Walking up an appetite

The best Irish walks with good food at the end

Irish Times, Saturday, May 4, 2019

Walk: Western Way, Aasleagh Falls to Houston’s Bridge, Co Mayo

Food: Keane’s Bar, Maam Bridge, Co Galway

Keane’s Bar of Maam in Connemara is a rather singular place known to many walkers in the west. The allure of its roaring fire and cheese toasties is so strong that, when planning walks, I often find myself subconsciously choosing hills and trails within an easy radius of the place. Or even making a detour when I’m not that close.

There are endless hills to be climbed near here, but there is beauty lower down too. For a fresh perspective on this well-walked landscape, I love the 6km stretch of the Western Way along the Erriff River from Aasleagh Falls to Houston’s Bridge. The falls are at the head of Killary Fjord on the R335, just inside the Mayo border, off the Leenane to Westport road (N59).

From the falls, the trail follows the south bank of the river under the graceful pines of Aasleagh Lodge, then eastward under Ben Gorm and the Devilsmother. Long riverside trails are rare enough in Ireland, and it is a joy to spend time here beside such a wild river.

The Erriff is rather special too, getting a rich run of salmon — see if you can spot any jumping the falls — and a lovely place to watch anglers fly-casting in season. The trail is well marked, mostly keeping to the bank as the river winds its way through bright, lush fields and patches of rougher ground.

The waymarkers eventually bring you to Houston’s Bridge, just off the N59. You could leave a second car near here, or turn around for the return walk to Aasleagh. From there, Keane’s is about 17km back towards Galway, on the R336 between Leenane and Maam Cross. This elegant building, beside Maam Bridge, was built in 1820 by the Scottish engineer Alexander Nimmo, who lived here while he designed the roads, bridges and harbours of Connemara.

If you can, get yourself a seat in one of the big chairs by the roaring fire in the back lounge, which oozes character, its walls adorned with trophy fish, framed angling flies and other memorabilia. It’s a classic place to meet locals and other walkers and share your day’s adventures.

Order yourself a toastie — it’s pretty much all they serve anyway — and lash on the mayonnaise and mustard. After a long hike, it’s pure comfort food. And if you’re lucky enough to not be driving, the Guinness is some of the creamiest around. Just be careful not to get too comfortable by the fire or you might nod off.

Trail maps to the Western Way available at www.irishtrails.ie.

Lenny Antonelli lives in Galway and writes about the environment, nature and the great outdoors. His book ‘East of Ireland Walks — on River and Canal’ was published by the Collins Press in 2015.