacted. These continued for many centuries and as recently as the 1960s gatherings took place here on Garland Sunday, an important religious and harvest celebration which happened on the last Sunday in July.
Early in the walk you come to Aughris Pier, which was constructed in the late 19th Century to enable the local community to supplement their farming income with fishing. During the War of Independence guns were brought ashore at the Pier to aid the Republican cause. In the fields adjacent, political meetings took place at the turn of the 20th Century. Charles Stewart Parnell addressed one such meeting in 1890, and an Irish Language Movement Rally in 1901 was addressed by Douglas Hyde and JP Henry and was attended by 8,000 people.
Half an hour into the route we came across a spectacular example of an Iron Age (500BC to 400AD) promontory fort, some of which had fallen away due to coastal erosion. A number of grassy mounds mark the fort's location, known locally as O'Toole's Castle. The fort overlooks the Bay of Pollaree (the Bay of the King). According to legend there was a ferocious battle in this area between the Irish and Viking raiders in the 9th Century. The story relates that the Vikings first raided the nearby island of Innismurray. From there they decided to sail across the waters and raid the monastery on Aughris Headland.
There are about 350 promontory forts along the Irish coastline. They were fortified coastal headlands, with the seaward sides naturally defended by cliffs, while ramparts of earth or stone protected the landward side.
Further along, we came to St Patrick's Holy Well. During the Penal era local people came to this Well to pray and to attend mass. At the time Catholic worship was banned on pain of severe penalties, including death. The Mass Rock in Aughris was used for much of the 17th Century. Priests and monks were hunted by the English authorities, with large rewards being given for the capture of either. It was believed that the water of the Aughris Well had healing powers. A notice board told us that pilgrims have travelled for many centuries to complete Stations and prayers at the well. We were told to “Pick up three pebbles, recite prayers and then toss the pebbles onto the pile of stones in the centre of the enclosure.” And this we did. Judging by the many mementoes left on the Mass Rock it's obvious that the Well is still respected by many.
When the path turned inland it was with regretful hearts that we left the sea behind us. Soon we came to a square, concrete hut which had been a look-out post (LOP) during World War II, known in Ireland of course as “The Emergency”. This post was permanently manned during the war, with the look-outs reporting back wartime movements along the Irish coastal waters. There were 83 huts of this nature along the coast. Many days in the Sligo post were quiet. The days of activity recorded such happenings as sightings of American B17 Flying Fortress bombers and Catalina amphibious planes, and the body of a German soldier was washed ashore and buried in a local graveyard. The LOP was manned by seven men, mainly local volunteers. The Sligo LOPs had been built by the winter of 1939 - 40. During stormy weather the walls and windows of LOPs could leak badly. There was a tiny fireplace inside. There was concern about the possibility of a German invasion. The huts were equipped with telephones, telescopes, binoculars, identification drawings of the various warplanes, logbooks, signal flares, lamps, oilskin jackets and hats, and bicycles.
On the final section of this fascinating walk we passed the Deserted Village, called Aughris, a series of ruined dwellings located along the roadside which date to the early 19th Century. In its heyday 812 people lived here. A sad decline began in the 1860s. In 1901 the residents included 3 blacksmiths, 2 dressmakers, 2 publicans, 3 teachers, 2 tailors, 2 shopkeepers, a carpenter, a bootmaker, a washerwoman and a plasterer. The demise of the fishing industry devastated the local economy and mass emigration ensued. By the end of the 19th Century just 108 people were living in the village. The last resident died in 1993.

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