Overview
The Mullet is a long, low finger of land off the far north-west of County Mayo, a dog-legged promontory between Blacksod Bay and Broadhaven Bay. It runs about 33 km north to south and 12 km across at its widest, pinching to a narrow isthmus near Elly Bay before broadening again. Be straight about it: this is flat, wind-scoured country, and one seasoned Wild Atlantic Way writer reckons it is not the most scenic stretch of the route. What it has instead is quiet, and a living Gaeltacht – about 3,960 people (2016 census), with Irish spoken daily in villages like Belmullet, Aughleam, Elly and Binghamstown – plus long strands, four lighthouses and a coastline with real history on it.
History and heritage
The peninsula’s name may come from the Irish for the isthmus, or from the fish-shaped mullet of heraldry. People have been here a long time: the 5th-century monastic settlement of St Brendan on Inishglora, and the early church of St Dairbhile, whose well is still said to cure eye ailments. The Spanish Armada ship La Rata Santa María Encoronada was lost off Blacksod Bay in 1588, and divers still visit the wreck.
Napoleonic-era signal towers stud the coast, Glosh Tower on Termon Hill the most prominent. Medieval ruins include Cross Abbey above the sea. In Aughleam, the old Ionad Deirbhile heritage centre has grown into Solas – the Light Visitor Centre, which tells the peninsula’s story through its geology, language, emigration and maritime past, with exhibits on the four lighthouses, a traditional currach and a historic lighthouse lens. Entry is €10 for adults, €5 for children, €7 for students and OAPs, and €25 for a family; it is open year-round.
Blacksod and the D-Day forecast
Blacksod Lighthouse (1865) has a claim on world history. In June 1944 the keeper Ted Sweeney telegraphed a weather reading from Blacksod that showed a break coming in an Atlantic front – the report that led Eisenhower first to postpone the D-Day landings and then to give them the go-ahead. Thirty-minute guided tours of the lighthouse run for €7 a head. Three more lighthouses ring the peninsula: Ballyglass on the north-eastern tip, Eagle Island about 1 km off the north-west coast, and Blackrock out on its own rock offshore.
Sculpture trail
Tír Sáile, the North Mayo Sculpture Trail, scatters permanent works across the peninsula. Among them are Deirbhile’s Twist, a large stone circle near Fallmore on the southern tip, and The Thin Places at Annagh Head.
Coastal walks and islands
The peninsula rewards slow travel. Key stops:
- Erris Head Loop: a 5 km coastal walk through a conservation area, with big Atlantic views, an old ‘ÉIRE’ sign from the war years, and a chance of hearing the rare corncrake. The trailhead is off the R313 near Belmullet, with free parking and a coffee truck. Sheep graze the headland, so keep dogs under close control or leave them behind.
- Annagh Head: 1.75-billion-year-old bedrock and views to Eagle Island and Inishglora, a short walk from the car park.
- Doonamo Point: a clifftop fort site with a blow-hole that fires at high tide; stay behind the rail.
- Glosh Tower: a 19th-century signal tower over Blacksod Bay, reached by walking up Termon Hill from the car park.
- St Dairbhile’s Church and Well: a ruined medieval church and holy well, a short drive south from Aughleam.
- Inishkea Islands: uninhabited, with 6th-century monastic ruins, abandoned stone cottages and a grey-seal colony that pups by the hundred each autumn. Several operators run boat trips from Blacksod Pier – Belmullet Boat Charters, Geraghty Charters, Blacksod Sea Safari and North Atlantic Charters among them; check current fares and sailings.
- Inishglora Island: an early-Christian site with beehive huts, St Brendan’s Well and cross slabs, tied to the legend of the Children of Lir. Seasonal boats from Blacksod Pier.
- Beaches: Elly Bay and Mullaghroe (both Blue Flag), Belderra Strand, Cross Strand, Emlybeg, and tidal Barranagh Island. Most have free parking; Mullaghroe’s is small and not wheelchair-accessible.
Wildlife and nature
The peninsula is a designated Special Protection Area. In summer you might catch the ‘crex-crex’ rasp of the corncrake, or see gannets, shearwaters and wintering barnacle geese; grey seals and the odd dolphin show up on the Inishkea tours. The Stags of Broadhaven, four steep rock islands off Benwee Head, hold big seabird colonies and are easy to spot from the coast.
Practical information
Getting there: the nearest airport is Ireland West (Knock). Drive the N59 to Ballina, then the R313 into Belmullet; the isthmus onto the peninsula is well signed.
Public transport: Bus Éireann route 446 runs daily between Ballina and Belmullet, one service each way, with an extra Friday-evening run from Ballina.
Parking: most trailheads and beaches have free car parks. Mullaghroe’s is small, so arrive early in summer. The Benwee Head car park has a short, steep access road, fine for most vehicles but not large coaches.
Fees: Solas costs €10 adult / €5 child / €7 student or OAP / €25 family. Blacksod Lighthouse tours are €7 a head. Inishkea boat trips are charged by the operator – check ahead.
Accommodation: self-catering cottages, glamping pods on Claggan Island, and hotels including the Talbot in Belmullet; Carne Golf Links has rooms on site.
Language and etiquette: Irish is the everyday language here, on road signs and in many shops. A simple ‘Dia dhuit’ goes down well. Seals and seabirds are protected, so keep your distance.
Nearby: the Bangor Trail for a rugged inland walk, or Belmullet itself for shops, pubs and the tidal pool.
If you do one thing, drive out to Blacksod and stand where the D-Day forecast came from; if you have longer, walk the Erris Head loop and take a boat to the Inishkeas. Pack a waterproof whatever the forecast says – the weather here turns on a sixpence.