Newport (County Mayo) Voyage Tips and guide

For other places with the same name, see Newport

Newport is a village in County Mayo on the west coast of Ireland. It was originally Baile Uí Fhiacháin or Ballyveaghan, then re-built in the 18th century as a port and linen manufacturing centre. But even the industrious Quakers couldn't make a success of it and Newport withered as Westport grew. It's just a single street, and in 2022 its population was all of 815. That makes it by some margin the biggest village along the bleak northwest coast of Mayo, so it's convenient to describe those places' attractions and facilities here. A separate page describes Achill Island.

53°54′0″N 9°36′0″W

Map of Newport (County Mayo)

The nearest airport is Knock (NOC ^IATA). It has limited flights and you might prefer to fly into Dublin or Shannon and drive.

By road from Dublin take M4 / N4 to Longford then N5 west to Castlebar, then R311 to Newport.

The nearest railway station is Westport 11 km south, with 5 trains a day from Dublin Heuston via Athlone and Castlebar.

Bus Éireann 450 follows the coast from Louisburgh and Westport to Newport (20 min), then on north to Mulrany and across Achill Island. It runs M-Sa every 2-3 hours, with only three on Sunday.

The village is small, just a single street, but you need wheels for outlying attractions.

See above for Bus 450. June-Aug a free bus runs twice Tu-Sa from Westport via Newport to Mulranny, Ballycroy National Park and Bangor Erris.

• 53.8844-9.5451 Seven Arches Bridge is a disused railway viaduct over the river, now a footpath.
• St Patrick's Church (Roman Catholic) is on Blackoak Rise north of the river. It was built in 1914 in neo-Romanesque style, with attractive stained glass windows.
• 53.8988-9.57212 Burrishoole Abbey was a Dominican Friary founded in 1470 and ruined after the Reformation. The church and a wall of the cloister remain, and the cemetery is still in use.
• 53.8961-9.62713 Rockfleet Castle or Carrickahowley is a 16th century tower house on the shore, down a narrow lane. No public access.
• 53.8962-9.71714 Rosturk Castle is an 1840 mock-castle mansion on a tidal island in Clew Bay. It's a private residence and not worth delving down the very narrow lane to view.
• 53.904-9.795 Mulranny is a village on the neck of land between Clew Bay and Blacksod Bay, where R319 branches off the main road towards Achill Island. There's a scattering of B&Bs and self-catering cottages, and a golf course. East of the village, the Old Irish Goat Centre celebrates the primitive species introduced to Britain and Ireland 5000 years ago: it's open Mar-Oct daily 10AM-4PM. A path across the bay over saltmarsh and machair was built in 1889; you can cross (no dogs) to the other shore then circle back to the village.
• Corraun Peninsula (or Currane) carries the road to Achill. R319 is the direct route but there's also a scenic lane, an earlier turn-off clearly signposted on N59, which loops round the south coast.
• 53.965-9.996 Achill Island is reached by road from Mulranny. It has the deserted village of Slievemore: see separate page.
• 53.957-9.7937 Claggan Mountain Coastal Trail is a boardwalk over the bogs south of Ballycroy. Along the shore are fossil tree stumps, perhaps 5000 years old, preserved by the peat.
• 54.0245-9.8238 Ballycroy National Park is one of the largest intact blanket bogs and peatlands in Ireland, a protected habitat. In 2007 a large area west of Nephin was added to the park: this was commercial timber forests, which are now being re-wilded. The visitor centre has a 2-km boardwalk loop, you need to start elsewhere for longer hikes into the hills.

• 54.225-9.999 Belmullet is the village on the neck of land connecting Mullet (or Erris) Peninsula to the mainland. JM Synge visited in 1904 and wove it into The Playboy of the Western World. There's B&B, golf courses, and McDonnell's Bar doubles as an undertakers.
• 54.0986-10.060510 Blacksod Lighthouse marks the south tip of the 33 km peninsula. You can't go in. Deirbhiles Twist nearby is a modern stone sculpture got up to resemble ancient megaliths.
• 54.135-10.211 Inishkea Islands are the low sandy chain off Blacksod. They still have a handful of residents, but many of their young fishermen were lost in a storm in 1927, and the survivors left for the mainland. There are no ferries, but boat trips sometimes call. In the 19th century the inhabitants practised pagan rites around a "sacred stone", though after they'd been to church, mind. It was made out to be a prehistoric tradition but more likely was just a batty modern cult in a place that lacked amusements.
• 54.2677-9.888912 Ballyglass Lighthouse marks the northeast tip of the peninsula, almost pinching off Broadhaven Bay. Lots of bracing clifftop walks around the north coast.
• 54.2787-9.825713 Dooncarton Stone Circle is a good example of the megaliths further north up the coast.
• 54.337-9.81914 Benwee Head and the Stags of Broadhaven are at the north point of this coastline. From there the coast trends east towards Céide Fields and the group of abbeys around Killala: see Ballina for these.

• Golf: Westport GC is closest. Mulranny GC west along N59 is nine holes: there and back is 6199 m, par 71.
• Great Western Greenway is a cycling and walking route, 42 km from Westport to Newport, Mulranny and the bridge to Achill Island. It's off-road, following the track of the old Great Western Railway.
• The Wild Atlantic Way is a coastal itinerary from Donegal all the way to Kinsale near Cork. The local section through northern Mayo is self-evident: from Ballina along the north coast to Mullet Peninsula, south via Ballycroy to Mulranny and Achill Island, then to Newport and onward to Westport.
• Dark skies: the Ballycroy / West Nephin park is one recommended area, but anywhere away from town should do.

• Centra is the convenience store in Newport, open M-Sa 7AM-10PM, Su 8AM-9PM. Do your big shop in Westport or Castlebar.

• Kelly's Kitchen, Main St F28 VF57, ☏ +353 98 41647. M-Sa 9AM-5PM. Bright cheery cafe for breakfast or lunch. (updated Feb 2026)
• Gráinne Uaile, Medlicott St F28 R799 (south end of bridge), ☏ +353 98 41776. Th-Su noon-9PM. Gastropub with great food, value for money. (updated Feb 2026)
• Port Chipper is next to Gráinne Uaile on Medlicott St F28 E0F2. It serves fast food W-Su 5-9PM, eat in or takeaway.

• Bridge Inn on Main St serves good pub grub and has rooms.

• No campsite or caravan park in Newport, the nearest is in Westport.
• Hotel Newport, Main St, Newport F28 YX89, ☏ +353 98 41234. Charming hotel with 30 rooms in village centre. B&B double €160. (updated Feb 2026)
• Brannen's is a B&B on Main St F28 F579.
• Anchor House is a B&B west on Quay Rd F28 RX01.

As of Feb 2026, Newport has 4G from Vodafone and 5G from Eir, but a poor signal from Three. Coverage is patchy on the roads around.

• Achill Island has a deserted village, abandoned in the Great Famine.
• The road round the north coast continues to Killala and Ballina, with several ruined abbeys.
• Westport has a fine Georgian Manor and is near the pilgrimage mountain of Croagh Patrick.