The Walking Experience…

www.MulrannyParkHotel.ie Park Hotel

West Mayo is one of ’s most spectacular and beautiful Marked Walking Trails including walking destinations. It offers not only wild scenery These walking trails are suitable for walkers of all ages. They Welcomebut also dramatic coastal walksto and a seascapes. walkers The vast pass throughhaven… forests, along rivers, , through farmland, Mountain Range and iconic seascape of , with its bogland and over small hills, and are rarely far from a road. drowned drumlin , provide spectacular views and ever Most of the trails have their own map/guide. changing hues. Mayo is a county of great geographical con- trasts, offering walkers a quality of terrain that few places can Guided Walks compete with. Our experienced guides will show you some of our best routes with a strong focus on local history. The Mulranny Park Hotel The village of Mulranny lies on an isthmus, a convergence of hosts several walking festivals throughout the year and these land and sea, a crossroads of marine and terrestrial habitats. guided walks are only a taste of what is on offer in this region. Such is the quality of environment here that a trio of Euro- pean conservation areas and Ireland’s largest National Park Hill Walking converge on Mulranny. Some of Ireland’s best hill walks and climbing is to be found in this part of Co Mayo. With stunning mountain ranges on our The landscape here has many stories to tell… doorstep you will be spoiled for choice. Experienced and know- ledgeable guides can be organised by the Mulranny Park Hotel. 2 The Mulranny Park Hotel is an exquisite 4 star hotel nestled Leisure Mulrannywithin a beautiful woodland estate Park in the village Hotel of Mulranny, The magic of the Mulranny Park Hotel is that you don’t even Co Mayo. Perched above the glittering waters of the Atlantic have to leave the grounds to achieve the rejuvenation you’ve Ocean, the hotel exudes not just old world charm and elegance been looking for. Submerge yourself in the 20 metre swim- but offers every visitor the warmest of welcomes. ming pool and enjoy the jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, plunge pool, outdoor Canadian hot tub and fully equipped gymnasium. Dining See page 7 for travel information. The Nephin Restaurant offers the very best in fresh local pro- duce skillfully prepared by our expert chefs, all in a beautiful dining room illuminated by the dramatic views through its bay windows. The Waterfront Bar serves hearty soups, homemade dishes, delicious salads, catch of the day and tasty specials.

Accommodation Rooms have been designed for exceptional comfort & relaxa- tion. There is a choice of 41 rooms & 20 2 bedroom suites with spacious bathrooms, beverage tray, Tv and Internet access. 3 Marked Walking Trails

From our doorstep this is a walk of stunning beauty and im- The Letterkeen Loop takes in a hidden area of outstanding nat- Mulrannymense diversity. Such is the Loo biodiversity here, that you enter Letterkeenural beauty, rugged landscape andLoo coniferous forest. Set in the three different European designated areas of conservation remote out-back of the Nephin , unspoilt bog and and Ireland’s largest National Park. On the way visit Ireland’s mountain stretches as far as the eye can see. This way marked only stand of Mediterranean heather, woodland, beaches, rare walk is made up of mountain track, a somewhat challenging , Atlantic and traverse Trawoughter scramble across deforested bog land and mountainous terrain. Bay along Mulranny’s unique causeway. The route features ele- vated views of the dramatic deep sided Bellacragher Bay and to Hike here and you’ll see that bogs can be beautiful. On a sunny the south the stunning spectacle of Clew Bay and its drowned day in July, the views take on an almost hallucinogenic hue: the drumlin islands set against the majestic . bogs burn shocking pink and acid green. The route circles back to the bothy via a stretch of the , following Route: (this route is outlined on page 6) another rugged riverside. Grade: Moderate Length: 5½ km. The walk takes 2½ hours Recommended: Boots, waterproofs, walking stick, binoculars, Route: (this route is outlined on page 6) water & snacks. Grade: Moderate Length: 10km. The walk takes 4 hours Recommended: Boots, waterproofs, water and snacks.

4 (as featured on RTE’s Tracks and Trails)

This walk starts at the Deradda Community Centre and takes Route: (this route is outlined on page 6) Lettermagheraa meandering route through ’s Loo “ district” with Grade: Easy Length: 7km. The walk takes 2½ hours the range as a stunning backdrop. Along the route Recommended: Boots, waterproofs, water & snacks. you can visit the famous “Salmon Leap” at Lough Furnace, part of ’s oldest salmon research centre. Here you can enjoy the beautiful sight of different kinds of fish swimming in the water. You then join a bog road crossing the lower slopes of the Bengorm Mountains, which offers splendid views across Clew Bay and its islands.

The route turns south again passing through Burrishoole’s “lake district” and crossing the new Great Western Greenway, (which was the old railway Westport-Achill line that oper- ated between 1892 and 1937) until you are back at the Community Centre.

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Getting to Mulranny

N59 By Road From Mulranny to: Westport 25 min 30 min 90 min Knock Airport 1 hr 28 min By Air Clare Island Westport Knock N5 By Rail R330 Train to Westport or Castlebar R335 Transfers can be organised from N59 the airport or train stations n Way Louisburgh Croagh Patrick ster We 764 Guided Walks

Clew Bay is one of Ireland’s most iconic seascapes, and a “must Route: (this route is outlined on page 6) Clewsee” for any Bay visitor. Initially Coastal we explore Mulranny’s Walk Machair Grade: Moderate Length: 19km. The walk takes 5 – 5½ hours sand dunes, one of Europe’s rarest habitats. These are dynamic Recommended: Boots, waterproofs, water & snacks. landforms renowned for their variety of wild flowers, they fea- ture a variety of a of habitats including , , mudflat and Atlantic salt marsh. Rosmurrevagh is a fine example and home to rare species of fungi, moths and curious beetles.

Historic sites on the route include a Celtic Midden, a Killeen, Gairí Beag Na bPáistí, (the children’s small garden), a fairy fort Blea Na Shee, (the curve of the fairies) a fine lime kiln, and the magnificent single arch Washing Pool Bridge. Rosturk takes you deeper into the bay offering exceptional views of Clew Bay’s drowned drumlins, a beautiful legacy of the last Ice Age. You can walk past the historic Rosturk Castle and our fully guided walks offer a unique opportunity to access the once inhabited island of Moynish Mór. 8 The guided walk starts in the neighbouring town of Newport Route: (this route is outlined on page 6) Burrishooleat Newport Church with a guidedHeritage tour of the pricelessTrail Grade: Easy Length: 25km. The walk takes 6 – 6½ hours Harry Clark stained glass window collection including “the Recommended: Boots, waterproofs, walking sticks, water & snacks. Last Judgement” scene. The walk takes in the view of the magnificent seven arch old railway viaduct, before heading out to Burrishoole Friary, established in 1469.

We then take in an elevated viewing point of the rustic seven- arch Burrishoole Bridge followed by a guided tour of the intact fortress of Gráinne Uaile (Grace O Malley) the notorious pirate queen of the Sixteenth Century.

The walk passes Roigh Pier and Saint Brendan’s Well before veering north for the Nephin foothills and then west along a mountain track through Tiernaur (the Land of the Slaugh- ter) across the impressive Washing Pool Bridge and on to our destination the Mulranny Park Hotel, built in 1897. 9 Hill Walking

The Nephin Beg Mountain range dominates the landscape The Glendahork Horseshoe is one of Ireland’s finest high Takein North West Mayo.to Itthe offers some of Hillsthe best hillwalking level circuits. Nephin Beg and are more remote opportunities anywhere in Ireland. This relatively undiscovered but well worth the hike into the north Mayo wilderness and mountain range contains five iconic hikes for the experienced . Nearby, & the Corraun hill walker. These hikes require a Guide and demand good peninsula contain several high level hikes with dramatic levels of fitness, experience, and appropriate gear. views of the Atlantic Ocean. Finally there is the , stretching down from Bangor toward Newport. One Nephin itself is a towering mountain of some 806 metres and of the most enjoyable days a walker will spend anywhere in the views from the top are impressive. On a clear day Slieve Ireland, this is a full day’s hike [25 km] that can be enjoyed League in Donegal is visible, and nearby the Bireencorragh in either direction. The hike is a tough one and like all the Horseshoe is a tough but rewarding circuit. It rises to 698 Hillwalks mentioned above demand good levels of fitness, metres with a Bronze Age burial site on top. experience, and appropriate hiking gear.

10 Activities Ballycroy Derry Larne Donegal Visitor Centre Belfast Slievemore Sligo Lough (672m) Conn Keel NATIONAL Mulranny Park Hotel Lough Achill Castlebar PARK Westport Croaghaun Island Knock (688m) INISHBIGGLE N59 Keem Keel IRELAND ANNAGH Galway Dublin ISLAND Dun Laoghaire Nephin Shannon Bellacragher (714m) Limerick Minaun Achill (403m) Bay Lough Sound Feeagh Tralee Walking Waterford Rosslare Harbour Cycling Cork Mulranny Park Hotel Lough Horseriding Furnace Greenway Canoeing / Kayaking N59 Atlantic Corraun Hill Drive (524m) Kildownet Castle Newport Newport - Castlebar 18km N5 Clew Bay R311 Blue Flag Beaches Historical Monuments Island N59 Golf Castlebar Woodland Mountain Ranges N84 Clare Island Sea / Fresh Water N5 Deep Sea Fishing (Sailing Points) A haven of activities Westport Seal, Porpoise and Whale Watching on ou doorstep R330 The location of some activities are subject to change and are Westport - Galway 80km weather permitting. Louisburgh Croagh Patrick N59 (764m)

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www.MulrannyParkHotel.ie Mulranny Park Hotel, Mulranny, Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland Tel +353 98 36 000 Fax +353 98 36 899 Reservations 1850 336 000 Email [email protected]