I visited Ballycroy National Park last August. Ballywhere you may say? I had never heard of it as well until two good friends of mine Jean Pierre  and Nicola took over the running of the cafe there two years ago. The park is situated in north county Mayo and boasts stunning scenery.The windswept Nephin Beg mountains guard the back of the the centre and the panoramic sea views of Achill from the front are breathtaking. The park is very wild and unspoilt and extremely quiet. It is a very  large expanse of wilderness which has white fronted geese, otters, golden plovers, grouse, snipe and other sensitive species residing there. North Mayo is off the beaten track but is a fantastic place to visit.

Having walked a while on the surrounding bogs I had worked up an appetite and where better to address this problem than in the Ginger and Wild cafe. Jean Pierre treated me to a delightful choice of goodies all prepared by himself. The views from the cafe are fantastic and I spent two hours sipping my tea and looking out. The heather was in bloom and the island of Achill was been bathed in soft evening light.

Jean Pierre’s wife Nicola runs the  art gallery and she has some beautiful originals hanging on the cafe walls. She asked me to drop some of my work up to her. I have included a few snaps of some of the artwork I sent her. I look forward to my next visit.