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County Mayo
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Westport |
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Stretching from Lough Corrib in the south to Killala Bay in the north, and looking out over Clew Bay and the Atlantic Ocean , Mayo has lots of attractions, including beautiful mountain scenery, remote bogs and wonderful beaches. |
It has excellent fishing waters at Lough Conn , Lough Mask, and the River Moy, great golf courses, lots of walking trails and a host of historic ruins to explore. Achill , Ireland ’s largest island, is joined to the mainland by a bridge.
Remains of the area’s first settlements dating back 5,000 years can be seen in ancient monuments that include standing stones, fulachta fiadh (Bronze Age cooking sites) and ring forts. A rugged terrain and relative isolation have meant that they are in a better condition than those found in intensively farmed areas. There are ruined abbeys, friaries and churches all over the county, showing the significance of the area in early Christian days. North Mayo and Croagh Patrick in particular have strong associations with St. Patrick.
Inland, Mayo has rolling mountains and hundreds of beautiful lakes, such as Conn , Cullen and Corrib, while parts of the county also feature the endangered bogland habitat, a mecca for wildlife enthusiasts.
In addition to natural beauty, Mayo has fine sports facilities and visitor centres. The three main towns are Castlebar (the county capital), Ballina, the largest, and Westport.
The town of Westport is situated on the banks of the Carrowbeg River on the shores of Clew Bay in County Mayo . It is one of only two planned towns in all of Ireland , built by a well known architect, James Wyatt. One of the most striking features of the town is its picturesque boulevard known as "The Mall". Lime trees line the boulevard on the part of the Carrowbeg River that runs through the town center. This ends at the grounds of the Westport House, a stately manor built around 1750 and now open to the public.
Westport offers the visitor a multitude of attractions. There is a wide selection of sandy beaches to choose from along the shores of Clew Bay , including Ireland 's only fjord, located just south of Clew Bay near Killary Harbor . Hill walking is a popular attraction as there are numerous trails surrounding the area on which one can explore the area's natural beauty
The impressive peak of Croagh Patrick lies in the background of Westport and a visit to the sacred mountain gives you magnificent views of the surrounding area. Achill Island, Ireland 's largest island and accessible by a land bridge, is only a 45 minute drive from Westport . Here you can take walks on the numerous trails and visit archaeological sites, including the remains of a large settlement on the Island , the Deserted Village. |
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Croagh Patrick is situated five miles from Westport and the mountain's conical peak, standing at a height of 2,510 feet, provides a stunning backdrop to the surrounding countryside. The mountain has been considered a sacred mountain by the Irish people for the last 5,000 years. Records indicate that as early as 3000 BC, pagan rituals, including a festival for the God Lough, were held here.
In 441 AD, it is said that the patron saint of Ireland , St. Patrick, spent 40 days and 40 nights praying and fasting on the mountain top. It is also said that this is the mountain from which St. Patrick banished the snakes from Ireland . Due to its religious background, the mountain has become a place of Catholic pilgrimage. Every year on the last Sunday of July over 60,000 people make the ascent up the mountain, many of them barefoot, to fast and pray.
Near the base of the mountain is Tobair Padraig, or Patrick's Well, named for the natural spring nearby where Patrick baptized his first Irish converts. A white stone statue of St. Patrick holding a green clover up to the heavens stands at the beginning of the trail up to the mountain. |
Achill Island is the largest island in Ireland at 60 square miles and is accessible from the mainland by a land bridge. Here you can visit the quaint villages of Dooagh and Dooega, the high cliffs at Slievemore and Minaun and the magnificent beaches at Keel and Keem, under Achill Head. No visit to the Island would be complete without taking a journey of scenic splendour on the famous Atlantic Drive which circuits the island.
Achill 's beautiful unspoiled, remote scenery and clear waters make it ideally suited for the outdoor person. You can explore the island's peaceful countryside with a beach walk, hill walk, or even a road walk! You can rent bicycles on the island if you would like to cover more distance. You can climb the highest mountain on the island, Mt. Slievemore (about 1800 feet), with ease and have a remarkable view of the area or opt take a walk up the third highest point, Mt. Minaun and walk along the Minaun cliffs.
While on the island be sure to visit the Deserted Village located at the base of Mt. Slievemore . A perfect day might include taking the Atlantic Drive before visiting the deserted village and then walking up to Mt. Slievemore from the village to the large megalithic tomb that stands overlooking the sea. |
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| Deserted Village |
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Close by Dugort, at the base of Slievemore mountain lies the Deserted Village . There are approximately 80 ruined houses in the village and it was once the largest settlement on the island. The houses were built of unmortared stone, which means that no cement or mortar was used to hold the stones together. Each house consisted of just one room and this room was used as kitchen, living room, bedroom and even stable.
If one looks at the fields around the Deserted Village and right up the mountain, one can see the tracks in the fields of 'lazy beds', which is how crops like potatoes were grown. In Achill , as in many areas of Ireland , a system called 'Rundale' was used for farming. This meant that the land around a village was rented from a landlord. This land was then shared by all the villagers to graze their cattle and sheep. Each family would then have two or three small pieces of land scattered about the village, which they used to grow crops.
For many years, people lived in the village and then in 1845 Famine struck in Achill as it did in the rest of Ireland . Most of the families moved to the nearby village of Dooagh , which is beside the sea, while some others emigrated.
Living beside the sea meant that fish and shellfish could be used for food. The village was eventually completely abandoned, hence the name.
No one has lived in these houses since the time of the Famine, however the families that moved to Dooagh and their descendants, continued to use the village as a 'booley village'. This means that during the summer season the younger members of the family, teenage boys and girls, would take the cattle to graze on the hillside and stay in the houses of the Deserted Village . This custom continued until the 1940's. Boolying was also carried out in other areas of Achill , including Annagh on Croaghaun Mountain and in Curraun. |
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