Castles and Historic Sites in Co. Mayo
6 places
1.Doolough Valley Famine Memorial
Stone cross with Gandhi inscription
A hauntingly beautiful valley in southwest Mayo where a simple stone cross marks one of the Great Famine's darkest tragedies, set against the dramatic backdrop of Mweelrea Mountain, the Sheeffry Hills, and the dark waters of Doo Lough.
- Highlights
- Stone cross memorial with Gandhi inscription
- Dramatic mountain-and-lake scenery on the Wild Atlantic Way
- Mweelrea — Connacht's highest peak
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly
2.Moore Hall
Ruined mansion swallowed by forest
An atmospheric ruined Georgian mansion swallowed by forest on the shores of Lough Carra — a free, family-friendly spot for woodland walks, history, and lakeside picnics.
- Highlights
- Ruined Georgian mansion draped in ivy
- Lakeside setting on Lough Carra
- Wooden wildlife sculptures along the trails
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
3.The Lost Valley
a 3-hour guided walk through a famine village
Beyond the end of the road near Louisburgh sits a working sheep farm holding a famine village untouched for nearly two centuries. The Bourke family, farmers here for eight generations, lead the only way in: a pre-booked guided walk.
- Highlights
- Ruined famine village and potato ridges undisturbed for ~200 years
- Guided by the Bourke family, farming here for 8 generations
- Working sheepdog herding demonstration
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
4.National Famine Memorial
a bronze coffin-ship monument unveiled in 1997
A haunting bronze "coffin ship" by sculptor John Behan, rising from the shore at the foot of Croagh Patrick with views across Clew Bay. It commemorates the million who died in the Great Famine of 1845–1850.
- Highlights
- Bronze 'coffin ship' by John Behan, unveiled 1997
- Free, open-air, accessible 24/7
- Bilingual famine inscription and interpretive panels
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
5.Céide Fields Visitors Centre and Car Park
the world's oldest known stone-walled fields, buried under bog
On the wild north Mayo cliffs, Céide Fields is the world's oldest known stone-walled field system — nearly 6,000-year-old farmland buried beneath a blanket bog, explored via an award-winning cliff-top visitor centre.
- Highlights
- Oldest known stone-walled fields in the world, ~6,000 years old
- Most extensive Stone Age monument on the planet
- 110 m cliff-edge viewing platform and glass rooftop
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
6.Céide Fields
the world's oldest stone-walled fields, dating back 6,000 years
Beneath the wild boglands of north Mayo lies the most extensive Stone Age monument on Earth — a 6,000-year-old system of stone-walled fields, dwellings, and megalithic tombs, perched on dramatic 110-metre cliffs above the Atlantic.
- Highlights
- Oldest known stone-walled field system in the world
- Award-winning pyramid-shaped visitor centre
- 110-metre clifftop viewing platform over the Atlantic
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access