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Lovers of Ireland's Atlantic coastline hardly needed it to be branded the Wild Atlantic Way. But sure, doesn't it bring the tourists? The local folk Paul Clements talks to as he drives beside the ocean from Inishowen to Kinsale mostly agree. Amid the conventional wisdom of cafe, B&B and pub proprietors are some real characters: a woman in Mulranny breeds original old Irish goats; Omey Island's last inhabitant quaffs French wine in his caravan; a Leitrim man explains obscure words native to that place. The roads less travelled are few on this well-trodden route, but the Doorus Peninsula in south Galway and Leitrim's little coastline of 4km do pique the reader's interest. Clements's journey is also a coffee odyssey; the workings of Italian coffee-makers are described lovingly as countless cappuccinos are sipped and savoured. The author's equally keen observation of our wild Atlantic birds, both native and migratory, suggests that a twitcher's guide to the Way could hatch out soon.
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