Note: Camping is not allowed on Aillebrack by order. Please take note of the sign.

Thank you to John for contacting me with the updated information and sending the image.

I originally wrote this post in August 2017, and many things have changed since then. Including a global pandemic, which led to a phenomenal rise in camping. In this post (below), I spoke about camping, where we arrived late in the day, left early in the morning, followed the rules of wild camping, and absolutely left no trace. Unfortunately, this has not been the case in many areas, so please, if you are wild camping, be mindful of your impact on the landscape, wildlife and locals who live there.

Original post

Last weekend we travelled to Aillebrack Beach when we lived in Clifden this was my favourite beach to visit and swim at. I find it a magical place, with ever-changing skies that blend and contrast with the horizon line and, of course, the whole Atlantic Ocean lapping against its shoreline, next stop America, literally.

I loved coming here and just sitting in the grass for hours with our two dogs, so I was very tentative about returning, the last time we were there was just a month before we lost Daisy, and I had planned the weekend she went in for her operation to visit and stay, but it was never to be.

One thing I do know is I will never put off doing something again. Lots of things can get in the way: work, family, and financial stress, so last Saturday, when I had the choice to either do overtime at work or visit the beach, I knew there was no choice. Memories needed to be made, even if it was just with our little Missy.

I had always wanted to stay on the beach overnight, so we brought along our small 2-man tent (pop-up), snorkelling gear, and kite. Strangely enough, there was very little wind, so that didn’t really work out. Our stove and a small beach feast.

After this we sat in the tent and listened to the waves melodically caress the sand and the rocks as we drifted to sleep.

Pic: Sun setting as we sat on the rolling dunes and watched it disappearing beyond the tip of the peninsula.

The following morning – Breakfast of champions, coffee, porridge, peanut butter and maple syrup, looking out over the beach. This was quickly followed by a visit by these two guys, the most curious young bullocks I have ever met. In fairness to them, though, we were two humans in a little tent and therefore deserved some attention.

Staring intently as they hugged close to each other, the brown one intermittently licking and then play head butting the cream one as he watched on. Talking to them only added to their curiosity before they gave up on what was obviously a demented human explaining to them she was a vegan and therefore had nothing to worry about, at least from her.

They eventually rambled off, play-fighting, on the lookout for another curious event to explore. We packed and went for one final ramble on the beach in the early morning air, shrouded by shades of grey from the sea to the sky, making memorable moments in time.