‘A JOURNEY begins before a journey begins’ is Paul Clements's watchword. Certainly, when it comes to Wandering Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, from Banba’s Crown to World’s End, this author and broadcaster has adopted his own wise council – detailed
research.
It was obviously a joy for this prolific writer to delve into the facts and fantasies of the beautiful west of Ireland and the rich myths hidden along the coastline. And every now and again a modern legend like Pascal Whelan pops up.
Pascal Whelan is the last man living on the tiny tidal island of Omey, Co Galway, accessible only twice a day when the tide is low; he lives alone with a corncrake in the garden and his dog Rex in a somewhat battered mobile home in the townland of Gooreenatinny at the tip of the island.
Over a glass or two of red wine his story unfolds and the author heard how Pascal had travelled the world as a professional wrestler and a film and theatre stuntman – on films including Live and Let Die, Butch Cassidy and Crocodile Dundee. A character with a fascinating if solitary lifestyle.
Clements's writing is very visual – you can see what he’s talking about: the pyramids of fresh hay, shimmering lakes, Connemara bogs and the rain. His story sweeps you around the Wild Atlantic Way and his journey takes him to find the original Wild Atlantic Woman, the 16th-century chieftain Grace O’Malley, the Pirate Queen of Connacht.
In Westport he meets the queen’s 14th great-granddaughter Lady Sheelyn Browne who gives him a history lesson of the time and place. Sitting in Westport House, built in 1730, surrounded by statues and engravings, portraits of aristocratic family members, Clements writes that he feels he’s wandered on to the set of a television period drama recreating a scene from 150 years ago.
This contrasts well with his meeting with Gaelic scholar Monsignor Pádraig Ó Fiannachta, former professor of Irish and head of the faculty of Celtic Studies at NUI Maynooth for 34 years. Now, at 89 years of age and having translated the Bible into Irish, he has just embarked, via his computer keyboard, on translating Pope Francis’s encyclical letter on global warming.
The stories in this book come thick and fast. It’s a travel book you’d do well to have in your back pocket next time you visit the west coast of Ireland, from Malin Head to Skibbereen it uncovers a lot of little secrets. It’s also a history book as he has teased out so much information from those he meets; everyone it seems has a story to tell, whether some are embellished or not doesn’t matter, they are entertaining and surely have a modicum of truth.
But one man towers over all others. The Celtic sea god Manannán mac Lir. From his perch overlooking the north coast of Co Derry he waved Clements off at the start of his journey. Not long afterward the six foot steel statue was cut down – it appeared by angle-grinding Christian fundamentalists, people who couldn’t bear to see this powerful mythical Celtic god of the sea, arms outstretched calming the waves.
He became a modern phenomenon, gathered a whole new fan base as police appealed for ‘a missing person’ – even Crime Stoppers were on the job,
He was found later face down in a bog and too damaged to return to his place on the mountain so a replica was made and he is back where be belongs.
Twenty five years ago Paul Clements hitchhiked the same route and he found the changes since are many and varied, including the disappearance of phone boxes, numerous masts for mobile phone and ghostly wind turbines sweeping down hillsides. He witnessed costal erosion now classified as catastrophic, with the great gale force winds whipping up tides that eat away at the coastline.
From November 2014 Paul Clements walked, drove and cycled the west coast, meeting people for nine months and in all seasons. He even walked the 2.2 miles of the Leitrim coast line and at one stage a horse called Guinness carried him along the peaceful byways.
He was recounting this mode of transport in Donegal when one of the residents asked him what happened: ‘Did you run out of petrol?’ he asked.
When he returned home to Belfast last August it was straight to the computer and, from numerous notebooks, he began writing this book. The final chapter is in the form of a letter to Manannán mac Lir in appreciation of his power and presence, a man who was familiar with the Power of Three, a man of many wives and a protector of the people and an intriguing mentor for this talented writer.
Clements tells me the Power of Three, the Celtic Tirquitra and the symbol for Trinity, was always with him. Whether it was three cows in a field looking at him with doubtful curiosity, Earth, Water and Fire; Father, Son and Holy Ghost or Present, Past and Future, I would think most appropriate is Thought, Feeling and Emotion, all of which he has put into his latest book.
:: Wandering Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way is published by The Collins Press £11.99/€12.9. Details of other books by Paul Clements at www.collinspress.ie.
