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East of Belmullet, the country becomes much wilder: surveyed by the ice-polished shapes of the mountains, it's rough, boggy terrain where many of the remoter villages are still Irish-speaking. Heading out of Belmullet, ten miles towards Ballycastle, you'll see a signpost for the village of POLLATOMISH ( Poll an Tomais , "Thomas' Hole"), a delightful little place deep in fjord-like country, with a handful of houses and two pubs. By far and away the best place to stay in this area is the superb, independent hostel at Kilcommon Lodge (tel 097/84621, kilcommonlodge@gmx.net ). The dorm rooms are excellent and there is a reading room, heated by a turf fire with tables with individual reading lamps. From Pollatomish a single-track roads lead up to Benwee Head; at almost 820ft, this massive cliff has great views of the Donegal cliffs to the northeast and the Stags of Broadhaven , a series of seven 300ft rocks, which stand a mile and a half off the coast. PORTACLOY , where there's a deeply indented bay edged with golden sand, makes a good starting point for walking on the headland. The Hackett and Turpin factory shop is on the road to Rinroe Point at Ceathru Thaidgh (Carrowteige), the other obvious setting-off point for Benwee Head and an unlikely - not to be missed - outpost of the fashion industry. Here local women work on six hand looms to produce designer knitwear in linen, silk and wool at amazingly low prices. The road descends through intricate interlockings of land and sea to golden beaches and the tiny harbour at Rinroe itself. Further east, near Porturlin, the waves have carved the rocks into weird, contorted shapes, including the Arches , a 30ft opening in the cliff which the brave - or foolhardy - attempt to row through in good weather at low tide. At Downpatrick Head , there are some puffing holes that send up tall plumes of water in rough weather, and a detached stack of rock with a fort perched on it; a plaque commemorates those who were killed in the aftermath of the 1798 Rebellion. There's a profusion of rare birds and grand views over to Ceide Fields and the wild country to the west, eastwards to the Sligo mountains, and north across the wide, empty sea.
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