Places near here
Photo credits
- National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- Comhar, Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
canal (section of)84 ydExplorer Tom Canal in Belmullet is a zombie apocalypse survivor. Carter dug it to save fishermen, but now it’s just a watery trench. If the dead rise, this ditch is your only escape route. Sit on a wall near it and cheer them on.
pier/jetty247 ydExplorer Tom Pier or jetty in Belmullet is out there again, looking like it’s waiting for a boat that left in 1859. William Henry Carter paid the tab himself, which makes me think he either loved the sea or really hated his landlord. It’s a bit of an engineering flex from the early nineteenth century, and honestly, I’d bet good money it’s still got more character than half the pubs in town. If you spot it, try
Holy Well1.1 miExplorer Tom Holy Well in An Carn, County Mayo would win the county fair by simply existing and looking very smug about it. It doesn't even need a ribbon to prove it's the best spot around. Ideal stop for a big stretch and a bigger yawn.
Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Imleach Beag ThuaidhFairy fort / earthen ringfort · 1.5 miExplorer Tom Imleach Beag Thuaidh’s fairy fort would write 'Looking for someone who appreciates silence and dirt' on its dating profile. It’s charming in a very low-budget way, with no visible features to speak of. Count the crows, then count them again to be sure.
Gob an ChloiginnHeadland · 2.9 miExplorer Tom Gob an Chloiginn is incredibly proud of its name, which sounds like it was shouted through a megaphone during a thunderstorm. It thinks being a headland with such a mouthful of a title makes it the star of the show. It’s basically wearing its own pronunciation on a T-shirt that says 'Try Saying That Twice.' Find the date carved somewhere and feel clever.
Trá Bhéal DoireBeach / strand · 3.0 miExplorer Tom Trá Bhéal Doire in County Mayo would teach history by making you walk backwards through the sand until you forgot why you were there in the first place. It’s got a name that sounds like it came from a very serious book about old languages, but it’s really just a beach having a bit of a day. The waves are probably grading your pronunciation and giving you a failing mark every time. Have
Burkes Castle (Site of)Castle, unclassified · 3.1 miExplorer Tom Burkes Castle has a ghost who is too lazy to actually haunt anything, so he just sits in the corner reading newspapers from 1920. The family name suggests serious nobility, but the vibe is more 'tired librarian' than 'fearsome lord'. Stop the car, it's worth the hazard lights.
Oileán ChloigeannIslet · 3.2 miExplorer Tom Oileán Chloigeann has made its New Year's resolution to stop getting washed away before February, but let’s be honest, we all slip up sometimes. It’s just sitting there being a bit too dramatic about how much it hates the salt spray. I think it wants to be a mountain but settled for being a rock instead. Find a local and ask them the real story, then come back and tell me.
Bawn in Tearmann CaithreachBawn · 3.4 miExplorer Tom Bawn in Tearmann Caithreach would bring a bucket of old stones to a party and call it chic. It’s a walled enclosure that’s mostly just vibes and potential right now. Perfect detour when the satnav has a meltdown.
Inis DoireIslet · 3.6 miExplorer Tom Inis Doire is probably where the bishop went to hide because he refused to visit any other spot. It’s a tiny island that thinks it’s better than everyone else in County Mayo. I’m sure it has strong opinions about who gets to sit down first. Bring the dog, it'll have opinions.
Portnacully BeachBeach / strand · 4.0 miExplorer Tom Portnacully Beach in County Mayo would review its visitors with a star rating based entirely on how much sand they kick up and whether they tip their ice cream cones properly. It thinks most people are too busy checking their phones to notice that it’s actually doing quite well for itself. The sauna nearby probably knows all the gossip about who left first and who stayed late. Best enjoyed with a
Cuan an InbhirBay · 5.2 miExplorer Tom Broadhaven Bay has a mouth about 8.6 kilometres wide, so even I cannot claim to have seen all of it from one rock. Erris Head guards the west side and Kid Island the east. Inside are sandy beaches, blanket bog, mudflats and reef habitats that help wintering birds and breeding terns. The quieter inlets carry a great deal of life while the Atlantic keeps a loud appointment outside. I would announce myself as the bay's official bird counter and be dismissed after missing the first flock. Choose a lawful shore viewpoint, check tides and weather, and keep well back from nesting birds and soft tidal ground. Watch how the landscape narrows into the inner water. Mayo has given the open sea a remarkable place to pause.
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