A few things off the top of my head

by Jack , Friday, May 01, 2026, 12:10 (24 days ago) @ Jay

There are great pubs in Westport, including one owned by Matt Molloy of The Chieftains. Great traditional music scene.

Take a drive out up to Achill Island for some spectacular coastal scenery, including the White Cliffs of Ashleam.

I'm biased but if you take a drive to the Delphi district, which is the southeast quadrant of Mayo south of Clew Bay, you can go west towards Louisburgh and then turn south to the Doo Lough Valley - Doo Lough is a beautiful mountain lake - visit the roadside Famine Monument, down towards the Killary fjord (the only fjordi in Ireland), east to Leenane, Galway, where you can then pick up the N59 back up to Westport. The Killary separates southern Mayo from the Connemara district in Galway. If you go that route you'll pass by where my grandfather was born and where my cousins still live. Their houses face the Killary, in fact. There's also a boat tour you can take. Look for my family name on signs in the area, including in the Westport city center. It'll be the only place in Ireland you're likely to see it.

If you're so inclined you can take the drive along the southern bank of the Killary on the Galway side towards Clifden and visit Kylemore Abbey which has a Notre Dame association - see the link below - worth visiting even without the ND connection.

https://kylemore.nd.edu/

Lastly, in the opposite direction, from Westport you can go through Castlebar, then turn north towards Ballina, and then farther north to Downpatrick Head for some more spectacular cliffs and view a stone pillar in the middle of the ocean. Be advised you can walk right over the cliff if you don't watch it.