Overview
For over three decades Kiltane’s skyline carried Ireland’s first commercial wind farm; in January 2026 the last of its turbines came down. Pioneering and already past – that pairing fits this corner of Erris, in the north-west of County Mayo. Kiltane (Irish: Cill tSéadhna, ‘Seadhna’s church’) is a civil parish of Atlantic blanket bog, threaded by the Owenmore River and centred on the village of Bangor Erris. Be clear about what it is: there’s no single attraction with a car park and a sign. The appeal is the emptiness, the birds and the sky.
The church that named the parish
Kiltane takes its name from Cill tSéadhna, the church of Seadhna, an early-Christian foundation reckoned to date from around the 7th century that stood on the banks of the Owenmore River, west of Bangor. Its dedication points to how far back Christian worship reaches across Erris. The old graveyard still sits about two miles west of Bangor, with more than thirty legible headstones dating between 1886 and 1950 – a compact record of rural Mayo lives.
The Bellacorick wind farm
Bord na Móna opened the Bellacorick wind farm in 1992: Ireland’s first commercial installation, 21 turbines generating 6.5 megawatts, enough for roughly 4,500 homes. In January 2026 the final turbine was dismantled, well past its planned 25-year life, its parts sent for specialist recycling rather than landfill. The site is now moving into Phase 3 of the neighbouring Oweninny wind farm, whose far larger turbines will supply over 140,000 homes. For now the old access roads remain, while the surrounding bog stays largely undisturbed.
Landscape and wildlife
The blanket bog here is a protected Atlantic peatland, growing slowly across rolling ground fed by near-constant rain. Robert Lloyd Praeger caught the character of it in The Way That I Went (1937): from Mullranny, he wrote, ‘you may walk for thirty miles to the great cliffs of North Mayo, and your feet never leave the heather.’ The open, treeless ground is good country for ground-nesting waders, best watched in the early morning or late afternoon. The bog itself shifts with the weather, silver after rain and hard underfoot in a dry spell.
What to see and do
- Blanket bog walks: unmarked but well-trodden tracks cross the peatland, for walkers comfortable with soft, uneven ground. This is a Special Area of Conservation, so keep to established paths.
- Birdwatching: the open bog and adjacent wetlands give unobstructed views of waders; go early or late in the day.
- Bangor Erris: the parish village on the Owenmore is the place for a pint and a bite, with Kiltane Tavern on Main Street and Kiltane GAA Club – founded in 1962, its clubhouse on the N59 – at the centre of local life. Bangor is also known for salmon and sea-trout angling and marks the start of the demanding Bangor Trail through the Nephin Beg range.
- The Bellacorick site: the obvious draw for anyone tracing Ireland’s shift from peat to wind.
Getting there and practical tips
Reach Kiltane on the N59, turning inland towards Bellacorick. Public transport is very limited, so a car is essential for getting through the parish and stopping along the way. Belmullet, the nearest sizeable town, is the hub for fuel, groceries, accommodation and the North Mayo Heritage Centre. There are no visitor centres or paid attractions; pull in at roadside lay-bys with care.
The bog is open year-round, but the weather makes the season. After rain you’ll want waterproof boots and gaiters, and Atlantic fronts move through fast – pack layers and check Met Éireann before you set out. If you want to actually walk the bog rather than look at it, time your visit for a few dry days first, when the tracks firm up.
Nearby attractions
- Wild Nephin National Park: south of Kiltane, protecting one of Ireland’s largest tracts of Atlantic blanket bog, with marked trails, a visitor centre and the slopes of Nephin.
- Belmullet: a Gaeltacht town with shops, cafés and a working harbour, the natural base for travelling in Erris.