County Mayo in situated in the province of Connacht, located on the west coast of Ireland. It is a stunningly beautiful county. Mayo has a wonderfully varied landscape and remarkably has remained unspoiled by the commercialism that has affected other tourist destinations. A long coastline features superb beaches and all the drama of the highest sea cliffs in Europe. Venture inland and you will find that a more serene beauty reigns with lakeland scenery, rolling mountains and megalithic tombs. Not far from Westport stands Croagh Patrick, the pyramidal mountain, where Saint Patrick is said to have performed his snake-banishing act. Mayo's other famous religious site is Knock, which is visited by thousands of pilgrims every year.
Mayo is bordered to the south by Galway, to the east by Roscommon, and to the north-east by Sligo. Castlebar and Ballina are by far the two most populous towns in the county, with 10,729 and 10,146 residents respectively. These are followed by Westport, a hugely popular tourist town, which has 5,140 residents, but swells in the holiday season to multiples of that figure. It is not hard to see why. This is Irelands only architect designed town. The town was laid out by James Wyatt, a famous English architect. He also completed Wesport House, the stately home of the Marquess of Sligo and designed the dining room. The most notable feature of James Wyatts's plan is the lovely tree-lined boulevard, the Mall, built on the River Carowbeg. The town oozes character and atmosphere with carefully maintained shops restaurants and pubs and manicured public areas. It is reminiscent of a French village, perhaps in deference to Killala, on the west coast, which was the site of the first battle of the French forces of General Humbert in the 1798 Rebellion. Killala was used as the major location for the 1981 multi-million-pound television series "The Year of the French".
There is so much to do in Mayo. Like its sister county to the south, Galway, it is a holiday destination that keeps you enthralled whilst remaining within its boundaries. Castlebar is a busy town with lots of quality shopping and Ballina, to the north of it, offers as good, if not better, in any of the aspects of the main county town. Both towns are gateways to wonderful sights. From Castlebar go west to Wesport and onto Louisburgh and you enter the incredible Connemara vista of beauty. From Louisburgh, you can get the ferries to Clare Island and Inis Turk Island, off the north Mayo coast. Ballina provides you with the gateway to Achill Island, a holiday destination island in its own right. Ballina lies on the River Moy with fantastic fishing on Lough Mask and Lough Carra at Partry where the mountain range of the same name merges with the lakes in a stunning choreography of nature. The famous Foxford Woolen Mills are just east of Ballina where there is a fantastic factory shop.
Golfers are spoilt for choice as well with Westport, Belmullet, and Claremorris among many great courses. Walking, hiking climbing and cycling are for what Mayo was apparently designed. But you don’t have to active to enjoy this place. Luxury hotel and spa are common so why not pamper yourself. Probably, the most exclusive retreat has to be Ashford Castle in Cong straddling the Mayo/Galway Border which is a long established magnificent hotel on the shores of Lough Corrib.
The east of Mayo contains more market towns and the landscape is a little more mundane and flatter. Claremorris is a small town of over 3,000 people but it is one of the fastest growing in the west. Charlestown is really only a large village of less than 1000 people but it prospers because of the presence of the Knock Airport ( Ireland West International Airport) a few kilometers south of it. The airport brings tremendous advantages to tourism in Mayo and surrounding counties as the long runways mean large Jumbo jets can land there unlike Galway or Sligo airports.
All in all Mayo has so much to offer. Throw in the wonderfully warm and welcoming nature of the Mayo people and you have a recipe that will cook you the perfect holiday.
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