Byways rather than Highways
Away to the Mullett
In 1988 we took the road to the north coast of County Mayo and later were even more adventurous and travelled westwards through the bogland of Bangor Erris. But we never reached quite as far as the extraordinary peninsula of the Mullet. Nearly fifty years ago, I lodged on my first visit there in the bleak B&B which was the only accommodation on offer. The Mullet was wild and windswept and it remains that way. But now there is a thriving community, a splendid new hotel and a good range of accom-modation, so that Belmullet can be recommended as a base for a holiday in one of the least frequented and most remote regions of Ireland.
Begin in Ballina – the ‘town of the ford’ which stands or spreads where the River Moy meets the tide that flows in from Killala Bay. The Ballina Angling Centre, overlooking the best beat on the river, is worthy of a visit simply to gaze in awe at the multitude of colourful lures that may be used to entice the fishes. You leave Ballina by the road for Killala, eight miles to the north and something of a gateway to the wilderness. There are tempting diversions on the way there. A right turn, two miles out from Ballina leads to the secluded demesne of Belleek, a lovely area of forest and parkland.
In Killala an ancient round tower and a 17th century cathedral stand above the harbour, separated from it by a most delightful conglomeration of narrow streets and neat old houses. A peaceful spot nowadays, Killala earned fame in ‘The Year of the French’ when French troops, under the command of General Humbert, landed nearby to support the great republican rising of 1798. Belleek demesne was a place of lush woodland, with magnificent old trees and a big house spoke of affluence.
A few miles to the west, the Céide Fields Centre makes a much more convenient viewing point – with archaeology, a museum and food as added attractions. The Centre, a beautiful structure of glass and steel whose interior walls display well-deserved architectural awards, celebrates the archaeological discoveries of Séamus Caulfield who unearthed the boundaries of Stone Age fields. Guided tours are available, but be sure to climb the stairs to see the little museum which explains the scenery and gives access to the pinnacle of the building and a breathtaking view of seaside and moorland scenery.
After passing Carrowmore Lake on the left, the road heads for the Mullet, by way of a narrowing spit of land, with Blacksod Bay to the left and Broadhaven to the right. Belmullet, with its crossroads lined by 19th century shops and dwellings. Go straight through the village and turn left at the crossroads to take the road for Blacksod. A region of green pasture, with delightful sandy beaches and seething with geomorphological phenomena; the underlying rock is described as ‘Pre-Dalradian’.
The surface of much of the Mullet is a very special landform called machair, produced by a combination of sand blowing in the wind and sheep grazing. but we will pass this by and head for the village of Blacksod, with its ancient lighthouse and modern pier. A little plaque on the wall of the lighthouse commemorates the former weather station there and the fame it earned in providing vital information which determined the date of the D-day landing of 1944.
Eventually you meet the sea again, in the shape of the busy sheltered inlet of Bellacrogher Bay where they farm delectable salmon and mussels. A sudden re-appearance of woodland announces imminent departure from the wilderness and a descent to the long-established, though exclusive, seaside resort of Mallaranny. You can stay there in the recently restored 19th century railway hotel or one of many smaller lodgings. Or you might head east for the modern world or west for the remote, but totally accessible and welcoming, island of Achill.
Distances miles km
Ballina-Killala 8 13
Killala-Downpatrick Head 12 20
Downpatrick Head-
Céide Fields 9 14
Céide Fields-Belmullet 25 40
Belmullet-Blacksod 12 20
Blacksod-Bangor 24 39
Bangor-Mallaranny 17 28
Total 107 174
In 1988 we took the road to the north coast of County Mayo and later were even more adventurous and travelled westwards through the bogland of Bangor Erris. But we never reached quite as far as the extraordinary peninsula of the Mullet. Nearly fifty years ago, I lodged on my first visit there in the bleak B&B which was the only accommodation on offer. The Mullet was wild and windswept and it remains that way. But now there is a thriving community, a splendid new hotel and a good range of accom-modation, so that Belmullet can be recommended as a base for a holiday in one of the least frequented and most remote regions of Ireland.
Begin in Ballina – the ‘town of the ford’ which stands or spreads where the River Moy meets the tide that flows in from Killala Bay. The Ballina Angling Centre, overlooking the best beat on the river, is worthy of a visit simply to gaze in awe at the multitude of colourful lures that may be used to entice the fishes. You leave Ballina by the road for Killala, eight miles to the north and something of a gateway to the wilderness. There are tempting diversions on the way there. A right turn, two miles out from Ballina leads to the secluded demesne of Belleek, a lovely area of forest and parkland.
In Killala an ancient round tower and a 17th century cathedral stand above the harbour, separated from it by a most delightful conglomeration of narrow streets and neat old houses. A peaceful spot nowadays, Killala earned fame in ‘The Year of the French’ when French troops, under the command of General Humbert, landed nearby to support the great republican rising of 1798. Belleek demesne was a place of lush woodland, with magnificent old trees and a big house spoke of affluence.
A few miles to the west, the Céide Fields Centre makes a much more convenient viewing point – with archaeology, a museum and food as added attractions. The Centre, a beautiful structure of glass and steel whose interior walls display well-deserved architectural awards, celebrates the archaeological discoveries of Séamus Caulfield who unearthed the boundaries of Stone Age fields. Guided tours are available, but be sure to climb the stairs to see the little museum which explains the scenery and gives access to the pinnacle of the building and a breathtaking view of seaside and moorland scenery.
After passing Carrowmore Lake on the left, the road heads for the Mullet, by way of a narrowing spit of land, with Blacksod Bay to the left and Broadhaven to the right. Belmullet, with its crossroads lined by 19th century shops and dwellings. Go straight through the village and turn left at the crossroads to take the road for Blacksod. A region of green pasture, with delightful sandy beaches and seething with geomorphological phenomena; the underlying rock is described as ‘Pre-Dalradian’.
The surface of much of the Mullet is a very special landform called machair, produced by a combination of sand blowing in the wind and sheep grazing. but we will pass this by and head for the village of Blacksod, with its ancient lighthouse and modern pier. A little plaque on the wall of the lighthouse commemorates the former weather station there and the fame it earned in providing vital information which determined the date of the D-day landing of 1944.
Eventually you meet the sea again, in the shape of the busy sheltered inlet of Bellacrogher Bay where they farm delectable salmon and mussels. A sudden re-appearance of woodland announces imminent departure from the wilderness and a descent to the long-established, though exclusive, seaside resort of Mallaranny. You can stay there in the recently restored 19th century railway hotel or one of many smaller lodgings. Or you might head east for the modern world or west for the remote, but totally accessible and welcoming, island of Achill.
Distances miles km
Ballina-Killala 8 13
Killala-Downpatrick Head 12 20
Downpatrick Head-
Céide Fields 9 14
Céide Fields-Belmullet 25 40
Belmullet-Blacksod 12 20
Blacksod-Bangor 24 39
Bangor-Mallaranny 17 28
Total 107 174
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