From Achill to Strokestown, Mayo and Roscommon, Ireland - 10th August 2017

It's the last day in the Achill Island Hotel, and there's a brief mission to visit the derelict church across the Sound that can be seen from the car park of the hotel. As it happens, it's on private land and inaccessible, but instead there's the chance discovery of the derelict Belfarsad National School, dating from 1913. Then, we head off across Ireland to Dublin but end up stopping almost exactly half-way at the oddly-named Strokestown in County Roscommon which, as well as containing the second-widest street in Ireland is also home to Strokestown Park - a grand Palladian house the owners of which became notorious for their famine-era eviction of some 11,000 tenants. Finally, after a few more hours, we end up at Da Gorls' house in Monkstown, County Dublin - the culmination of around 1,000 miles of driving, not counting the 500 to and from Liverpool.

next album: Fire and Water: The Burning of the Blackrock Centre, County Dublin, Ireland - 12th August 2017
previous album: A Bike Ride to Mulranny, County Mayo, Ireland - 9th August 2017

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Harry checks his 'Terminator' shades in the mirror

Harry checks his 'Terminator' shades in the mirror

Gabes with his breakfast sunglasses

Everyone seems to be in reception as we check out

The empty 70s-style BSL office in Achill

E. T. Sweeney garage in Achill

Closed petrol pumps

The largely-closed Sweeney petrol station in Achill

Wasteland behind the garage

Belfarsad church in the distance

Sheep are dotted around a field

Achill's swing bridge in the distance

The sadly derelict Belfarsad National School, 1913

Piles of rusting ironwork

A window within a window

The back of the derelict school

A heap of discarded books adds to the poignancy

Iron wheel in the grass

The derelict school

The old school gate

Another derelict house in Belfarsad

A derelict room, but like someone has only just left

A trashed fireplace

There's a suitcase on the bed, ready for holidays

Pictures from an exhibition and a worn-out sofa

An out-house has lost its roof

A ribbon road

Piles of 'bog oak' in a field near Newport

More piles of bog oak

Vanishing-point highway near Newport

A lovely old Daimler at Kelly's Garage in Newport

Reflected buildings and Daimler interior

The Sovereign looks lit up against the gloomy houses

Lovely street-side petrol station in Strokestown

Petrol station on the High Street

Vintage air line at the Strokestown Texaco

The Beirne traditional shop front

Adverts for Strokestown Park

Church Street - the second-widest in Ireland

Looking down Church Street to the roundabout

A hardware shop on Church Street

Dockery Meats

A knackered van and a house for sale

A shed on the pavement, Church Street

Ribbons on a roundabout Maypole

The national Famine commemoration

A fake window painted on a house wall

Strokestown Park House

Harry, Isobel and Fred in the long grass

The gang explore the house

We head off into a tunnel

Roaming in a servants' tunnel

Peering into windows

Harry runs off into a woodland walk

Amusing anthropomorphic tree

Harry is sceptical about there being fairies

A fairy's house

The restored walled gardens

We reach Evelyn and Louise's house and eat pizza