Rising from a narrow isthmus, the hillside village of Mulranny overlooks a wide Blue Flag beach on the road from Newport to Achill Sound and on the cusp of the Curraun Peninsula. It's a prime vantage point for counting the 365 or so seemingly saucer-sized islands that grace Clew Bay.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
25.66 MILES
Immediately southeast of Letterfrack, Connemara National Park spans 2000 dramatic hectares of bog, mountains, heath and woodlands.
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22.4 MILES
Imposing Ballintubber Abbey is the only church in Ireland founded by an Irish king that remains in use. It's reputed to have been established in 1216 next…
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24.41 MILES
Photogenically perched on the shores of Pollacapall Lough, 4km east of Letterfrack, Kylemore is a crenellated 19th-century neo-Gothic fantasy. It was…
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National Museum of Country Life
22.93 MILES
The extensive and engrossing displays of this riverside museum delve into Ireland's fascinating rural traditions and skills. It's set in a modern,…
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17.83 MILES
Tucked away at the far west of the island, Keem Bay is Achill's most remote Blue Flag beach. The crescent of golden sands sits at the foot of steep cliffs…
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25.91 MILES
With towering walls engulfed in ivy and empty windows, Moore Hall is an astonishing and atmospheric ruin. Set beside Lough Carra, it was built in the…
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13.4 MILES
Running 3km southeast from Keel, beautiful, Blue Flag, golden-sand Trawmore is among Achill's most photographed beaches. Be aware that there are dangerous…
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11.98 MILES
The chancel roof of 13th-century Clare Island Abbey is dotted with faded fragments of murals, dating from around 1500. Look out too for the tomb reputed…
Nearby County Mayo attractions
5.81 MILES
Carrigahowley Castle (also called Rockfleet Castle), an intact 15th-century tower off the N59, is associated with 'pirate queen' Grace O'Malley. She…
3. Kildownet Church and Cemetery
7.4 MILES
These ruins probably date to the 17th century, but an earlier church dating to the 16th century also existed here, perhaps built by Grace O'Malley who…
7.48 MILES
The 40ft-high, 15th-century tower house rising beside the shore at Kildownet is associated with the pirate queen Grace O'Malley. Entering through a steel…
8.03 MILES
From a distance, the eerie shell of this wind-battered 1470-built Dominican abbey near the water is quite a sight. Leaving Newport in a northwest…
9.02 MILES
Head east from Louisburgh for a couple of kilometres and look out for the turning north to the pleasant and secluded beach at Old Head.
9.63 MILES
The sheltered, broad beach at Carrowmore, just west of Louisburgh village, offers good views of Croagh Patrick and has a lifeguard on duty in summer.
10.03 MILES
At the O’Malley's factory, tours reveal just how the family magics Achill's mineral-rich waters into flavoursome flakes of crunchy salt. After seeing…