Sean the Wood
Sean has written about wildlife and the environment for thirty years, with work appearing at both national and provinical level, including outlets such as The Sunday Times, BBC Wildlife Magazine and the Guardian Media Group. For the latter he writes a weekly column `Wood On The Wildside`, which is syndicated to a number of titles in the group. This column attracts a massive amount of reader response, and it is partly for those regular readers, that he has created this site. Regular updates will include extended versions of his weekly articles, plus reader contributions and much more.
His articles have always been illustrated by his own photographs and paintings, and it no surprise that both forms of illustration should have been exhibted over the past ten years, both in the U.K. and Eire.
This page was last updated: September 21, 2007
Please visit Sean`s other sites: www.passporttomainstream.com www.curraghsons.com www.vangoghted.com
Sean gets his Fellowship from Sir David Attenborough.
Ireland Here We Come:
Wood On The Wildside:
Okay, here we go; the Woody’s Travels’ ultimate guide to Southern Ireland for all those readers who asked for an easy to follow itinerary, for first time visitors in search of wildlife in wild places, within easy reach of good food and drink.
The following request from Tom Smith of Stockport is fairly typical of the postbag after my recent mentions of Ireland: “Sean; you and your friend, Oaf, always seem to find the best wild locations without trying, and then, as if by magic, the animals come into view, and then you go off and celebrate! Can you please give me some tips for a visit to the West of Ireland?”
Tom has hit the nail on the head with regards to our secret, because I have always believed that, if you make the effort to travel to wilderness areas, most times the wildlife will come to you without too much effort. One of my favourite ploys is to hire a house in a remote or semi-remote area, a place where you already know certain species live, then, even from the kitchen window you are likely to spot stuff as you are cooking the breakfast.
Take the house we hired on Omey Island, Connemara; while frying the morning rashers we saw whooper swans, oystercatchers, curlews by the hundred, knot, dunlin, ringed plover and a peregrine falcon, or better still the cottage on Oilean Maisean (Mason Island) also in Connemara.
The view seen here, with the Twelve Bens Mountain range on the mainland in the background, was taken from the ‘back garden’ of the cottage owned by Mr. Tom Geary.
Maisean is uninhabited, and Tom ferries you over the half mile from the mainland, before dropping you off, cases, supplies and all. Normally, he can moor by the ancient stone quay, but if the tide is out, you’ll need to haul yourself and chattels up the beach.
The next you hear from Tom is the following morning on his ship-to-shore radio….”Geary to Maisean, are ye livin? Over.”
On this very beach I was able to watch a family of otters as the sun went down, and so close was I, that their whistling call could be heard quite easily as they played in the shallows. I was sitting on the machair-topped dune, making no attempt to hide myself, but they carried on regardless. The sighting definitely demanded one of our celebratory meals, but, as I said, there is no-one on Oilean Maisean, no pub and no restaurant, however, tucked into our supplies was plenty of wine, and some fine fellow had left a bottle of the ‘quare-stuff’, better known as poiteen, (pronounced potcheen) which should have had a health warning on it.
Both of these dwellings are on the books of my good friend Matthew Boyd; his Shamrock Cottages, which he has run for 27 years, could provide the answer for all readers’ intent on visiting Ireland. I have rented around twenty of his cottages over the years, mostly in Clare, Kerry and Galway, all in quiet and secluded spots, and most within easy reach of pubs and restaurants, and of course the wildlife.
Matthew says, “Ireland is a timeless land of enchantment and mystery, breathtaking scenery, peace and tranquillity, where un-crowded roads and lazy rivers, rugged mountains, crumbling castles and the mild Gulf Stream air, combine to make it an unforgettable experience.”
For the best value, you should visit at Easter or October, when believe it or not, there is often lovely mild weather. Check out www.shamrockcottages.co.uk or call 01823 660126 for further details.
Cape Clear, County Cork
