Achill-henge is a rather controversial structure with a very interesting story behind it. It first came to my attention through a post on Boards.ie and, so fascinated was I with the conversation around it, that I had to see it while I was in Achill last year. According to locals, it was put up in…
Down in Mayo on holidays and I was out for a drive around the Killary Fjord, when I saw a sign for the Aasleagh Falls and stopped to take a look. Parking A little camper van was parked opposite a stile that leads to the waterfall, and I pulled in behind it. It’s a small…
Last month, while in Mayo, I had a list of places to see when I arrived in Newport. One of those on the list for the Friday evening I arrived was Burrishoole Abbey, although apparently it’s not an abbey, it’s a friary, as the Dominican order (who it was founded for by Richard de Burgo…
I couldn’t let today go without posting this picture of Blacksod lighthouse and coastguard station that I took while I was in Mayo. Today, Maureen Sweeney, a 98 year old woman living in Mayo, received a special US House of Representatives honour for her role in changing the course of the second world war while…
St. Deirbhile’s Church, Aughleam, Belmullet, Mayo We were blessed with the most glorious weather on the Sunday of the June bank holiday weekend while we were in Mayo. Driving around the coast, out past Mullet and towards a place called Faulmore, we spotted the ruins of St. Deirbhile’s church. St. Deirbhile’s church (with at least…
Grace Kelly family ancestral home About six kilometres from Newport in the townland of Drumilra, Mayo, and overlooking the ‘Leg of Mutton’ lake, lie the crumbling remains of a three roomed cottage that actress and princess, Grace Kelly, purchased in June of 1976. Grace Kelly’s grandfather, John Peter Kelly had been born and reared in…
Distance: 26km Time: 11 hours When I originally signed up for this guided hike, I didn’t really believe that it would take ten to twelve hours to walk it. Sure, the guide posted enough advance warning on Facebook about the distance, and relayed, repeatedly, the fact that the trail was quite wet. But I thought…
Slievenamon or Slieve na mBán (Mountain of the Women) is one of my favourite mountains. At 721 metres, it’s a nice walk to the summit, but it’s popular with both runners and walkers due to its easy to follow trail leading to the top. Parking at Slievenamon In recent times, the mountain has gotten quite…
This is my first post on this blog and what better way to start it than with one of my first climbs on one of Ireland’s most well known mountains – St. Patrick’s holy mountain, Croagh Patrick in Co. Mayo. What aspiring hill walker hasn’t wanted to climb ‘The Reek’ at some point in their…