Derrigimlagh in County Galway is an interesting stop on the Wild Atlantic Way. At first glance, the idea of visiting a bog probably doesn’t sound like a good way to spend a day. However, give it a chance and take a walk out to the desolate area and you get a real sense of Irish history.
Derrigimlagh is notable for three things. It was the site of an important transatlantic cable link with its own station built by Marconi in the 19th century. It’s where Alcock and Brown crash landed after the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic. It’s also hauntingly beautiful.
While not much is left of the Marconi station, there are concrete foundations still present at Derrigimlagh. The site used to transmit and receive messages across the Atlantic Ocean and be staffed by over a hundred people. It was unfortunately burnt to the ground during the Irish War of Independence.
The flight across the Atlantic is now immortalised with the Alcock and Brown memorial within the bog. The memorial is an off-white wing-like structure placed at the location where the pair crash landed in 1919. They had taken off from Newfoundland, flown almost 1900 miles through weather, technical problems and the dark only to crash in an Irish bog.
Given the soft nature of the bog, both pilots emerged unscathed from the wreckage. Alcock then allegedly announced “Yesterday I was in America and I am the first man in Europe to say that.”
As with many elements of the Wild Atlantic Way, you can drive to Derrigimlagh and stand on a viewing platform to see most of what’s on offer here. But, we would always suggest leaving the car and getting out on foot. Take a guided walk from local historians or explore on your own. We think it’s the only true way to experience what Ireland has to offer.
The geography is flat and desolate, but also green and full of life. It’s easy to explore on your own, or with a guide. Just make sure you have a good pair of walking boots and waterproofs as it gets wet and windy in such exposed places.
Derrigimlagh is an interesting stop in the Wild Atlantic Way with lots of history on offer. While not as spectacular as the Cliff of Moher or Slieve League, it is beautiful in its own right and definitely worth an afternoon of your time.