Between the Dartry and the Deep Blue Sea 

Nothing quite prepares you for the drive into Bundoran. It’s one of those head-plastered-against-the-window moments one never forgets. As you pass Sligo, the road bends along the coast, taking you directly via Ben Bulben mountain (Binn Ghulbain). With its soaring slopes, brilliant shade of green and curiously flattened-peak, Ben Bulben commands your attention like some kind of giant, ancient sentinel marking your arrival in the territory. The spectacular Dartry Mountains, to which Ben Bulben belongs, preside over the coast between Sligo and Bundoran. It’s easy to imagine yourself roaming amongst the limestone peaks and finding a blissful sense of freedom. The Dartry provided a more practical purpose in the 1920s when they served as a hideout for 34 members of the IRA. Fleeing the British National Army, the men lived in a cave for six weeks and were never discovered. These days the Dartry are popular with hikers and sightseers seeking enchantment rather than refuge. 

Arriving in Bundoran we are greeted by Francis McGloin, a plucky well-muscled figure who is one of the originals from the Bundoran surf scene. Francis’ late brother, Brendan, created the town’s distinctive, seaside arch-shaped sculpture, (Carraige na Nean (Rock of the birds) which also features a finger of hollowed sandstone that perfectly frames the setting sun over the Atlantic.  

A civil engineer by trade, Francis has built a separate guesthouse from his main home, which is a few minutes outside of town. Climbing the stairs to our lofted apartment I’m pleased to discover that the front door opens directly onto a spectacular view of the Dartry. “Ah my people have been hiding out in these mountains for hundreds of years,” offers Francis with an apparent air of mystique in his tone. Like many Irishmen he always seems ...