County Mayo

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Mayo boasts a stunningly beautiful unspoilt environment, with a landscape of high cliffs, mountains and bogs interspersed with some fertile farmland.

Unique attractions include Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s holy mountain with he starkly beautiful National Famine Memorial at its foot – ‘Reek Sunday’ in late July each year sees 30,000 pilgrims climb it bare-footed. Knock Shrine, scene of an miraculous apparition in 1879, is one of Mayo’s biggest visitor attractions. Achill, Ireland’s largest offshore island, is like a magnet for visitors while Killala has its attraction because of its historical links with an unsuccessful invasion attempt by the French in the 18th century.

History and Heritage

History comes alive at the world famous Céide Fields and its award winning interpretive centre near Ballycastle, the oldest intact field and farm system in existence at a mere 5,000 years of age.

The National Museum of Ireland’s Museum of Country Life, which opened in 2001 just outside Castlebar, celebrates Irish country life as it was between 1850 and 1960, with displays of artifacts that were used on a daily basis over those years.

The county was one of the hardest hit by the Potato Famine and memories of that cruel period are to be found throughout Mayo.

Sites to see

National Museum of Country Life in Castlebar. Clew Bay Heritage Centre. Foxford Woollen Mills Visitor Centre. Hennigans Heritage Farm.

Sports and Leisure

Sporting opportunities abound are in Mayo. The choice seems endless with the likes of archery, clay pigeon shooting, tennis, surfing and sailing.

There are plenty of golf courses, and horse-riding and cycling as well.

Every kind of fishing is available too and Lough Conn is considered by the experts to be one of the best fishing areas in the country.

Mayo also has the highest number of Blue Flag beaches than any other county which makes swimming in clean waters off its clean sandy shores an absolute delight.

Eat, Drink and Stay

Crockets on the Quay (Ballina), Mary’s Bakery & Tea Rooms (Ballycastle), An Carraig and Café Rua (Castlebar), Old Arch Bar & Bistro (Claremorris), The Lemon Peel, Quay Cottage, The Creel, Mediterraneo & La Bella Vita (all Westport) are listed in various publications as among the best places to eat in Mayo. Indeed, Westport is considered one of the gastronomic capitals of Ireland. All the top hotels, such as the new Park Hotel in Mulranny, also feature top quality restaurants.

If you are looking for outstanding pubs, then you will not be disappointed in Mayo which is simply bursting with atmospheric drinking establishments around the county. For example, Gaughan’s (Ballina), Polke’s (Ballycastle), Leonard’s (Lahardane), Staunton’s (Lecanvey) and Matt Molloy’s (Westport) are just some of the best.

For those wishing to visit this westerly county, there are no shortage of top class B&Bs from which to choose.

Festivals

May: Louisburgh Feile Chois Cuain

July: Ballina Street & Arts Festival Feile Iorras folk arts festival in Belmullet ,Scoil Acla Festival of Irish music, dancing and culture, Castlebar International 4 Days Walks Festival.

July/August: Achill Yawl Sailing Festival

August: Siamsa Sraide – street festival and busking competition Killala Bay Sea Angling Festival

September: Westport Arts Festival

October: Roola Boola Children’s Arts Festival, Castlebar

Things you have to see or do

Westport House & Country Park – one of Irelands most picturesque places to vist

Croagh Patrick – site of pilgrimage, especially at the summer solstice

Ceide Fields – intriguing neolithic bogland

National Museum of Ireland - Country Life – Turlough, approx. 2 miles from Castlebar

Achill Island – the largest island in Ireland and is accessible from the mainland by bridge

Ballinglen Arts Foundation – located near Ballycastle

Useful links

Fáilte Ireland - West Region www.irelandwest.ie

County Mayo www.mayoireland.ie

History of Mayo www.mayohistory.com

Croagh Patrick www.croagh-patrick.com

Achill Tourism www.achilltourism.com