Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s pilgrimage mountain is a focal point in West Mayo, rising, as it does, steeply from the sea. On the last Sunday of July each year, thousands of pilgrims climb this mountain, many in their bare feet, in memory of Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick, who, it is claimed, fasted and prayed here for 40 days and nights.
The Moy Valley is also an ideal walking venue, featuring several theme walks, with a Great Famine walk at Bonninconlon and the Sculpture Trail along the coast. The sculptures which can be found throughout the walk, have been executed by Irish and International artists as their response to the local environment.
Clare Island, off the coast at the mouth of Clew Bay also has some excellent walks, both for those who like gentle strolling and for the more experienced climbers. Knockaveen Hill, near the harbour is a pleasant walk, giving good views of the island and nearby mainland. Croaghmore is for the more adventurous, but the views and the wildlife make it worthwhile.
There are several developed forest/woodland trails which include car parks and picnic sites. Moore Hall, 11km north of Ballinrobe, is a 3km trail. Tourmakeady Demesne 8km south west of Partry is a 2.5km trail, while Letterkeen Wood, 9km north of Newport is a 5km trail which includes a well preserved ring fort which dates from about 8000 BC
For further information on walks in Tourmakeady see www.tourmakeady.com
County Mayo is a perfect place for walking and outdoor life. In fact, walkers are well catered for in the county with plenty of planned trails and a special walking festival.
Mayo County Council has developed three planned
walking routes throughout the county – The Western Way, The Foxford Way
and The Bangor Trail.
Organic growing involves:
• Treating the soil and growing
environment as a resource to be husbanded for future generations, rather than
mined for short term gain.
• Providing plants with a balanced
food supply by feeding the many soil living creatures with composts, manures
and other organic materials.
• Choosing renewable resources,
thereby creating a sustainable future.
• Reducing pollution of the environment by recycling garden, household
and other wastes, rather than dumping or burning them.
• Combating pests and diseases without
using pesticides that may prove harmful to human health and that of domestic
and wild animals.
• The
whole garden - flowers, trees, shrubs and lawns, as well as vegetables, fruit
and herbs.
Traditional music plays a big part in the lives of Mayo people and you will always find an Irish music session, with plenty of dancing and craic.
The organic approach to gardening and farming recognises that the whole environment in which plants grow is much more than the sum of its individual parts and that all livings things are inter-related and inter-dependent.
