Aughinish (Eachinis) is a destination, a small Clare island, connected by a causeway to the neighbouring county of Galway. There’s nowhere to go after here, save the wide expanse of Galway Bay, and after that the good ole US of A. It’s about 2 kilometres east to west and a little over a kilometre north to south.
A road that runs the length of the island morphs into a track about half way along in a tiny hamlet. The track terminates at a small cliff on the western end of the island, a rubble beach about 50 feet below. There is a slight path along the top of the cliff. Follow this north to the fifth field along. The tomb is 60 metres back into this field, along the north side of the wall.
The remains are scant, but this is a very Burren-like wedge tomb. The northern sidestone, the backstone and the roofstone are definitely there. The southern sidestone could still be there but I couldn’t see for all the summer growth. The tilt of the roofstone says that maybe it’s gone.
I wondered how Aughinish wedge tomb has survived. The clouds raced by and the sun occasionally broke through. The view west towards Black Head was beautiful. I could while away a while here but I had bigger fish to fry, and impatient teenagers back at the car. Like I said, not on the way anywhere and all the better for that.