County Mayo - Towns

Located between Swinford and Castlebar is the hamlet of Bellavery. There are several attractions in the area including fishing, Turlough Round Tower and Strade Franciscan Friary.

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The Mullet peninsula is an area of unspoiled natural beauty and mystique, which is becoming a very popular tourist location. Its latest attraction is an 18-hole championship links golf course at Carn, west of Belmullet. The peninsula is about 33 km in length and 12 km wide at the widest points, narrowing to about 400 metres in the region of Elly Bay. The trip from Belmullet to Blackpool point (21 km) gives a good understanding of the nature of the peninsula: its west coast, exposed to the Atlantic, is completely denuded of vegetation, while the east overlooks the inlet of Blacksod Bay. Along the way there is Binghamstown, Elly Bay, with its beautiful beaches, and Aghleam (Eachleim), a popular place for Irish language courses. The ruins of the successor of St. Deirbhile's 6th century church with its Romanesque west doorway, her possible grave, and some early cross-pillars can be seen at Fallmore on the south-west end of the peninsula. To the south-east, there is a splendid view of the cliffs of Achill. Offshore, the uninhabited islands of Duvillaun More, Inishkea North and South (St. Columcille) and Inishglora (St Brendan, the Navigator) contain some very interesting remains of early ecclesiastical settlements including a number of finely incised cross slabs. Inishglora is associated with a celebrated fable in Irish mythology, 'The Children of Lir' (where a group of children were turned into swans and wandered the country for 900 years). the ruin of Cross 'Abbey', a small medieval church the foundation of which is attributed to St. Brendan, the Navigator, in the 6th century, can be seen west of Binghamstown. There is also an interesting early ecclesiastical site at Kilmore. The northern coastline contains the remains of a number of promontory forts.

The Mullet peninsula is a popular location for sea-angling. It is also renowned for its unique bird-life, some of which deserve special mention. Termoncarragh Lough, now under the protection of the Irish Wildlife Conservancy, is home to the Red Necked Phalarope (admission to the reserve is by appointment only). The islands of Inishkea are well-known bird sanctuaries. They provide habitats for a large colony of Barnacle Geese (winter visitors to Ireland), and Inishglora is home to a big colony of Storm Petrels. The Mullet peninsula is a Gaeltacht area with a rich heritage of traditional music, song and dance.

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Bohola (Both Chomhla) is a village beside the N5 between Swinford and Castlebar. It is the birthplace of the great athlete, Martin J. Sheridan (1881-1918), who won nine Olympic medals (five gold, three silver and one bronze) for his adopted country, the USA, in discus-throwing, high and long jumps, shot-putt and pole-vaulting at St. Louis (1904), Athens (1906) and London (1908). (The figures include two gold and three silver medals won in Athens which was not regarded as an "official" Olympics.) There is a memorial in his honour at Bohola. The site for the Cheshire Home at Lismirrane, Bohola, was donated by the well-known O'Dywer family, one of whom, William (1890-1964), became Mayor of New York City (1946-50) and later President Truman's Ambassador to Mexico, a rare distinction for an Irish emigrant, and Paul (1907- ), a lawyer with an international reputation for civil liberties, became President of New York City Council.

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Castlebar, the administrative capital of County Mayo with a population of over 6,000 is centrally located in an area rich in heritage, history, scenery and tradition and is the perfect base from which to explore one of the few unspoilt areas of western Europe.

Castlebar began as a settlement around a castle built by the de Barra (Barry ) family. Modern day Castlebar contrasts starkly with the town of yore, a garrison outpost whose streets have echoes and re-echoed to battle cries and the sounds of strife. It hosted events (including the 1798 French and Irish rebellion - the Races of Castlebar) that moulded the shape of things to come not alone in Castlebar but in Ireland itself.

Originally a market town, Castlebar has kept this tradition and is renowned for its variety of interesting shopping areas. Everything from a needle to a pint of Guinness!

Castlebar also offers a great variety of activities and exciting locations - indoor and outdoor. There is plenty of lively night-time entertainment including traditional Irish music available in hotels and pubs as well as top quality dining at a wide variety of restaurants.

Castlebar is a superb location for outdoor pursuits including planned walking routes and it is surrounded by some of the best fishing lakes n the West of Ireland.

Mayo Abbey , located in the countryside near Castlebar is a ruin which is rich in history, and the place which gave Mayo its name. It was grounded in the 7th century by English monks as a result of a split between the Celtic and Roman Churches. These monks came originally from the English monastery of Lindisfarne, which they left after refusing to bow to the Synod of Whitby.

The monks settled first in Inishbofin off the Galway coast, but then thirty of them left to found their own community. The place where they settled was called Maigh Eo Sacsan (The Plain of the Saxon Yews). This was later shortened to Mayo. Sire Henry Sydney, charged under Queen Elizabeth with dividing Connaught (Connacht) into counties named the whole county after this famous monastery.

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Charlestown is strategically situated on the intersection of two National Primary Roads - N5 and N17, giving it the title Gateway to the West of Ireland. It is 3km from Knock International Airport and has national and private bus services daily.

A number of well known authors and playwriters were born here creating a long tradition of Amateur Drama to All-Ireland level and an ongoing interest in creative writing. Through the years the town has excelled in Football and Handball. Charlestown preserves an original charm and hospitality for tourists and emigrants in a green and unspoilt landscape.

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