Beyond the end of the road
I knew a place like that
Sure they are everywhere in Ireland
On that you can hang your hat
But today I saw a new place
A land they call Uggool
The Eagle’s egg the name means
And boy is this place cool
The Lost Valley it’s known as
Beyond the Silver Strand
Beyond a spot called Killadoon
A never never land
Mountain water, sea and sky
History in the fields
Forlorn potato ridges
Long forgotten meals
Seventeen houses in this glen
Before the famine time
And before the cruel eviction
That was Ireland’s crime
But now a road goes in there
And a farmer’s open door
Will show you shades of yesteryear
And tomorrow’s hope of more
Brian Fahy
19 July 2022
+ I went as far as Killadoon but never to the Silver Strand, and you must go on beyond that point to discover this magic land. The Lost Valley of Uggool is open for business, to show you a window on the past and also the present and everlasting beauty of this little corner of Mayo.
Erris Poetry 