County Mayo

Clew Bay's islands sit under Croagh Patrick, Westport anchors the corner, and the north coast empties out towards Achill and Erris. Mayo is big, and the distance is part of it.

County Mayo facts

Province: Connacht
County town: Castlebar
Setting: Atlantic coast
Touring region: Wild Atlantic Way
Best for: coast, hiking, scenic drives, history, family
Golf: Carne at Belmullet, Eddie Hackett's last design. Our golf guide
Places in the planner: 10

County Mayo, on the northwest Atlantic coast, combines pilgrim mountains, island-dotted bays and some of Ireland's emptiest and most beautiful countryside. Croagh Patrick, the holy mountain above Clew Bay, has drawn pilgrims for centuries, and the bay itself is scattered with small islands beneath it.

Westport, at the bay's corner, is one of Ireland's most appealing towns, while further north the Céide Fields preserve a Neolithic field system beneath the bog, Achill Island offers beaches and cliffs, and the Mullet Peninsula and Erris headlands feel genuinely remote. Castlebar is the county town, and Knock shrine draws visitors from around the world. Mayo's scale surprises people: it is one of Ireland's largest counties, and its north coast in particular takes time to reach. That distance keeps it quiet, and travellers who make the effort consistently rate its emptiness and coastline among their favourite Irish memories.

Top sights in Mayo

Croagh Patrick

Ireland's holy mountain above Clew Bay, climbed by pilgrims and walkers alike.

Achill Island

Ireland's largest island, with beaches, cliffs and the Atlantic Drive, reached by bridge.

Céide Fields

A Neolithic field system and visitor centre beneath the bog on the north coast.

Westport and Clew Bay

A planned Georgian town on a bay scattered with islands, beneath Croagh Patrick.

Knock Shrine

A Marian shrine and basilica that has drawn pilgrims since 1879.

Towns & cities in Mayo

Castlebar

The town's best-known story is the Races of Castlebar, the rout of 1798. Today it is Mayo's county town, with the Country Life museum at Turlough Park just east of it.

Westport

An 18th-century plan gives Westport its orderly streets, and Clew Bay gives it its outlook. Pubs and family summers do the rest, on the bay in County Mayo.

Ballina

Anglers come for the Moy and its salmon, and the river runs right through the town. Ballina stands on the River Moy in north County Mayo.

Cong

The abbey ruins hold the village's history: the last High King of Ireland died here in 1198. Cong sits between Lough Mask and Lough Corrib on the Mayo-Galway border, with Ashford Castle at its edge.

Claremorris

Market town in south Mayo near Knock.

Best time to visit

Late spring to early autumn suits Achill, Croagh Patrick and island boat trips best. Westport is a good base year-round, with winter best for quiet breaks.

Getting there

Ireland West Airport (Knock) is in the county near Charlestown. Castlebar and Westport are on the rail line from Dublin, about three hours away.

Places for your trip

Castlebar: The town's best-known story is the Races of Castlebar, the rout of 1798. Today it is Mayo's county town, with the Country Life museum at Turlough Park just east of it.
Westport: An 18th-century plan gives Westport its orderly streets, and Clew Bay gives it its outlook. Pubs and family summers do the rest, on the bay in County Mayo.
Ballina: Anglers come for the Moy and its salmon, and the river runs right through the town. Ballina stands on the River Moy in north County Mayo.
Croagh Patrick: Pilgrims climb this mountain above Clew Bay in Saint Patrick's name, as they have for centuries. Croagh Patrick stands near Westport, and the annual pilgrimage climb is the peak of it.
Cong: The abbey ruins hold the village's history: the last High King of Ireland died here in 1198. Cong sits between Lough Mask and Lough Corrib on the Mayo-Galway border, with Ashford Castle at its edge.
Cong Abbey: The last High King of Ireland is tied to this ruined Augustinian abbey in Cong, and the carving repays a slow look.
Ballintubber Abbey: Ballintubber Abbey in County Mayo was founded in 1216 and remains in use as a parish church.
Keem Bay, Achill Island: Keem Bay is a sheltered bay at the western end of Achill Island in County Mayo.
Knock Shrine: Knock Shrine in County Mayo is a Catholic pilgrimage site where an apparition was reported in 1879.
Carne: Eddie Hackett's last design, at Belmullet near the end of the world.

What's on

No anchor festival is based here, but the Irish year is full: next up nationally is TradFest (20–24 Jan 2027, Temple Bar, Dublin). See the full events calendar

Nearby counties