Erris & North Mayo
Erris & North Mayo
It is little wonder that the playwright, John Millington Synge, is said to have drawn inspiration from the Doolough and Geesala area for his most acclaimed work, 'The Playboy of The Western World'. That was written at the dawn of the last century but much of the landscape he observed then is largely unchanged; it is now though much easier to explore and to enjoy.
More and more people are starting to realise this since The Irish Times nominated the Erris region as The Best Place To Go Wild In Ireland. The judges' criteria says it all;
It’s a question of balance and sustainability – for locals, for visitors and for the natural world. You need somewhere to stay, but not a landscape blighted by tour buses and high-rise hotels. You don’t want traffic and bustle, but you do want coffee and cake. (Well, some of us do).
The competition was a hunt for the best places in the 32 counties to experience nature, from empty beauty spots, to dramatic locations that let visitors actively engage with nature through sports such as climbing, surfing, walking, biking or kayaking.
The winning place, they decided, should be reasonably accessible while relatively unexplored. It should offer contrasting topography, healthy biodiversity and opportunities to interact with the natural world in a variety of ways, from gentle strolls through lengthy cycles to mad coasteering.
“A glorious, wild, uniformly unspoilt and stunning little-known area” was the verdict of Irish Times feature writer Rosita Boland after her research trip to Erris. Her words echo those of naturalist Robert Lloyd Praeger who, who in the 1930s, wrote that Erris is a place where “you are thrown at the same time back on yourself and forward against the mystery and majesty of nature”.
An area the size of Louth, with a population of just 20,000, Erris stretches from the 11,000 hectares of mountain and blanket bog that is Ballycroy National Park – Ireland’s only true designated wilderness – to the white sandy beaches of the Mullet peninsula. Even here there is variety: the windswept Atlantic side is heaven for surfers, while the sheltered east-facing coves are perfect for family pottering.
The name Erris comes from the Irish Iar Ros, which means “western promontory”. Sure enough, Erris has more cliffs than you can shake a walking stick at. Plunging into the Atlantic all along the north Mayo coast from Belderg westward to Erris Head, they offer not just glorious walks but the chance to spot dolphins and puffins, peregrine falcons and minke whales, as well as endless inlets and coves to be explored in a kayak.
Approaching from the east, you feel as if you’re driving into a Paul Henry painting. When you come to a place where there are open spaces in all directions, with the horizon graced by a 360-degree ring of slate- blue mountains, you’ve arrived in Erris.
Although remote and sparsely populated - an attraction in itself for many - there is still much to see and do in the locality for families and thrillseekers alike or those who like to take things just a little more leisurely. Up to date news of events and attractions can be found at www.northmayo.ie and our guests will find plenty of information when staying at the house.
There are two very welcoming golf courses nearby at Doohooma and in Belmullet whilst many are attracted to Ceide Fields, the oldest Neolithic site in the world dating back to the Stone Age over 5,000 years ago. The Ballycroy National Park is only 20 minutes drive from the house and having seen Achill Island from Doolough Shore, one is well advised to take a closer look there.
As one travel writer put it; 'Erris is a real gem. You can get lost on an uninhabited island, but you have all the mod cons as well. It’s authentic and it’s real.”
I think you may come to agree with that!
