Things to do in County Mayo

Achill Island off the northwest Mayo coast is the largest island off the Irish coast, connected to the mainland by a bridge and offering some of the most dramatic and most unspoiled Atlantic landscape in Ireland. The combination of the great sea cliffs of Croaghaun, the magnificent beaches of Keem Bay, Dugort and Keel, the bogland and mountain walking and the character of the Irish-speaking Gaeltacht communities that have traditionally inhabited the island creates a destination of exceptional variety and emotional power. The Croaghaun cliffs on the west coast of the island are among the highest sea cliffs in Europe, rising approximately 688 metres from the Atlantic in a near-vertical face that rivals the more famous Cliffs of Moher while being far less visited and far more dramatically exposed. The approach on foot across the open bog of the island's western section adds to the sense of arriving at an edge of the world, and the views from the cliff top along the Atlantic coast in both directions are among the finest in Ireland. Keem Bay at the western tip of the island, enclosed beneath the great cliffs and accessed by a spectacular clifftop road, provides one of the most beautiful and most sheltered beaches in Connacht, its clear turquoise water and fine sand creating an Atlantic beach experience of exceptional quality in a setting quite unlike the more accessible beaches of the east coast.

Ashford Castle can be found 45 miles north of Galway on the west coast of Ireland. It is positioned on an isthmus between Lough Corrib and Lough Mask and is surrounded by 350 acres of parkland. The entrance to the castle is over a stone bridge protected by turrets at either side. The castle itself is of grey stone and is a combination of a Norman castle and French chateau, all totally renovated. Its formal and walled gardens stretch out towards the loughs on either side. Facilities Ashford Castle has been used as a high class hotel since 1939 and today is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World group. It offers fishing and lake cruises along with a falconry school and equestrian centre. The hotel also has its own 9 hole golf course and a health and beauty centre. It can accommodate 150 guests in its 83 rooms which are all individually designed with period furniture and unique views over the countryside. There are three dining rooms each with its own theme and traditional evening entertainment of music and storytelling is provided in the Dungeon. The castle has an experienced team who individually tailor wedding packages for both intimate and large scale weddings; it is even possible to have exclusive use of the castle over the weekend. The Norman castle dates back to 1228 when it was founded by the de Burgo family, they were defeated in a battle in 1589 and lost their home to Lord Ingham governor of Connaught. It was transformed in 1715 by the Oranmore and Browne family with the addition of a French style chateau and in 1852 it's owner Sir Benjamin Guinness (of the brewing family) extended the estate to 26,000 acres planting trees and adding a further two Victorian extensions. During this time George V, Prince of Wales and many other important guests stayed with the Guiness family. In the 19th century Arthur Guinness incorporated both the castle and the chateau into the one large building it is today. From 1939 onwards Ashford Castle has also welcomed many famous guests amongst them the then president of America Ronald Regan. The Arts The 1950's film 'The Quiet Man' by John Ford was filmed in Cong and there are nightly showings at the castle.

Ballintubber Abbey in County Mayo is one of the most remarkable ecclesiastical sites in Ireland, a medieval abbey church that has been in continuous liturgical use for over eight hundred years without interruption, a claim that very few religious buildings anywhere in Europe can match. The abbey was founded in 1216 by Cathal O'Connor, King of Connacht, for the Augustinian Canons, and despite the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII, despite periods of suppression and persecution of Catholic worship, and despite the long rooflessness of much of the building, Mass has been celebrated at Ballintubber in every century since its foundation. The abbey building itself is a substantial piece of early thirteenth-century Hiberno-Romanesque and early Gothic architecture, retaining its cruciform plan, the round-arched doorway of the west front, the lancet windows and the cloister garth around which the canons' domestic buildings were arranged. The nave was reroofed and restored in the twentieth century and is now used for regular worship, while the ruined sections of the monastery complex have been partially consolidated and interpreted for visitors. The combination of working church and ancient ruin gives the site a dual character that is both historically evocative and practically alive. Ballintubber Abbey stands at the eastern end of Tóchar Phádraig, the ancient pilgrimage route to Croagh Patrick, the holy mountain of the west of Ireland where St Patrick is traditionally believed to have fasted for forty days. The route connecting the abbey to the mountain summit has been walked by pilgrims for over a thousand years, and a programme of waymarking and path improvement has made the Tóchar Phádraig a designated walking route of thirty kilometres through the heart of County Mayo. Beginning a pilgrimage walk at the abbey and ending it on the summit of Croagh Patrick gives the journey a historical resonance that is unique in the Irish landscape. The landscape of west Mayo surrounding the abbey is characterised by the wide, flat plains of the Castlebar district with the hills of Connemara and the distinctive profile of Croagh Patrick visible to the west, a setting that anchors the abbey firmly in its geographical and spiritual context.

Castleburke is a ruined tower house near Ballintober in County Mayo, associated with the Burke family, descendants of the Anglo-Norman de Burgh dynasty who became thoroughly Gaelicised over the medieval centuries and controlled extensive territories in Mayo and Galway. Nearby Ballintober Abbey, founded by Cathal O'Conor King of Connacht in 1216, is the only church in Ireland where Mass has been celebrated continuously for over 800 years. The ancient Pilgrim's Path from Ballintober to Croagh Patrick, Ireland's most sacred mountain, passes close to the castle site in a landscape of exceptional historical and spiritual significance.

The Ceide Fields on the north Mayo coast near Ballycastle is the most extensive prehistoric landscape in the world, a Neolithic farming system of field walls, house sites and megalithic tombs buried beneath the blanket bog of the north Mayo uplands approximately 5,500 years ago and preserved intact beneath the peat in a completeness impossible on any surface site. The fields were discovered in the 1930s by a local schoolteacher and subsequently excavated over several decades by archaeologist Seamas Caulfield, revealing a system of enclosed fields extending over approximately 12 square kilometres in a regular pattern that demonstrates the organised agricultural society of the Irish Neolithic. The Ceide Fields Visitor Centre, perched dramatically on the clifftop above the Atlantic with views of the north Mayo coast extending to the Belmullet Peninsula, provides the interpretation and the context for understanding a site that is largely invisible on the surface. The probing of the bog with iron rods to map the buried walls, the principal technique of the excavation programme, is demonstrated to visitors and the evidence recovered from beneath the peat, including the walls themselves and the pollen record of the ancient agricultural landscape, brings the Neolithic world of north Mayo into vivid focus. The coastal cliffs below the visitor centre are among the most dramatic on the Mayo coast, the horizontal limestone strata dropping vertically to the sea in a series of cliff faces that provide breeding habitat for a variety of seabirds and some of the finest coastal scenery available on the Wild Atlantic Way.

Clare Island stands at the mouth of Clew Bay off the coast of County Mayo, a substantial island of approximately 16 square kilometres accessible by ferry from Roonagh Quay that combines dramatic Atlantic coastal scenery, an important medieval tower house associated with the pirate queen Grace O'Malley, a Cistercian abbey with remarkable medieval painted ceiling and the finest sea cliffs in County Mayo in one of the most scenically and historically rewarding island visits available on the west coast of Ireland. The tower house at the harbour is associated with Gráinne Mhaol, Grace O'Malley, the sixteenth-century pirate chieftain and sea queen whose control of the maritime routes of Clew Bay and her defiance of English authority made her one of the most celebrated figures in Irish history. Grace O'Malley's career as a pirate, merchant and political leader, culminating in her famous meeting with Queen Elizabeth I in 1593, has made her the subject of numerous books, plays and cultural celebrations, and Clare Island as the seat of her power is a place of considerable cultural pilgrimage. The Cistercian abbey on the island contains medieval wall paintings of remarkable quality, depicting figures, animals and decorative motifs in a freshness of colour that survives from the medieval period in unusually good condition. The abbey was the burial place of Grace O'Malley and the combination of the painted interior and the O'Malley connection makes it one of the most historically resonant small religious buildings in Connacht.

Croagh Patrick, known as the Reek by the people of Mayo, is Ireland's holiest mountain, a quartzite cone rising to 764 metres above Clew Bay in County Mayo whose annual pilgrimage on the last Sunday of July attracts tens of thousands of pilgrims in a tradition of Christian devotion that has been maintained for over 1,500 years. St Patrick is believed to have fasted on the summit for forty days in 441 AD, and the tradition of barefoot ascent that many pilgrims maintain connects the modern observance with the penitential practices of the earliest Irish Christianity. The view from the summit of Croagh Patrick across Clew Bay, with its extraordinary collection of approximately 365 drumlin islands created by the last Ice Age glacier, and across the full extent of Connacht visible on clear days from the Mayo mountains to the Galway coast, is one of the finest in Ireland. The ascent, a serious mountain walk of approximately two to three hours, involves considerable height gain on a rocky path that becomes a pilgrimage route of intense focus on Reek Sunday when the summit is crowded with walkers of all ages and degrees of fitness. The modern visitor centre at the foot of the mountain provides interpretation and the small chapel near the summit provides the spiritual focus for the pilgrimage. The view of Croagh Patrick from the south shore of Clew Bay at sunset, the perfect cone reflected in the still water of the bay, is one of the most frequently reproduced images of the Mayo landscape.

Downpatrick Head on the north Mayo coast near Ballycastle is one of the most dramatic coastal headlands in Ireland, a flat-topped promontory of horizontal limestone dropping vertically to the sea in cliffs of considerable height, with the extraordinary detached sea stack of Dún Briste standing immediately offshore in a position that makes it one of the most dramatic natural features on the Wild Atlantic Way. The stack, approximately 45 metres high and completely separated from the headland by the collapse of the connecting rock arch in 1393, supports a green summit of grass visible from the clifftop above in a scene of extraordinary geological drama. The name Downpatrick Head derives from the association with St Patrick, who is said to have banished a pagan chieftain called Crom Dubh from the headland by causing the earth to open and swallow him. The blowhole in the headland floor, through which the sea surges in rough weather with considerable noise and spray, is associated in local tradition with the swallowed pagan below. The remains of a Napoleonic-era signal tower on the headland provide the historical military heritage dimension. The coastal scenery of the north Mayo coast visible from Downpatrick Head in both directions is among the finest in Ireland, the horizontal limestone cliffs extending westward toward the Belmullet Peninsula and the great mountain of Nephin Beg visible in the distance on clear days creating a panorama of the wild and empty north Mayo landscape that is one of the most powerful available on the Wild Atlantic Way.

Keem Bay at the western tip of Achill Island in County Mayo is widely regarded as the most beautiful beach in Ireland, a small arc of brilliant white sand enclosed beneath the dramatic shark's fin profile of Croaghaun mountain and accessible only by the spectacular clifftop road that provides the most dramatic beach approach drive available in Ireland. The combination of the beach quality, the extraordinary mountain setting, the clear turquoise water and the complete absence of commercial development creates a beach experience of exceptional beauty and wildness in one of the most remote accessible corners of the Wild Atlantic Way. The beach faces northwest into the Atlantic Ocean and the clarity of the water, combined with the white sand beneath, creates the turquoise colour characteristic of the finest Atlantic beaches in conditions that belong more to the Caribbean in popular imagination than to the west coast of Ireland. The water is cold throughout the year but the beach provides excellent swimming in calm conditions during the summer months when the Atlantic is at its warmest. The road to Keem Bay from the Achill Sound end of the island traverses the full dramatic length of Achill, the clifftop sections above the Atlantic providing a driving experience of remarkable scenic intensity. The combination of the road journey and the beach destination creates one of the most complete and most rewarding coastal experiences available on the Wild Atlantic Way.

Rockfleet Castle; or Carraigahowley Castle as it was sometimes known, is situated at the mouth of a small inlet on the northern shores of Clew Bay, 5 miles from Newport on the north west coast of Ireland. The castle is a small square defensive tower house, built over 4 floors and over 60 feet in height. The site consists of a tower house with a rectangular corner parapet set in open ground. The top floor is reached by a spiral staircase made of stone and is the only room with a fireplace. The castle was built in a medieval style and is one of five along the shores of Clew Bay. Facilities Rockfleet Castle is open to the public during the summer, it also possible to take a trip into the bay by fishing boat from the nearby pier. From the sea you can see how well the castle was placed to keep watch over the bay The castle was built in the mid 16th Century and home to Grace O'Malley the 'Pirate Queen' and her husband Richard Burke 'Richard of Iron' from 1566. Grace was the leader of the O'Malley clan and controlled much of the west coast in the late 1500's. She had a fleet of 20 ships moored at Rockfleet which she used to raid cargo ships along the channel and was also responsible for capturing some of the dispersed ships from the Spanish Armada. She remained at RockfleetCastle after the death of her husband in 1583 but it was not long afterwards that the English successfully captured some of the O'Malley fleet along with Grace's brother. Grace appealed directly to Queen Elizabeth for his release and negotiated that she would forfeit her ships in return for her brother. The Queen granted Grace what she had asked for and allowed her to keep her vessels on the condition that she fought with, rather than against the English, which she did until her death in 1603 when she was buried on Clare Island nearby. Following the Civil War Sir Owen O'Malley a diplomat and descendent of Grace restored the castle and lived nearby in a Georgian house. The latest owner is the former American ambassador to Ireland.

Located to the west of Shannon, Westport House overlooks Ireland's holy Croagh Patrick mountain, Clare Island and out over Clew Bay to the Atlantic Ocean beyond. The limestone house is built over three floors on an estate with formal gardens, terraces a lake and parkland, the estate also has the remains of an old boathouse open to the sea. The interior is particularly fine with intricate ceilings and Jamaican mahogany doors. Facilities Westport House is considered one of the most beautiful historic houses in Ireland and is open to the public between May and October, 10am and 5.30pm daily (Sundays and Bank Holidays only in May) The house and estate offers something for every visitor, from the beautiful rooms on show within the house to a family playground and even a campsite in the woodland. Inside the house some of the rooms display a selection of their original contents including portraits and landscapes, a collection of silver, Waterford glass and historic Irish books in the library. Visitors also have the opportunity to visit part of the original castle belonging to Grace O'Malley which is now in the basement or the dungeons as they are known. In the grounds families can enjoy the Pirate's Den an adventure playground with log flume, pirate ship, mini railway and an indoor soft play area. The house also has its own bar and cafe in the old farmyard named after the pirate queen it is the venue for live music most weekends. Westport House also hosts wedding receptions. Champagne receptions start in the entrance hall with its sweeping staircase and the drawing room or the long gallery; seating up to 90 guests, being used for dining. For those with a larger amount of guests a grand marquee is set up on the lawns. The house was built on the site of an original castle belonging to Grace O'Malley, the 'Pirate Queen'. The original eastern façade was designed by Richard Cassels a famous German architect in 1730 for Colonel John Browne, the husband of Maude Burke, the great great granddaughter of Grace O'Malley. During the Williamite wars much of the estate was confiscated and when Colonel Browne died his grandson; also called John and later becoming 1st Earl of Altamont, inherited an estate of just a few hundred acres. The estate was improved by succeeding generations who now also had the title of Marquees of Sligo, creating a lake and planting trees as well as employing James Wyatt to build a further three facades and two wings and decorate the gallery and dining room. In 1845 during the famine the estate closed and the 3rd Marquess was forced to borrow and use his saving to help his tenants for which he was awarded the Order of St Patrick. In 1960 the 10th Marquess and his family opened the house and grounds to the public for the first time and since then it has been developed as a major tourist attraction with current occupant being Jeremy Browne, 11th Marquess of Sligo and his family. The Arts Outdoor family theatre productions are held in the grounds during the summer.

Westport is the most attractive and most complete planned Georgian town in Ireland, a market town in County Mayo on the shores of Clew Bay whose combination of the octagonal market square, the tree-lined Mall following the canalised Carrowbeg River and the surrounding streets of Georgian town houses creates one of the finest examples of eighteenth-century Irish urban planning. The town was designed by James Wyatt in the 1780s for the Browne family, later Marquesses of Sligo, whose Westport House provides the great Georgian mansion at the heart of the estate. The town's position at the foot of Croagh Patrick, the sacred mountain of Ireland's patron saint from whose summit the views encompass the entirety of Clew Bay and the islands that fill it, gives Westport a pilgrim dimension alongside its secular charms. The annual Reek Sunday pilgrimage to the summit of Croagh Patrick on the last Sunday of July attracts tens of thousands of pilgrims who ascend the quartzite cone in the tradition that has been maintained since St Patrick fasted on the summit in 441 AD. The Great Western Greenway, a 42-kilometre off-road cycling and walking trail from Westport to Achill Island following the former Midland Great Western Railway line through the Connaught landscape, provides one of the finest greenway experiences in Ireland. The combination of the town's Georgian quality, the pilgrimage mountain, the greenway and the extraordinary bay landscape makes Westport one of the most rewarding towns in the west of Ireland.