The Strait of Hormuz and the road to Mayo's remote town

THERE'S a warmth in Erris that helps to soften the gale-force wind, but a fortnight living there is beyond my match in a modern world.

I made the move out west, and west again to Belmullet recently, not in a madcap dash to find myself or pen a novel.

For the simplest of reasons, a change of scenery.

What better view is there in the world than Broadhaven Bay on those rare bright days. You have to take them when they come.

What's rare is beautiful.

As half a Belmullet man, I've spent 28 years of my life wondering what life would be like if I had ever lived out there.

Well, I've quenched that curiosity, and no more wondering about me.

It's undeniable the world is feeling that bit smaller.

The start of 2026 has had an eerily similar feel to 2020.

The February 28 strike on Iran by the US and Israel instantly sent the world into a global headwind.

A month on and we're all feeling the pressure at the pumps, and inflation is projected to rise rapidly due to the spiralling cost of doing business.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has instantly had ramifications on these shores.

How we operate and go about our lives may change, so why not see life from the perspective of Mayo's western exterior.

It was best I felt to be doubly sure to be out of range of Iranian ICBMs.

Everything becomes a lot harder.

Perhaps I took for granted life in the centre of the universe that is the parish of Addergoole, but travelling from Belmullet on the rightly maligned R312 on a daily basis gives you a new perspective.

I took solace initially in the fact that a two-hour daily commute to the county town isn't that bad really — after all, RTÉ journalists proved last week that it's not possible to go from inside the M50 to St. Stephen's Green within that timeframe at peak hours, a 10.7km trip, compared to almost 80km to Belmullet.

Roads and traffic have begun to dominate modern Mayo political life.

A generation came into the workforce during Covid lockdowns, enjoying the fruits of remote working, living with friends and then family who joined Zoom meetings with colleagues in all four corners of the world. You can do those pesky household chores, get some exercise in and prepare well balanced meals - it seemed set to be the way of things.

Ballina's monthly municipal meeting saw exasperated councillors rattled by a litany of constituents crying bloody murder over tailbacks from the Foxford side of town.

Fine Gael's John O'Hara recalled an apt anecdote about a funeral he attended that reposed in the family home, invariably a feat of logistical excellence to ensure it runs off smoothly.

"Before the mourners arrived to sympathise, they had to deal with the seven cars that were at the house."

The car-to-household ratio is off the charts, particularly in rural Ireland.

It might sound excessive, but between the two SUVs for each parent, the children's cars and the company vehicles and vans, it adds up quickly.

That's not to mention quads, tractors and other fuel-hungry motors rural dwellers rely on. Is it any wonder we have traffic issues on our roads alongside a burgeoning population?

The return-to-work mandates imposed by employers have now been almost universally enforced.

For some reason, employees who had been doing a damn good job for more than half a decade were deemed to be layabouts and scroungers, and collaboration became the buzzword.

Personally, I am one of the fortunate few in the laptop class who can work from anywhere.

I like to meet people and as a young person starting out it's vital to meet with colleagues and learn on the job.

It helps too that in this role you're going to get more news passing Main Street, bumping into people, than you are listening to the hum of traffic in Attycunnane. But will commuting any distance make sense for people when alternatives are available.

It's thought-provoking to pass the wind farm at Oweninny, watching blades spin and also not spin as local Councillor Gerry Coyle regularly raises, as we anticipate rising electricity costs, energy security and ponder whether the county can do more to generate its own power.

There is undoubtedly ample room for growth and exploration within the renewable sector here but only if the infrastructure keeps pace: roads smooth enough that your car doesn't hop on the way to work, and accessible enough that emergency services can reach you in a crisis.

Changing perspective, I've learned, is no bad thing, in fact it's necessary, to break up the humdrum nature of life.

Much like employers in Dublin seeing their staff acquire affordable accommodation in the west, and then demanding they commute at peak hours when they can do just as much at home, I've learned it's best not to more than triple my commuting distance during times of record-high fuel prices.

Next week I'll be taking the Local Link.

For a further perspective.